Proposals for foreign-trained doctors, ag data privacy advance in Legislature

By Fred Knapp , Senior Reporter/Producer Nebraska Public Media

March 24, 2026, midnight ·

Sen. Merv Riepe speaks Tuesday (Fred Knapp/Nebraska Public Media News) — Sen. Merv Riepe speaks Tuesday. (Fred Knapp/Nebraska Public Media News)

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A proposal to make it easier for foreign-trained doctors to practice in Nebraska, and another one to protect data collected by farming operations, are advancing in the Legislature.

Sen. Merv Riepe, sponsor of the physicians' bill (LB1212), wants to make it easier for foreign-trained doctors to practice in the state. He said current requirements make that difficult in Nebraska.

“Internationally-trained physicians already provide much of the primary care in rural and underserved areas nationally," he said. "Yet in Nebraska, most are required to start over through a U.S. residency match, which is federally capped, highly competitive and beyond our control as a state. Many never get a shot, regardless of the years of safe, independent practice abroad, while Nebraska's physician shortage, particularly in rural counties, continues to deepen."

Riepe’s legislation would create new ways for foreign-trained physicians to be licensed to practice in the state, by creating so-called provisional and transitional licenses that could be used for up to six years before getting an unrestricted license.

Doctors using the program would also have to be assessed and receive satisfactory scores on their licensing exams. They could operate under the supervision of an organization like a hospital, or, after three years, on their own in areas of the state with a shortage of health care professionals.

Sen. John Fredrickson, supporting the proposal, said it could help more than foreign doctors.

“This applies, obviously, to new Americans, folks who maybe grew up outside of the country. But it also might apply to folks who grew up here, who were unable to get into a U.S. medical school, not because of their level of qualification, but rather just because of the limited available slots,” Fredrickson said.

Riepe stressed he wants to maintain the quality of care throughout the state.

“I have no interest in building a second-level, second lower quality health care system outside of the urban centers of this state. We have a lot of issues to address, and we will get there. It's just a matter of determination and staying the course,” he said.

Senators gave the bill first-round approval on vote of 38-0.

Also Tuesday, the Legislature took up a proposal (LB525) introduced by Sen. Mike Jacobson for Gov. Jim Pillen, aimed at protecting data collected by farmers or their equipment. The data include subjects like soil conditions, weather or crop yields. Jacobson said the proposal is needed to respond to the changing landscape of agriculture.

“The Wild West of agricultural data needs a fence around it. Agriculture is the engine of Nebraska's economy today. That engine runs on data, yield maps, soil moisture levels and planting prescriptions. But for too long, there has been a massive gray area regarding who actually owns a digital byproduct of a farmer's sweat and equity,” Jacobson said.

And he said he doesn’t want ag equipment manufacturers to profit by reselling farmers’ data.

“We aren't trying to stifle innovation. We want the John Deeres and Case-IHs of the world to keep building good tools. But we want them to do it as partners with our producers, not as owners of their data,” he said.

Jacobson also agreed to use his bill as a vehicle for a proposal (LB1185) by Sen. Eliot Bostar to regulate conversational artificial intelligence. Bostar said his proposal aims to create rules for responsible use of the technology.

“At its core, LB1185, is about transparency, child safety and trust. As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in daily life, Nebraskans deserve clear rules that ensure these tools are deployed responsibly, especially when children are involved,” Bostar said.

Bostar’s proposal would require AI services that simulate human conversation to disclose to users that they are not interacting with a human being. It would require them to make reasonable efforts to block sexual content for users under age 18, and to refer people to crisis intervention hotlines if they are discussing self-harm or suicide.

Senators voted 35-0 to give the bill first-round approval.