Judiciary committee package hits the floor, pairing online child‑abuse civil remedies with court fee changes
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Summary
Senate Judiciary Committee’s omnibus (LB935/AM2743) reached the floor; package includes civil remedies for online child‑abuse material (LB978), a $10 case management fee and tiered docket fees (LB1228), and other civil/criminal changes. Supporters urged passage; critics warned of regressive fee increases.
The Judiciary Committee’s omnibus package (reported as AM2743 to LB935) was presented to the full Senate, combining several bills intended to address abusive litigation, online child exploitation, and court funding.
Chair Boson described LB935 as the committee’s priority package, stating it protects political subdivisions from abusive or frivolous litigation by allowing recovering attorney fees and costs when appropriate. The package also incorporates bills with separate policy goals that were described on the floor:
- LB978 (sponsored by Senator Storer) would strengthen civil enforcement and create a civil cause of action for minors depicted in child‑abuse material or obscene content, allowing victims (through parents where appropriate) to recover damages, attorney fees and pursue injunctive relief. - LB1228 (as amended into the package) would establish a $10 case‑management systems software fee and set tiered docket fees for various civil and traffic actions to create a dedicated cash fund for modernizing court case‑management systems.
Advocates on the floor described the bills as measures to modernize court infrastructure and give victims legal recourse against websites that host or profit from exploitative content. Senator Storer said the bill "creates real incentives for websites to remove illegal content" and gives survivors additional legal tools.
Opponents raised concerns about the regressive nature of fee increases and the timing of asking citizens to shoulder added court costs. Senator Conrad pressed for caution, arguing some components (especially docket/fee changes) amount to regressive revenue mechanisms and asked for more deliberation about consequences for access to justice.
Status and next steps: Committee sponsors urged the package to be advanced to select file for continued floor consideration. The body recessed for lunch with the package on the floor and further votes expected when session resumes.
The committee package bundles several contentious topics: victim remedies and online‑harm prevention drew bipartisan interest, while the fee structure prompted debate about fairness and access to the judicial system.