Legislative video archive bill expanded, advanced

A proposal intended to expand access to video of legislative proceedings was broadened and advanced from the second round of debate April 25.

Nebraska Public Media currently broadcasts and live-streams video coverage of legislative public committee hearings and floor debate. Written transcripts of those proceedings are made available on the Legislature’s website when completed.

As amended on general file, LB254, sponsored by Gordon Sen. Tom Brewer, would require the Executive Board to develop and maintain a publicly accessible, digital internet archive of closed-captioned video of that coverage, indexed by bill number or date, beginning with the 2025 legislative session or as soon as live, closed-captioned video coverage of the Legislature is available.

Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt offered an amendment during select file debate, adopted 35-0, which would require the closed-captioning to be provided in both English and Spanish.

An amendment offered by Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, also adopted 35-0, would add provisions of his LB552. The amendment would extend the termination date for the Legislature’s Mental Health Care Capacity Strategic Planning Committee by one year, to Nov. 1, 2025.

It also would extend the deadline by which the committee must contract with an independent consultant to Nov. 1, 2023, and the reporting deadline for findings and recommendations to Nov. 1, 2024.

The committee was created by a measure passed by the Legislature in 2022, Cavanaugh said, but was not able to hire a consultant by the established deadline.

Following adoption of the select file amendments, LB254 was advanced to final reading by voice vote.