LINCOLN, Neb. - Nebraska’ new District 43 lawmaker has introduced two bills within her first few days in session. Senator Tanya Storer first submitted LB61, which seeks an increased reimbursement rate for memory care patients in assisted living facilities.

“One of the primary concerns I heard throughout the nine months of traveling the district was diminishing access to healthcare, especially for our elderly,” said Storer.

With several assisted living facilities and nursing homes recently closing across the district, Storer views this bill as a step toward addressing a growing need for senior care.

Shifting focus to younger generations, Storer’s second proposal, LB383, also known as the Parental Rights and Social Media Act, seeks to impose new limits on minors' access to social media. The bill would require age verification to create a social media account, and anyone under 18 would need parental consent.

“It empowers parents to take control of their social media use, shifting the authority away from big tech platforms, like TikTok and Facebook,” said Storer. “This is just common sense. We understand things like R-rated movies, alcohol ,and tobacco are harmful to the developing brains of our children, and therefore place age restrictions on them. It is time to do the same for social media.”

In her first legislative newsletter, Storer also shared that she has been assigned to the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee and the Judiciary Committee. She said she was disappointed about not being placed on the Agriculture or Natural Resources Committees, but said she plans to advocate for rural Nebraska through her committees.

She also said that a change to the legislative calendar made by Speaker Sen. John Arch will be difficult. The adjustment eliminates recess days for the first five weeks of session.

“Which creates significant difficulties for those of us representing rural districts to travel back to our district and engage directly with our constituents,” said Storer. “While I understand the importance of maximizing legislative days, this decision places an additional strain on rural senators who must balance travel with their legislative responsibilities."