LINCOLN, Neb. - As Nebraska lawmakers prepare to debate a contentious bill that would exempt feedlots from brand inspections, Senator Tanya Storer has introduced an amendment aimed at addressing concerns from cattle producers and the Nebraska Brand Committee.

LB 646, introduced by Senator Teresa Ibach, seeks to remove brand inspection requirements for feedlots under the Nebraska Livestock Brand Act. Storer says her amendment (AM 810) would ensure all stakeholders have a say in shaping brand inspection policies.

"I oppose LB 646 as introduced as well as AM 638. Every organization representing cattle producers testified in opposition to the bill. Neither the cow-calf industry nor the Brand Committee tasked with the enforcement of the Brand Act were sufficiently represented in this policy discussion,” said Storer.

Her amendment would require the Nebraska Brand Committee to compile a comprehensive report with recommendations for updating brand inspection fees and procedures across all sectors of the livestock industry—not just feedlots. The findings would be submitted to the Clerk of the Legislature by Dec. 31, 2025.

"Cattle are Nebraska’s most valuable cash commodity. I am fighting for the integrity of the Brand Act and its protection against fraud and theft provided through our proof of ownership inspection system," said Storer.

She also emphasized the broader role of brand inspectors in legal matters such as bankruptcies, divorces, and estate settlements, noting that cattle are often one of the largest assets in such cases.

Opposition to LB 646 has come from both the Nebraska Brand Committee and Nebraska Cattlemen.

“The association opposed LB 646 as introduced because the bill aimed to simply exempt one sector of the industry from inspection,” Nebraska Cattlemen said in a statement.

Ibach, a cattle owner from Dawson County, argues that her bill would bring consistency to brand inspections across the state. Currently, feedlots that exist in counties outside of the brand inspection area are exempt from inspections. 

“If you are a feedlot in my district, you are subject to brand inspection and all the fees, the paperwork, and the time that goes with it. But if you're a feedlot in Senator Hansen's district, you are not subject to brand inspection fees or the paperwork that goes with it,” Ibach said in testimony before the Agriculture Committee.