Signed into law by the Governor
Adopt the Uniform Unlawful Restrictions in Land Records Act ↗
latest roll call: Final Reading · 03/06/2025 · Yea 47 · Nay 0 · Not voting/absent 2 (Vote Record)
| Sponsor | Sen. John Cavanaugh (District 9) (Introduced 01/09/2025) |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Ranking | The Nebraska Legislature is officially nonpartisan, and no published ideology measurement of its members is in our database - so none is shown. This page shows how members voted, never where anyone places them. |
| KJV verdict | PASS · 3 grounds ↓ |
| Committees | Banking, Commerce and Insurance |
| Latest Action | 03/12/2025 Approved by Governor on March 11, 2025 |
| Roll Call Votes | 2 |
| Source | view on nebraskalegislature.gov (new tab) → |
Brief (4)
If it passes, what changes
This is a real property law bill adopting a uniform act to let discriminatory clauses in old land records be formally removed. It creates a procedure, not a criminal or funding measure.
- §1 names Sections 1-9 the Uniform Unlawful Restrictions in Land Records Act.
- §2 defines "unlawful restriction" as a race, religion, sex, disability, or similar clause violating state or federal law.
- §3 lets an individual owner record an amendment removing such a restriction from their own property.
- §4 lets a homeowners association's governing body remove the restriction from a governing instrument without a member vote, within set 90-day periods.
- §5 requires the amendment to name the owner, property, and document, and carry a specified conspicuous statement.
- §7 requires the recorder to record the amendment, index it, and cross-reference it, with no recorder liability.
Does it do what it claims
The title says it adopts the Uniform Unlawful Restrictions in Land Records Act, and the operative sections do exactly that with no broader scope.
- Title claims adoption of a uniform act; §1 through §9 track that act's standard structure.
- §8 directs courts to construe the act toward uniformity among enacting states, matching the "uniform act" label.
- §5(c) and the sample form in §6 both state the amendment does not touch any restriction that is not unlawful, limiting the claim to removal only.
- §9 narrowly addresses federal e-signature law (15 U.S.C. 7001 et seq.) without expanding the act's substantive reach.
The case each way
Supporters and skeptics disagree less about the goal than about whether the mechanism is adequate and fair to all parties affected.
- For: §3 gives any owner a direct, low-barrier way to erase a discriminatory clause from their own deed.
- For: §7(a) requires recorders to act, so the amendment is not discretionary once filed.
- Against: §4(a) lets an HOA board amend a governing instrument with no member vote, which some may see as bypassing normal governance.
- Against: §7(b) immunizes recorders from liability, leaving no clear recourse if an amendment is wrongly recorded.
What the text cannot settle
This reading covers only what the text states; it does not resolve how the act performs once bills like this are used in practice.
- §2(11) leaves "other personal characteristics" undefined beyond the listed categories.
- §4(b) does not say what happens if the governing body misses its 90-day deadlines.
- The text does not state who determines, if disputed, whether a restriction is truly "unlawful" before recording.
- §9 addresses one federal statute only; the bill does not say how it interacts with other federal recording law.
Written by claude-sonnet-5 from the Slip Law of this bill on 2026-09-13, and from nothing else. It is a reading, not a source: bullets naming a section this bill does not contain are dropped before the page is built, but the prose is not otherwise checked. The verdict above does not come from it.
KJV verdict (3)
PASS — Aligns with the KJV
The bill lets a property owner or a homeowners' board strike from the deed records old covenants that barred people from buying or living on land because of their race, religion, or national origin, and only where the law already made those covenants void. Scripture forbids judging people by such partiality and commands that the stranger be treated as one born among you, so clearing these restrictions does what the standard commends (Leviticus 19:15; Leviticus 19:33-34). Lawful restrictions are left untouched, so no landmark is removed (Deuteronomy 19:14).
3 grounds: 0 FAIL, 3 PASS. Any FAIL fails the bill.
PASS Sec. 2(11)
“interfere with or restrict the transfer, use, or occupancy of real property: (A) on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin”
“Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.”Leviticus 19:15
“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?”James 2:1-4
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”Galatians 3:28
The covenants the bill targets respect persons by race and origin, which scripture calls unrighteousness in judgment; the bill removes them.
PASS Sec. 3
“an owner of real property subject to an unlawful restriction may submit to the recorder for recordation in the land records an amendment”
“And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”Leviticus 19:33-34
“He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.”Deuteronomy 10:18-19
A recorded bar on occupancy by national origin vexes the stranger; letting the owner erase it treats the stranger as one born among you.
PASS Sec. 5(c)
“The amendment does not affect the validity or enforceability of any restriction that is not an unlawful restriction.”
“Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.”Deuteronomy 19:14
“Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.”Proverbs 22:28
Only the unlawful covenant is removed; every lawful boundary and covenant the fathers set stays in place.
Read against the KJV standard from the Slip Law text on 2026-09-13. Every quotation of the bill is checked against the bill's text and every verse is quoted from the 1769 text, not from the model.
Text (4)
- Introduced (new tab) (application/pdf)
- Final Reading (new tab) (application/pdf)
- Slip Law (new tab) (application/pdf)
- Engrossed (new tab) (application/pdf)
Each link opens the legislature's own document.
All Actions (14)
| Date | Actor | All Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 03/12/2025 | Approved by Governor on March 11, 2025 | |
| 03/06/2025 | Presented to Governor on March 6, 2025 | |
| 03/06/2025 | President/Speaker signed | |
| 03/06/2025 | Passed on Final Reading 47-0-2 | |
| 03/06/2025 | Dispensing of reading at large approved | |
| 02/20/2025 | Placed on Final Reading | |
| 02/13/2025 | Advanced to Enrollment and Review for Engrossment | |
| 02/06/2025 | Placed on Select File | |
| 01/31/2025 | Advanced to Enrollment and Review Initial | |
| 01/28/2025 | Placed on General File | |
| 01/16/2025 | Notice of hearing for January 27, 2025 | |
| 01/14/2025 | Conrad name added | |
| 01/13/2025 | Referred to Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee | |
| 01/09/2025 | Date of introduction |
Votes (2)
03/06/2025 · Final Reading · 47-0-2
Yea (47): Andersen, Ibach, Arch, Jacobson, Armendariz, Juarez, Ballard, Kauth, Bosn, Lippincott, Bostar, Lonowski, Brandt, McKeon, Cavanaugh, J., Cavanaugh, M., Meyer, Clements, Moser, Clouse, Murman, Conrad, Prokop, DeBoer, Quick, DeKay, Raybould, Dorn, Riepe, Dover, Rountree, Dungan, Sanders, Fredrickson, Sorrentino, Guereca, Spivey, Hallstrom, Storer, Hansen, Storm, Hardin, Strommen, Holdcroft, von Gillern, Hughes, Wordekemper
Not voting / absent (2): McKinney, Hunt
01/31/2025 · ADVANCE TO E&R INITIAL · 36-0-13
Yea (36): Andersen, Ibach, Arch, Jacobson, Armendariz, Ballard, Kauth, Lippincott, Brandt, McKeon, Cavanaugh, J., McKinney, Cavanaugh, M., Clements, Moser, Clouse, Prokop, DeBoer, Quick, DeKay, Dorn, Riepe, Dover, Rountree, Fredrickson, Sorrentino, Guereca, Spivey, Hallstrom, Storer, Storm, Hardin, Strommen, Holdcroft, von Gillern, Wordekemper
Not voting / absent (13): Juarez, Bosn, Bostar, Lonowski, Meyer, Murman, Conrad, Raybould, Dungan, Sanders, Hansen, Hughes, Hunt
Every roll call as the legislature recorded it, with each member's vote by name.
Sponsors (2)
- Sen. John Cavanaugh [District 9] — primary sponsor
- Sen. Danielle Conrad [District 46] — cosponsor (01/14/2025)
Committees (1)
| Committee | Activity | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Banking, Commerce and Insurance | Referred | 01/13/2025 |
Amendments (0)
There are no amendments to this bill.
Fiscal Notes & Statements (3)
The legislature's own companion documents; each link opens the official copy.
Related Bills (0)
No related bill information was received.
How this was worked out (1)
1. What was read
| version | Slip Law |
| file | 03-slip-law.pdf |
| sha256 | 6269923767dcd8a44021bcda735cb18f |
| characters | 8,466 |
2. What it was read against
| the standard | bills/kjv_prompt.txt, sha256 79671b42553a40fe28a8ac9c8ce9e60a |
| model | claude-fable-5-1 |
| read on | 2026-09-13 |
| the model was shown | the standard -- the verses of the 1769 text, quoted in full -- and the bill's words, and nothing else |
3. The grounds (3)
| PASS | |
|---|---|
| PASS | Sec. 2(11)
“Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.” Leviticus 19:15 “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?” James 2:1-4 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28 The covenants the bill targets respect persons by race and origin, which scripture calls unrighteousness in judgment; the bill removes them. |
| PASS | Sec. 3
“And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 19:33-34 “He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 10:18-19 A recorded bar on occupancy by national origin vexes the stranger; letting the owner erase it treats the stranger as one born among you. |
| PASS | Sec. 5(c)
“Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.” Deuteronomy 19:14 “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.” Proverbs 22:28 Only the unlawful covenant is removed; every lawful boundary and covenant the fathers set stays in place. |
4. How the verdict follows
| FAIL grounds | 0 |
| PASS grounds | 3 |
| the rule | any FAIL ground fails the bill -- even one, even beside good provisions (1 Corinthians 5:6), even for a good end (Romans 3:8); PASS grounds alone pass it; no grounds, no verdict. No counting, no weighing, nothing added up. |
| verdict | PASS — Aligns with the KJV |
5. What this cannot tell you
Every ground above quotes the bill and quotes the verse, so each can be checked. What the model did not raise cannot be checked the same way: a provision it passed over looks exactly like one that is not there. How often a ground is wrong, and how often one is missing, are not known.
Bill data comes from the Nebraska Legislature's own website, scraped and stored by our own pipeline; titles, sponsors, actions and vote tallies are shown as the Legislature published them. Nothing is generated. Nebraska's Legislature is unicameral and officially nonpartisan; its members carry no party label here because they carry none there. No published ideology measurement is in our database, so no bill or member on this site is placed on a left-right axis: every meter is a roll-call tally, labeled (Vote Record).