On May 20, 2025, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signed LB246, banning the production, sale, promotion and distribution of lab-grown meat in Nebraska. The bill was sponsored on the governor’s behalf by Sen. Barry DeKay.

“When I stood in front of a group of producers and ag business owners yesterday and announced my intention to sign this legislation, I was met with applause,” said Pillen. “We need to be willing to protect and preserve our state’s vital ag industry as well as our consumers. These products are grown from harvested cells in bioreactor machines. The health consequences are unknown and so are the long-term effects to consumers.”   

Putting this ban into law builds on the governor’s effort to shield producers and consumers from the lab-grown meat industry, which was initiated with the issuance of Executive Order 24-09, prohibiting state agencies from purchasing lab-grown meat and requiring state contractors to certify that they will not discriminate against natural-meat producers in favor of laboratory or cultivated-meat producers.

Source: Officer of Gov. Jim Pillen