Bill > LB1148

This bill establishes clear legal guidelines for determining parentage of children conceived through assisted reproduction, which is defined as any method of causing pregnancy other than sexual intercourse, including artificial insemination, egg or embryo donation, and in vitro fertilization. A donor of gametes (sperm, eggs, or parts thereof) is explicitly not considered a parent. An individual who consents in writing to assisted reproduction with the intent to be a parent is recognized as a parent, though courts may still establish parentage if there's clear evidence of an agreement to be parents or if the individuals lived together with the child for the first two years and openly held the child out as their own, even if written consent was not obtained. The bill also addresses situations involving divorce before conception, allowing former spouses to be recognized as parents only if they explicitly consented in writing to be a parent if assisted reproduction occurred after the divorce. Consent can be withdrawn in writing before pregnancy occurs, preventing that individual from being recognized as a parent. The bill clarifies that the death of an intended parent does not automatically prevent parentage, provided certain conditions are met, and outlines procedures for adjudicating parentage in cases of competing claims, prioritizing the child's best interests and limiting legal parentage to a maximum of two individuals. Importantly, these provisions do not apply to children conceived through sexual intercourse, surrogacy agreements, or to the extent otherwise covered by the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Act.

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https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=63409