The bill amends various sections of the Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, introducing the State Building Construction Alternatives Act and the Secure Drone Purchasing Act. It requires state agencies to submit a federal funding inventory every two years and modifies existing provisions related to planning, building, construction, and procurement for state buildings. Key provisions include the requirement for authorized agencies to hire licensed architects or engineers for project development, the establishment of a selection process for design-builders, and the stipulation that contracts can only be executed for projects exceeding thirty million dollars. Additionally, the bill mandates payment of stipends to qualified design-builders who submit proposals but are not selected, granting the agency ownership of the intellectual property in those proposals.

The Secure Drone Purchasing Act aims to enhance security against espionage and theft of intellectual property by regulating the purchase of drones by state agencies. Effective January 1, 2027, agencies are prohibited from acquiring drones not cleared by the Division of Aeronautics, and contracts for such purchases will be void. The bill also outlines new security measures for drone platforms, including multifactor authentication and annual independent security audits. Furthermore, it raises the threshold for contracts requiring competitive bidding from fifty thousand to one hundred thousand dollars and establishes a mechanism for adjusting this threshold for inflation every four years. The bill emphasizes a systematic review of agency rules and regulations, requiring annual reports on their necessity and effectiveness, while suspending rulemaking during the review process, except for time-sensitive matters.

Statutes affected:
Final Reading: 72-803, 73-101, 73-307, 81-1108.15, 81-1701, 82-317, 82-318, 82-319, 82-321, 84-906.02, 84-911, 84-920
Slip Law: 72-803, 73-101, 73-307, 81-1108.15, 81-1701, 82-317, 82-318, 82-319, 82-321, 84-906.02, 84-911, 84-920