West Point, Neb – Governor Jim Pillen signed legislation on February 24 aimed at improving county zoning processes for ag producers.
At the Nebraska Dairy Convention and Trade Show in West Point, Pillen put his signature on LB 663, which oulines specific processes for application, review and approval of conditional use and special exception permit applications by county officials.
Conditional use and special exception permits allow a county board of supervisors, and in some cases a planning commission, to grant approval of projects that would not otherwise meet local zoning restrictions. For example, Nebraska Statute allows a conditional use permit or special exception for livestock waste control projects at feedlots, providing certain conditions are met. LB 663 was initially introduced for consideration by District 43 State Senator Tanya Storer in the 2025 legislative session.
“This is a huge win for our dairy industry and all livestock development in Nebraska,” said Gov. Pillen. “We are becoming a national leader in dairy growth. If we want to capture more of that economic impact here at home – creating careers, supporting farm families, and strengthening our rural communities — we must make it easier for producers to expand and invest.”
Gov. Pillen was joined at the signing event by Senator Storer, Senator Rita Sanders who chairs the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, ag group representatives and others.
The newly approved bill creates new requirements for county boards and commissions when considering such permits by:
• Mandating education hours for certain county officials
• Requiring that conditional use permits or special exemptions be considered only on county zoning regulations
• Establishing timelines for county commissions to act on permit applications
“LB 663 is the result of over a year of collaborative work with both NACO and the agriculture industry,” said Sen. Storer. “This legislation aims to improve our zoning laws by preserving the local control counties need to best represent their geographic areas while creating more consistency and transparency for our ag producers seeking to expand and diversify their operations.”
Under the law, counties must determine whether an application is complete within 30 days and notify the applicant within 10 days. Once complete, officials have 90 days to approve or deny the application. If no action is taken within that timeframe, the application is automatically approved.
To address concerns and provide county officials with a way to manage application issues, an amendment was added to the final bill allowing a new application to restart the 90 day clock if new information comes to light during the review.
