Nebraska lawmakers have advanced a bill to prevent people from getting tattoos on the whites of their eyes. LB 449, which would prohibit such tattooing and put in a place a fine of up to $10,000 for violations, won first-round approval Wednesday on a 38-0 vote.
While the practice, called scleral tattooing, is not common, lawmakers in two other states have banned, or are taking steps to ban, the practice in recent months.
The proposal by Senator Lynn Walz of Fremont received strong support from eye doctors who warn that such tattoos are risky and could cause people to lose their sight.
The bill includes a limited exception for cases where such a procedure is medically necessary and performed by someone who's trained to do it.