The bill establishes the Protection Orders Act, amending various sections of Nebraska law to enhance protections for victims of domestic abuse, harassment, and sexual assault. It introduces new definitions, including "household pet," and outlines the conditions for issuing and renewing protection orders, which can now be set for an initial period of one to two years at the court's discretion. Victims can file petitions for different types of protection orders, and ex parte orders can be issued in cases of immediate danger. The bill also clarifies the responsibilities of the court and law enforcement regarding the service of protection orders and ensures that fees for filing petitions will not be charged unless the court finds the petition was filed in bad faith.

Additionally, the bill mandates that reports of child abuse involving military families be communicated to the appropriate military installations and requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish procedures for identifying military family members in such reports. It expands definitions related to child protection and updates the legal framework surrounding domestic violence and tenant rights, allowing victims to remove perpetrators from rental agreements and change locks on their units. The bill also emphasizes the confidentiality of victim identification information and establishes stricter penalties for violations of protection orders, particularly concerning firearm possession. Overall, the bill aims to streamline the process for obtaining protection orders and improve the legal protections available to victims.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 42-924, 42-925, 42-926, 42-924.01, 42-924.03, 42-928, 42-929, 42-924.02, 42-931, 28-311.12, 25-2740, 28-311.02, 28-311.04, 28-311.05, 28-358.01, 28-1205, 28-1206, 29-404.02, 29-422, 29-2292, 42-901, 42-903, 42-905, 42-927, 43-1609, 43-1611, 60-3209
Final Reading: 42-924, 42-925, 42-926, 42-924.01, 42-924.03, 42-928, 42-929, 42-924.02, 42-931, 28-311.12, 25-2740, 28-311.02, 28-311.04, 28-311.05, 28-358.01, 28-710, 28-713.01, 28-1205, 28-1206, 29-404.02, 29-422, 29-2292, 42-901, 42-903, 42-905, 42-927, 43-1609, 43-1611, 60-3209, 76-1401
Slip Law: 42-924, 42-925, 42-926, 42-924.01, 42-924.03, 42-928, 42-929, 42-924.02, 42-931, 28-311.12, 25-2740, 28-311.02, 28-311.04, 28-311.05, 28-358.01, 28-710, 28-713.01, 28-1205, 28-1206, 29-404.02, 29-422, 29-2292, 42-901, 42-903, 42-905, 42-927, 43-1609, 43-1611, 60-3209, 76-1401