This bill amends various sections of the Nebraska Revised Statutes to enhance protections for pharmacists and health care professionals by prohibiting assaults against them. It introduces new definitions and classifications for assault offenses specifically targeting public safety officers, health care professionals, and pharmacists, while deleting previous references to emergency responders and state correctional employees. The bill establishes penalties for first, second, and third-degree assaults against these individuals, with enhanced penalties if the victim is pregnant. Additionally, it mandates that hospitals and health clinics display warnings about the seriousness of assaulting health care professionals or pharmacists, emphasizing that such actions may be felonies.

Moreover, the bill requires pharmacies to display a prominent warning sign regarding the serious consequences of assaulting a pharmacist, including the act of striking them with bodily fluids, which is classified as a serious crime. It also expands the definition of assault to include threats to inflict serious bodily injury or death, while repealing several outdated provisions from the Revised Statutes. The bill further modifies penalties for habitual criminals, increasing the mandatory minimum sentence for certain felonies if the individual has prior convictions for similar offenses, thereby restructuring the legal framework surrounding these offenses.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 28-101, 28-115, 28-929.01, 28-929, 28-930, 28-931, 28-934, 28-929.02, 28-1351, 28-1354, 29-2221, 84-941.01