LB502 LB502
2019 2019
LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED SIXTH LEGISLATURE
FIRST SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 502
Introduced by Hunt, 8.
Read first time January 22, 2019
Committee: Judiciary
1 A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to immigration; to adopt the Limited
2 Immigration Inquiry Act.
3 Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,
-1-
LB502 LB502
2019 2019
1 Section 1. Sections 1 to 5 of this act shall be known and may be
2 cited as the Limited Immigration Inquiry Act.
3 Sec. 2. The purpose of the Limited Immigration Inquiry Act is to
4 promote the health and safety of all residents of Nebraska by encouraging
5 immigrants to cooperate with the government, especially in reporting
6 violations of the law.
7 Sec. 3. For purposes of the Limited Immigration Inquiry Act:
8 (1) Government means the state or any municipality, county,
9 township, board, commission, authority, district, or other political
10 subdivision or public body of the state;
11 (2) Law enforcement agency means an agency or department of this
12 state or of any political subdivision of this state which is responsible
13 for the prevention and detection of crime, the enforcement of the penal,
14 traffic, or highway laws of this state or any political subdivision of
15 this state, and the enforcement of arrest warrants. Law enforcement
16 agency includes a police department, an office of a town marshal, an
17 office of a county sheriff, the Nebraska State Patrol, and any department
18 to which a deputy state sheriff is assigned as provided in section
19 84-106; and
20 (3) Peace officer means any officer or employee of a law enforcement
21 agency authorized by law to make arrests.
22 Sec. 4. (1) Unless required by court order or federal law or
23 required or permitted by state law, no peace officer or government
24 employee or official shall inquire into the immigration status of any
25 person who interacts with such peace officer, employee, or official or
26 with a government agency or law enforcement agency or ask for such
27 person's social security number or other information that would disclose
28 such person's immigration status.
29 (2) Each law enforcement agency and each government agency to which
30 residents regularly walk in to report violations of the law or to
31 complain about government operations shall post prominent signs
-2-
LB502 LB502
2019 2019
1 describing the policy under the Limited Immigration Inquiry Act of not
2 asking about residents' immigration status.
3 (3) Nothing in the Limited Immigration Inquiry Act is intended to
4 prevent peace officers or government employees or officials from knowing
5 a person's immigration status or viewing a document that might provide
6 evidence of a person's immigration status, so long as the person has
7 volunteered the information or document to the peace officer, employee,
8 or official.
9 (4) Unless required by court order or federal law or required or
10 permitted by state law, if a peace officer or government employee or
11 official learns of a person's immigration status, the peace officer,
12 employee, or official shall keep such status confidential and not
13 disclose it to third parties, including other peace officers, law
14 enforcement agencies, government employees or officials, or government
15 agencies.
16 (5) A peace officer may inquire into a person's immigration status
17 if required by state or federal law.
18 Sec. 5. The Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal
19 Justice shall develop training to assist law enforcement agencies and
20 other government agencies in understanding and complying with the Limited
21 Immigration Inquiry Act.
-3-