Any incorporated city may enact ordinances and any county may adopt resolutions which are substantially equivalent to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Nebraska Fair Employment Practice Act, the Nebraska Fair Housing Act, and sections 20-126 to 20-143 and 48-1219 to 48-1227 or which are more comprehensive than such acts and sections in the protection of civil rights. No such ordinance or resolution shall place a duty or liability on any person, other than an employer, employment agency, or labor organization, for acts similar to those prohibited by section 48-1115. Such ordinance or resolution may include authority for a local agency to seek an award of damages or other equitable relief on behalf of the complainant by the filing of a petition in the district court in the county with appropriate jurisdiction. The local agency shall have within its authority jurisdiction substantially equivalent to or more comprehensive than the Equal Opportunity Commission or other enforcement agencies provided under such acts and sections and shall have authority to order backpay and other equitable relief or to enforce such orders or relief in the district court with appropriate jurisdiction. Certified copies of such ordinances or resolutions shall be transmitted to the commission. When the commission determines that any such city or county has enacted an ordinance or adopted a resolution that is substantially equivalent to such acts and sections or is more comprehensive than such acts and sections in the protection of civil rights and has established a local agency to administer such ordinance or resolution, the commission may thereafter refer all complaints arising in such city or county to the appropriate local agency. All complaints arising within a city shall be referred to the appropriate agency in such city when both the city and the county in which the city is located have established agencies pursuant to this section. When the commission refers a complaint to a local agency, it shall take no further action on such complaint if the local agency proceeds promptly to handle such complaint pursuant to the local ordinance or resolution. If the commission determines that a local agency is not handling a complaint with reasonable promptness or that the protection of the rights of the parties or the interests of justice require such action, the commission may regain jurisdiction of the complaint and proceed to handle it in the same manner as other complaints which are not referred to local agencies. In cases of conflict between this section and section 20-332, for complaints subject to the Nebraska Fair Housing Act, section 20-332 shall control.

Any club which has been issued a license by the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission to sell, serve, or dispense alcoholic liquor shall have that license revoked if the club discriminates because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status as defined in section 20-311, disability as defined in section 20-308.01, or national origin in the sale, serving, or dispensing of alcoholic liquor to any person who is a guest of a member of such club. The procedure for revocation shall be as prescribed in sections 53-134.04, 53-1,115, and 53-1,116.

In order to declare the intent of the present Legislature and to effect the original intent of sections 18-1724 and 20-113, the Legislature finds that civil rights are a local as well as state concern and the Legislature desires to provide for the local enforcement and enactment of civil rights legislation concurrent with the authority of the State of Nebraska.

It is the intent, purpose, and public policy to protect, preserve, and perpetuate the constitutional right to freely speak, write, and publish on all lawful subjects, including the right to make a comprehensive distribution of such printed materials, either commercial or noncommercial, by using the most effective lawful means or methods, and being responsible for any damages.

Any individual, corporation, or municipality that attempts to interfere with or restrain the exercise of the freedoms referred to in sections 20-123 and 20-132, either by ordinance or otherwise, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in an amount not exceeding one hundred dollars, or be imprisoned for a period not exceeding six months, or be both so fined and imprisoned, and shall stand committed until such fine and costs of prosecution are paid. Each day such violation is committed or permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense and shall be punishable as such hereunder.

It is the policy of this state to encourage and enable persons with disabilities to participate fully in the social and economic life of the state and to engage in remunerative employment.

For purposes of sections 20-126 to 20-131, disability has the same meaning as in 42 U.S.C. 12102, as such section existed on January 1, 2021.

(1) A person with a disability has the same right as any other person to the full and free use of the streets, highways, sidewalks, walkways, public buildings, public facilities, and other public places.

(2) A person with a disability is entitled to full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of all common carriers, airplanes, motor vehicles, railroad trains, motor buses, street cars, boats, any other public conveyances or modes of transportation, hotels, lodging places, places of public accommodation, amusement, or resort, and other places to which the general public is invited, subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to all persons.

(3) A person with a disability has the right to be accompanied by a service animal, especially trained for the purpose, and a bona fide trainer of a service animal has the right to be accompanied by such animal in training in any of the places listed in subsection (2) of this section without being required to pay an extra charge for the service animal. Such person shall be liable for any damage done to the premises or facilities or to any person by such animal.

(4) A person who is totally or partially blind has the right to make use of a white cane in any of the places listed in subsection (2) of this section.

In addition to the provisions of sections 28-1313 and 28-1314, the driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian who is totally or partially blind and carrying a cane predominantly white or metallic in color or using a service animal or a pedestrian who is deaf or hard of hearing or a pedestrian with a disability who is using a service animal shall take all necessary precautions to avoid injury to such pedestrian, and any driver who fails to take such precautions shall be liable in damages for any injury caused such pedestrian. A pedestrian who is totally or partially blind and not carrying such a cane or using a service animal or a pedestrian who is deaf or hard of hearing or a pedestrian with a disability who is not using a service animal in any of the places, accommodations, or conveyances listed in section 20-127 shall have all of the rights and privileges conferred by law upon other persons, and the failure of a pedestrian who is totally or partially blind to carry such a cane or to use a service animal or of a pedestrian who is deaf or hard of hearing or of a pedestrian with a disability to use a service animal in any such places, accommodations, or conveyances does not constitute and is not evidence of contributory negligence.

(1) Any person or agent of such person who denies or interferes with admittance to or enjoyment of the public facilities enumerated in section 20-127 or otherwise interferes with the rights of a person who is totally or partially blind, who is deaf or hard of hearing, or who has a disability under section 20-127 or sections 20-131.01 to 20-131.04 is guilty of a Class III misdemeanor.

(2) Any person or agent of such person who denies or interferes with admittance to or enjoyment of the public facilities enumerated in section 20-127 or otherwise interferes with the rights of a bona fide trainer of a service animal when training such animal under section 20-127 is guilty of a Class III misdemeanor.

Each year, the Governor shall take suitable public notice of October 15 as White Cane Safety Day and issue a proclamation:

(1) Commenting upon the significance of the white cane;

(2) Calling upon the citizens of the state to observe the provisions of sections 20-126 to 20-131 and to take precautions necessary to the safety of people with disabilities;

(3) Reminding the citizens of the state of the policies with respect to people with disabilities set forth in sections 20-126 to 20-131 and urging the citizens to cooperate in giving effect to them; and

(4) Emphasizing the need of the citizens to be aware of the presence of people with disabilities in the community and to keep safe and functional for people with disabilities the streets, highways, sidewalks, walkways, public buildings, public facilities, other public places, places of public accommodation, amusement, and resort, and other places to which the public is invited.

It is the policy of this state that persons with disabilities shall be employed by the state, the political subdivisions of the state, the public schools, and all other employment supported in whole or in part by public funds on the same terms and conditions as persons without disabilities as required by the Nebraska Fair Employment Practice Act.

It is the intent of the Legislature that persons with disabilities shall be entitled to full and equal access to all housing accommodations offered for rent, lease, or compensation in this state.

For purposes of sections 20-131.01 to 20-131.04, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) Housing accommodations means any real property which is used or occupied or is intended, arranged, or designed to be used or occupied as the home, residence, or sleeping place of one or more human beings. Housing accommodations does not include any single-family residence in which the owner lives and in which any room is rented, leased, or provided for compensation to persons other than the owner or primary tenant; and

(2) Disability has the same meaning as in 42 U.S.C. 12102, as such section existed on January 1, 2021.

Nothing in sections 20-131.01 to 20-131.04 shall require any person who rents, leases, or provides housing accommodations for compensation to modify such person's property in any way to accommodate the special needs of any lessee.

Every person with a disability who has a service animal or obtains a service animal shall have full and equal access to all housing accommodations with such animal as prescribed in sections 20-131.01 to 20-131.04. Such person shall not be required to pay extra compensation for such animal. Such person shall be liable for any damage done to such premises by such animal. Any person who rents, leases, or provides housing accommodations for compensation to any person with a disability who has or obtains a service animal shall not charge an additional deposit for such animal.

All persons within this state shall be entitled to a full and equal enjoyment of any place of public accommodation, as defined in sections 20-132 to 20-143, without discrimination or segregation on the grounds of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or ancestry.

As used in sections 20-132 to 20-143, unless the context otherwise requires, places of public accommodation shall mean all places or businesses offering or holding out to the general public goods, services, privileges, facilities, advantages, and accommodations for the peace, comfort, health, welfare, and safety of the general public and such public places providing food, shelter, recreation, and amusement including, but not limited to:

(1) Any inn, hotel, motel, or other establishment which provides lodging to transient guests, other than an establishment located within a building which contains not more than five rooms for rent or hire and which is actually occupied by the proprietor of such establishment as his residence;

(2) Any restaurant, cafeteria, lunchroom, lunch counter, soda fountain, or other facility principally engaged in selling food for consumption on the premises, including but not limited to any such facility located on the premises of any retail establishment;

(3) Any gasoline station, including all facilities located on the premises of such station and made available to the patrons thereof;

(4) Any motion picture house, theatre, concert hall, sports arena, stadium, or other place of exhibition or entertainment;

(5) Any public facility owned, operated, or managed by or on behalf of this state or any agency or subdivision thereof, or any public corporation, and any such facility supported in whole or in part by public funds; and

(6) Any establishment which is physically located within the premises of any establishment otherwise covered by this section or within the premises of which is physically located any such covered establishment and which holds itself out as serving patrons of such covered establishment.

Any person who directly or indirectly refuses, withholds from, denies, or attempts to refuse, withhold, or deny, to any other person any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, services, or privileges, or who segregates any person in a place of public accommodation on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or ancestry, shall be guilty of discriminatory practice and shall be subject to the penalties of sections 20-132 to 20-143.

Any person who aids, abets, incites, compels, or coerces any activity prohibited by the provisions of sections 20-132 to 20-143, or who attempts to do so, shall be guilty of discriminatory practice and shall be subject to the penalties of sections 20-132 to 20-143.

Retaliation or discrimination, in any manner, against any person who has opposed any activity prohibited by the provisions of sections 20-132 to 20-143 or who has testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in any investigation, proceeding, or hearing conducted pursuant to sections 20-132 to 20-143 shall be discriminatory practice and shall be punishable according to the provisions of sections 20-132 to 20-143.

Any place of public accommodation owned by or operated on behalf of a religious corporation, association, or society which gives preference in the use of such place to members of the same faith as that of the administering body shall not be guilty of discriminatory practice.

The provisions of sections 20-132 to 20-143 shall not apply to a private club or other establishment not in fact open to the public, except to the extent that the facilities of such establishments are made available to the customers or patrons of an establishment within the scope of section 20-133.

The Nebraska Fair Housing Act and sections 20-123, 20-124, and 20-132 to 20-143 shall be administered by the Equal Opportunity Commission, except that the State Fire Marshal shall administer the act and sections as they relate to accessibility standards and specifications set forth in sections 81-5,147 and 81-5,148. The county attorneys are granted the authority to enforce such act and sections 20-123, 20-124, and 20-132 to 20-143 and shall possess the same powers and duties with respect thereto as the commission. If a complaint is filed with the county attorney, the commission shall be notified. Powers granted to and duties imposed upon the commission pursuant to such act and sections shall be in addition to the provisions of the Nebraska Fair Employment Practice Act and shall not be construed to amend or restrict those provisions. In carrying out the Nebraska Fair Housing Act and sections 20-123, 20-124, and 20-132 to 20-143, the commission shall have the power to:

(1) Seek to eliminate and prevent discrimination in places of public accommodation because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, familial status as defined in section 20-311, disability as defined in section 20-308.01, or ancestry;

(2) Effectuate the purposes of sections 20-132 to 20-143 by conference, conciliation, and persuasion so that persons may be guaranteed their civil rights and goodwill may be fostered;

(3) Formulate policies to effectuate the purposes of sections 20-132 to 20-143 and make recommendations to agencies and officers of the state or local subdivisions of government in aid of such policies and purposes;

(4) Adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the powers granted by the Nebraska Fair Housing Act and sections 20-123, 20-124, and 20-132 to 20-143, subject to the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act. The commission shall, not later than one hundred eighty days after September 6, 1991, issue draft rules and regulations to implement subsection (3) of section 20-336, which regulations may incorporate regulations of the Department of Housing and Urban Development as applicable;

(5) Designate one or more members of the commission or a member of the commission staff to conduct investigations of any complaint alleging discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, familial status, disability, or ancestry, attempt to resolve such complaint by conference, conciliation, and persuasion, and conduct such conciliation meetings and conferences as are deemed necessary to resolve a particular complaint, which meetings shall be held in the county in which the complaint arose;

(6) Determine that probable cause exists for crediting the allegations of a complaint;

(7) Determine that a complaint cannot be resolved by conference, conciliation, or persuasion, such determination to be made only at a meeting where a quorum is present;

(8) Dismiss a complaint when it is determined there is not probable cause to credit the allegations;

(9) Hold hearings, subpoena witnesses and compel their attendance, administer oaths, take the testimony of any person under oath, and in connection therewith require for examination any books or papers relating to any matter under investigation or in question before the commission; and

(10) Issue publications and the results of studies and research which will tend to promote goodwill and minimize or eliminate discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, familial status, disability, or ancestry.

Any person claiming to be aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory practice may by himself, his agent, or his attorney file with the commission a verified complaint in writing which shall state the name and address of the person alleged to have committed the unlawful discriminatory practice complained of and which shall set forth the particulars thereof and contain such other information as may be required by the commission. The Attorney General shall, in like manner, make, sign, and file such complaint.

After the filing of such complaint, the commission shall furnish the person named in the complaint with a copy of the charge and make an investigation of such charge, but such charge shall not be made public by the commission. If the commission determines after such investigation that there is reasonable cause to believe that the charge is true, the commission shall endeavor to eliminate any such alleged unlawful practice by informal methods of conference, conciliation, and persuasion. Nothing said or done during or as a part of such endeavors may be made public by the commission without the written consent of the parties or used as evidence in a subsequent proceeding except as provided in subsection (2) of section 20-141. Any officer or employee of the commission who shall make public in any manner whatever any information in violation of this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days.

(1) In case of failure to eliminate any unlawful practice by informal methods of conference, conciliation, and persuasion, the commission shall cause to be issued and served in the name of the commission a written notice, together with a copy of the complaint, requiring the person named in the complaint, hereinafter referred to as respondent, to answer the charges of the complaint at a public hearing, at a time and place to be specified in the notice. The place of the hearing shall be in the county in which the alleged discrimination occurred.

(2) The case in support of the complaint shall be presented before the commission by an attorney on the staff of the Attorney General, and the investigator who made the investigation shall not participate in the hearings except as a witness, nor shall he participate in the deliberation of the commission in the case. Evidence concerning endeavors at conciliation may be included.

(3) The respondent may file a written verified answer to the complaint and appear at the hearing with or without counsel, submit testimony, and compel the appearance of witnesses and records in his behalf. At the discretion of the commission, the complainant may be allowed to intervene and present testimony in person or by counsel. The commission may reasonably and fairly amend any complaint either prior to or during the hearing in accordance with facts developed by the investigation or adduced in evidence at the hearing, and the respondent may amend his answer in the same manner. The testimony taken at the hearing shall be under oath and be transcribed.

(4) If, upon all the evidence at the hearing, the commission finds that a respondent has engaged in an unlawful discriminatory practice as defined in sections 20-132 to 20-143, the commission shall state its findings of fact and shall issue and cause to be served on the respondent an order requiring the respondent to cease and desist from the unlawful discriminatory practice and to take such affirmative action, including, but not limited to, the extension of full, equal, and unsegregated accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges to all persons as in the judgment of the commission will effectuate the purposes of sections 20-132 to 20-143, including a requirement for a report of the manner of compliance.

(5) If, upon all the evidence, the commission finds that a respondent has not engaged in any unlawful discriminatory practice, the commission shall state its findings of fact and shall issue and cause to be served on the complainant an order dismissing the complaint as to the respondent. A copy of the order shall be delivered in all cases to the Attorney General and such other public officers as the commission deems proper.

(6) The commission shall establish rules of practice to govern, expedite, and effectuate the procedure set forth in this section and its own actions thereunder. Any complaint filed pursuant to this section must be so filed within ten days after the alleged act of discrimination and the complainant shall give written notice of the filing of the complaint and furnish a copy thereof to the party complained against.

(1) Any party to a proceeding before the commission aggrieved by any decision and order of the commission and directly affected thereby may appeal the decision and order, and the appeal shall be in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

(2) In any action or proceeding under sections 20-132 to 20-143, wherein an appeal is lodged in the district court, the court in its discretion may allow the prevailing party reasonable attorney's fees as part of the costs.

(3) If no proceeding to obtain judicial review is instituted by a respondent within thirty days from the service of an order of the commission, the commission may obtain a decree of the court for the enforcement of such order upon showing that the respondent is subject to the commission's jurisdiction and resides or transacts business within the county in which the petition for enforcement is brought.

Any person or place of public accommodation who or which shall willfully resist, prevent, impede, or interfere with the commission or any of its members or representatives in the performance of duty under sections 20-132 to 20-143, or shall willfully violate an order of the commission shall, upon conviction thereof, be imprisoned in the county jail for not more than thirty days, or be fined not more than one hundred dollars, or be both so fined and imprisoned. Procedure for the review of an order of the commission shall not be deemed to be such willful conduct.

The Legislature finds:

(1) That the policy of the State of Nebraska is to insure the free flow of news and other information to the public, and that those who gather, write, or edit information for the public or disseminate information to the public may perform these vital functions only in a free and unfettered atmosphere;

(2) That such persons shall not be inhibited, directly or indirectly, by governmental restraint or sanction imposed by governmental process, but rather that they shall be encouraged to gather, write, edit, or disseminate news or other information vigorously so that the public may be fully informed;

(3) That compelling such persons to disclose a source of information or disclose unpublished information is contrary to the public interest and inhibits the free flow of information to the public;

(4) That there is an urgent need to provide effective measures to halt and prevent this inhibition;

(5) That the obstruction of the free flow of information through any medium of communication to the public affects interstate commerce; and

(6) That sections 20-144 to 20-147 are necessary to insure the free flow of information and to implement the first and fourteenth amendments and Article I, section 5, of the United States Constitution, and the Nebraska Constitution.

For purposes of the Free Flow of Information Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) Federal or state proceeding shall include any proceeding or investigation before or by any federal or state judicial, legislative, executive, or administrative body;

(2) Medium of communication shall include, but not be limited to, any newspaper, magazine, other periodical, book, pamphlet, news service, wire service, news or feature syndicate, broadcast station or network, or cable television system;

(3) Information shall include any written, audio, oral, or pictorial news or other material;

(4) Published or broadcast information shall mean any information disseminated to the public by the person from whom disclosure is sought;

(5) Unpublished or nonbroadcast information shall include information not disseminated to the public by the person from whom disclosure is sought, whether or not related information has been disseminated and shall include, but not be limited to, all notes, outtakes, photographs, film, tapes, or other data of whatever sort not itself disseminated to the public through a medium of communication, whether or not published or broadcast information based upon or related to such material has been disseminated;

(6) Processing shall include compiling, storing, transferring, handling, and editing of information; and

(7) Person shall mean any individual, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, association, or other legal entity existing under or authorized by the law of the United States, any state or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any foreign country.

No person engaged in procuring, gathering, writing, editing, or disseminating news or other information to the public shall be required to disclose in any federal or state proceeding:

(1) The source of any published or unpublished, broadcast or nonbroadcast information obtained in the gathering, receiving, or processing of information for any medium of communication to the public; or

(2) Any unpublished or nonbroadcast information obtained or prepared in gathering, receiving, or processing of information for any medium of communication to the public.

Sections 20-144 to 20-147 shall be known and may be cited as the Free Flow of Information Act.

(1) Any person or company, as defined in section 49-801, except any political subdivision, who subjects or causes to be subjected any citizen of this state or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the United States Constitution or the Constitution and laws of the State of Nebraska, shall be liable to such injured person in a civil action or other proper proceeding for redress brought by such injured person.

(2) The remedies provided by this section shall be in addition to any other remedy provided by Chapter 20, article 1, and shall not be interpreted as denying any person the right of seeking other proper remedies provided thereunder.

Any consumer reporting agency doing business in this state which is required to furnish information to a consumer, protected consumer as defined in section 8-2602, or representative as defined in section 8-2602 pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1681g to 1681j as such sections existed on January 1, 2016, shall, upon the request of such consumer, protected consumer, or representative and at a reasonable charge, provide such consumer, protected consumer, or representative with a typewritten or photostatic copy of any consumer report, investigative report, or any credit report or other file information which it has on file or has prepared concerning such consumer or protected consumer, if such consumer, protected consumer, or representative has complied with 15 U.S.C. 1681h as such section existed on January 1, 2016. If such report uses a code to convey information about such consumer or protected consumer, such consumer, protected consumer, or representative shall be provided with a key to such code. For the purposes of this section, the definitions found in 15 U.S.C. 1681a as such section existed on January 1, 2016, shall apply. Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a Class IV misdemeanor.

(1) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that it is the policy of the State of Nebraska to secure the rights of deaf and hard of hearing persons who cannot readily understand or communicate in spoken language and who consequently cannot equally participate in or benefit from proceedings, programs, and activities of state agencies and law enforcement personnel unless interpreters are available to assist them. State agencies and law enforcement personnel shall appoint licensed interpreters as provided in sections 20-150 to 20-159, except that courts and probation officials shall appoint interpreters as provided in sections 20-150 to 20-159 and 25-2401 to 25-2407 and public school districts and educational service units shall appoint qualified educational interpreters.

(2) The Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing shall license and evaluate interpreters and video remote interpreting providers pursuant to section 20-156. The commission shall (a) develop licensed interpreter guidelines for distribution, (b) develop training to implement the guidelines, (c) adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to implement the guidelines and requirements for licensed interpreters, and (d) develop a roster of interpreters as required in section 71-4728.

(3) It is the intent of the Legislature to assure that qualified educational interpreters are provided to deaf and hard of hearing children in kindergarten-through-grade-twelve public school districts and educational service units. The State Department of Education shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to implement the guidelines and requirements for qualified educational interpreters, and such rules and regulations shall apply to all qualified educational interpreters.

For purposes of sections 20-150 to 20-159, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) Appointing authority means the state agency or law enforcement personnel required to provide a licensed interpreter pursuant to sections 20-150 to 20-159;

(2) Auxiliary aid includes, but is not limited to, sign language interpreters, oral interpreters, tactile interpreters, other interpreters, notetakers, transcription services, written materials, assistive listening devices, assisted listening systems, videotext displays, and other visual delivery systems;

(3) Deaf or hard of hearing person means a person whose hearing impairment, with or without amplification, is so severe that he or she may have difficulty in auditorily processing spoken language without the use of an interpreter or a person with a fluctuating or permanent hearing loss which may adversely affect the ability to understand spoken language without the use of an interpreter or other auxiliary aid;

(4) Intermediary interpreter means any person, including any deaf or hard of hearing person, who is able to assist in providing an accurate interpretation between spoken English and sign language or between variants of sign language in order to facilitate communication between a deaf or hard of hearing person and an interpreter;

(5) Licensed interpreter means a person who demonstrates proficiencies in interpretation or transliteration as required by the rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing pursuant to subsection (2) of section 20-150 and who holds a license issued by the commission pursuant to section 20-156. Licensed interpreter includes a licensed video remote interpreting provider;

(6) Oral interpreter means a person who interprets language through facial expression, body language, and mouthing;

(7) State agency means any state entity which receives appropriations from the Legislature and includes the Legislature, legislative committees, executive agencies, courts, and probation officials but does not include political subdivisions;

(8) Tactile interpreter means a person who interprets for a deaf-blind person. The degree of deafness and blindness will determine the mode of communication to be used for each person;

(9) Video remote interpreting services means the use of videoconferencing technology with the intent to provide effective interpreting services; and

(10) Video remote interpreting provider means a person or an entity licensed to provide video remote interpreting services.

Whenever a deaf or hard of hearing person is arrested and taken into custody for an alleged violation of state law or local ordinance, the appointing authority shall procure a licensed interpreter for any interrogation, warning, notification of rights, or taking of a statement, unless otherwise waived. No arrested deaf or hard of hearing person otherwise eligible for release shall be held in custody solely to await the arrival of a licensed interpreter. A licensed interpreter shall be provided as soon as possible. No written or oral answer, statement, or admission made by a deaf or hard of hearing person in reply to a question of any law enforcement officer or any other person having a prosecutorial function may be used against the deaf or hard of hearing person in any criminal proceeding unless (1) the statement was made or elicited through a licensed interpreter and was made knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently or (2) the deaf or hard of hearing person waives his or her right to an interpreter and the waiver and statement were made knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently. The right of a deaf or hard of hearing person to an interpreter may be waived only in writing. The failure to provide a licensed interpreter pursuant to this section shall not be a defense to prosecution for the violation for which the deaf or hard of hearing person was arrested.

(1) For any proceeding before an appointing authority including any court at which a deaf or hard of hearing person is subpoenaed or requested in writing to attend, the appointing authority shall obtain a licensed interpreter to interpret the proceedings to the deaf or hard of hearing person and to interpret his or her testimony or statements.

(2) Whenever any state agency uses the services of a qualified interpreter, as defined in federal law, to comply with sections 42 U.S.C. 12102, 12131, and 12132, and any regulations adopted thereunder, as such sections and regulations existed on July 20, 2002, the state agency shall obtain a licensed interpreter to act as a qualified interpreter for such purposes.

If a licensed interpreter appointed under section 20-153 is not able to provide effective communication with a deaf or hard of hearing person, the appointing authority shall obtain another licensed interpreter. An oral interpreter shall be provided upon request of a deaf or hard of hearing person who chooses not to communicate in sign language. If an interpreter is unable to render a satisfactory interpretation, the appointing authority shall then obtain an intermediary interpreter to assist the appointed interpreter. The appointing authority shall ensure that any interpreter is properly situated so as to permit effective communication with the deaf or hard of hearing person and full participation of the deaf or hard of hearing person in the proceeding.

When an appointing authority has reason to believe that a person is not deaf or hard of hearing or is not dependent on an interpreter to ensure receptive or expressive communication, the appointing authority may require the person to furnish reasonable proof of his or her need for an interpreter.

In any proceeding in which a deaf or hard of hearing person is testifying under oath or affirmation, the interpreter shall take an oath or affirmation that he or she will make a true interpretation of the proceeding in an understandable manner to the best of his or her ability.

(1) The Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing shall license and evaluate licensed interpreters. The commission shall create the Interpreter Review Board pursuant to section 71-4728.05 to set policies, standards, and procedures for evaluation and licensing of interpreters. The commission may recognize evaluation and certification programs as a means to carry out the duty of evaluating interpreters' skills. The commission may define and establish different levels or types of licensure to reflect different levels of proficiency and different specialty areas.

(2) The commission shall establish and charge reasonable fees for licensure of interpreters and video remote interpreting providers, including applications, initial competency assessments, renewals, modifications, record keeping, approval, conduct, and sponsorship of continuing education, and assessment of continuing competency pursuant to sections 20-150 to 20-159. All fees collected pursuant to this section by the commission shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Fund. Such fees shall be disbursed for payment of expenses related to this section.

(3) The commission shall prepare and maintain a roster of licensed interpreters as provided by section 71-4728. Nothing in sections 20-150 to 20-159 shall be construed to prevent any appointing authority from contracting with a licensed interpreter on a full-time employment basis.

(4) The commission may deny, refuse to renew, limit, revoke, suspend, or take other disciplinary actions against a license when the applicant or licensee is found to have violated any provision of sections 20-150 to 20-159 or 71-4728 to 71-4732, or any rule or regulation of the commission adopted and promulgated pursuant to such sections, including rules and regulations governing unprofessional conduct. The Interpreter Review Board shall investigate complaints regarding the use of interpreters by any appointing authority, or the providing of interpreting services by any interpreter, alleged to be in violation of sections 20-150 to 20-159 or rules and regulations of the commission. The commission shall notify in writing an appointing authority determined to be employing interpreters in violation of sections 20-150 to 20-159 or rules and regulations of the commission and shall monitor such appointing authority to prevent future violations.

(5) Any decision of the commission pursuant to this section shall be subject to review according to the Administrative Procedure Act.

(6) Any person or entity providing interpreting services pursuant to sections 20-150 to 20-159 without a license issued pursuant to this section may be restrained by temporary and permanent injunctions and on and after January 1, 2016, shall be subject to a civil penalty as provided in section 20-156.01.

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person or entity shall (a) practice as an interpreter for the deaf or hard of hearing for compensation, (b) hold himself, herself, or itself out as a licensed interpreter for the deaf or hard of hearing, (c) provide video remote interpreting services, (d) use the title Licensed Interpreter for the Deaf or Licensed Transliterator for the Deaf, or (e) use any other title or abbreviation to indicate that the person or entity is a licensed interpreter unless licensed pursuant to section 20-156.

(2) A person rostered as a qualified interpreter on or before August 30, 2015, may be issued a license pursuant to section 20-156 upon filing an application and paying the fee established by the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Such person shall meet all applicable licensure requirements of sections 20-150 to 20-159 on or before January 1, 2016.

(3)(a) On and after January 1, 2016, any person or entity who practices, offers to practice, or attempts to practice as an interpreter for the deaf or hard of hearing for compensation or as a video remote interpreting provider or holds himself, herself, or itself out as a licensed interpreter without being licensed pursuant to section 20-156 or exempt under this section shall, in addition to any other penalty provided by law, pay a civil penalty to the commission in an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars for each offense as determined by the commission. The civil penalty shall be assessed by the commission after a hearing is held in accordance with section 20-156 and shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for distribution in accordance with Article VII, section 5, of the Constitution of Nebraska.

(b) The civil penalty shall be paid within sixty days after the date of the order imposing the civil penalty. The order shall constitute a judgment and may be filed and executed in the same manner as any judgment from any court of record.

(c) The commission may investigate any actual, alleged, or suspected unlicensed activity.

(4) An unlicensed person or entity providing interpreting services is not in violation of the licensure requirements of this section if the person or entity is:

(a) Providing interpreting services as part of a religious service;

(b) Notwithstanding other state or federal laws or rules regarding emergency treatment, providing interpreting services, until the services of a licensed interpreter can be obtained if there is continued need for an interpreter, in an emergency situation involving health care in which the patient or his or her representative and a health care provider or health care professional agree that the delay necessary to obtain a licensed interpreter is likely to cause injury or loss to the patient;

(c) Currently enrolled in a course of study leading to a certificate or degree in interpreting if such person is under the direct supervision of a licensed interpreter, engages only in activities and services that constitute a part of such course of study, and clearly designates himself or herself as a student, a trainee, or an intern;

(d) Working as an educational interpreter in compliance with rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the State Department of Education or working for other purposes in a public school or an educational service unit;

(e) Holding either a certificate or a license as an interpreter in his or her state of residence which he or she has submitted to the commission for approval and either (i) providing interpreting services in Nebraska for a period of time not to exceed fourteen days in a calendar year or (ii) providing interpreting services by telecommunicating, or other use of technological means of communication; or

(f) Employed by or under contract with a person or an entity which is a licensed video remote interpreting provider in this state.

Whenever a deaf or hard of hearing person communicates through an interpreter under circumstances in which the communication would otherwise be privileged, the privilege shall apply to the interpreter as well.

A licensed interpreter appointed pursuant to sections 20-150 to 20-159 is entitled to a fee for professional services and other relevant expenses as agreed between the licensed interpreter and the contracting entity. When the licensed interpreter is appointed by a court, the fee shall be paid out of the General Fund with funds appropriated to the Supreme Court for that purpose or from funds, including grant money, made available to the Supreme Court for such purpose. When the licensed interpreter is appointed by an appointing authority other than a court, the fee shall be paid out of funds available to the governing body of the appointing authority.

Unless specifically restricted by a federal law or any other state law, no employee of the state or any political subdivision thereof, as defined in subdivision (2) of section 13-702, shall be prohibited from participating in political activities except during office hours or when otherwise engaged in the performance of his or her official duties. No such employee shall engage in any political activity while wearing a uniform required by the state or any political subdivision thereof.

The purpose of sections 20-161 to 20-166 is to protect the legal and human rights of persons with developmental disabilities or mentally ill individuals by providing access to certain records of a person with developmental disabilities or of a mentally ill individual by the officially designated protection and advocacy system for the developmentally disabled and mentally ill in this state.

For purposes of sections 20-161 to 20-166, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) Complaint shall mean any oral or written allegation by a person with a developmental disability or a mentally ill individual, the parent or guardian of such persons, a state agency, or any other responsible named individual or entity to the effect that the person with developmental disabilities or the mentally ill individual is being subjected to injury or deprivation with regard to his or her health, safety, welfare, rights, or level of care;

(2) Developmental disability shall mean a severe chronic mental or physical disability as defined in the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. 6000 et seq., as amended;

(3) Facility for mentally ill individuals shall mean any place within Nebraska where a mentally ill individual is an inpatient or a resident and that is organized to provide treatment, shelter, food, care, or supervision including, but not limited to, those facilities described in the Health Care Facility Licensure Act and sections 71-1901 to 71-1916, 83-107.01, and 83-108;

(4) Facility for persons with developmental disabilities shall mean a facility or a specified portion of a facility designed primarily for the delivery of one or more services to persons with one or more developmental disabilities including, but not limited to, those facilities described in the Health Care Facility Licensure Act and sections 71-1901 to 71-1916, 83-107.01, and 83-108 whenever a person with a developmental disability is residing in such facility;

(5) Mentally ill individual shall mean an individual who has a significant mental illness or emotional impairment as determined by a mental health professional qualified under the laws, rules, and regulations of this state and who is an inpatient or resident in a facility for mentally ill individuals;

(6) Protection and advocacy system shall mean the entity designated pursuant to the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. 6000 et seq., as amended;

(7) Records shall mean all information and data obtained, collected, or maintained by a facility for persons with developmental disabilities or a facility for mentally ill individuals in the course of providing services to such persons which are reasonably related to the complaint to be investigated; and

(8) Services for persons with developmental disabilities shall mean services as defined in the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. 6000 et seq., as amended.

For the purpose of protecting the human and legal rights of a person with developmental disabilities, the protection and advocacy system shall be granted access to the records, by any person or entity having possession or control of such records, of a person with developmental disabilities who resides in a facility for persons with developmental disabilities if (1) a complaint has been received by the protection and advocacy system from the legal guardian of such person or (2) a complaint has been received by the protection and advocacy system from or on behalf of such person and such person does not have a legal guardian or the state or the designee of the state is the legal guardian of such person.

(1) For the purpose of protecting the human and legal rights of a mentally ill individual or with respect to matters which occur within ninety days after the date of the discharge of such individual from a facility for mentally ill individuals, the protection and advocacy system shall be granted access to the records, by any person or entity having possession or control of such records, of:

(a) Any mentally ill individual who is a client of the protection and advocacy system if such individual or the legal guardian, conservator, or other legal representative of such individual has authorized the protection and advocacy system to have such access; and

(b) Any mentally ill individual:

(i) Who by reason of the mental or physical condition of such individual is unable to authorize the protection and advocacy system to have such access;

(ii) Who does not have a legal guardian, conservator, or other legal representative or for whom the legal guardian is this state; and

(iii) With respect to whom a complaint has been received by the protection and advocacy system or with respect to whom there is probable cause to believe that such individual has been subject to injury or deprivation with regard to his or her health, safety, welfare, rights, or level of care.

(2) The protection and advocacy system may not disclose information from such records to the mentally ill individual who is the subject of the information if disclosure of such information to such individual would be detrimental to such individual's health or if a court pursuant to section 71-961 orders that the records not be disclosed.

No record nor the contents of any record which identify or can be readily associated with the identity of the subject of the record shall be redisclosed by the protection and advocacy system without the specific written authorization of the subject or the subject's legally authorized representative. The protection and advocacy system shall provide seven days' advance written notice to the facility from which the records were received of its intent to redisclose such records, during which time the facility may seek to judicially enjoin such disclosure on the grounds that such disclosure is contrary to the interests of the subject of the record. Seven days' advance written notice to the facility shall not be required if redisclosure of such records is to an entity with legal authority to act to protect the legal and human rights of the subject of such records.

(1) Prior to instituting any legal action in a federal or state court on behalf of a mentally ill individual or a person with developmental disabilities, the protection and advocacy system shall exhaust in a timely manner all administrative remedies when appropriate. If, in pursuing administrative remedies, the system determines that any matter with respect to such individual will not be resolved within a reasonable time, the system may pursue alternative remedies, including the initiation of legal action.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to any legal action instituted to prevent or eliminate imminent serious harm to a mentally ill individual or a person with developmental disabilities.

It is the intent of the Legislature that no person should be discriminated against on the basis of having taken a human immunodeficiency virus antibody or antigen test.

Each agency of state government shall examine policies and practices within its jurisdiction that may intentionally or unintentionally result in discrimination against a person who has taken a human immunodeficiency virus antibody or antigen test or who has been diagnosed as having acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome related complex to ascertain the extent and types of discrimination that may exist. Each agency shall identify proposed changes in statutes or agency rules and regulations to remedy discrimination. Each agency shall report its findings to the Legislature on or before December 1, 1988.

(1) An employer shall not (a) refuse to hire an individual, (b) discharge an individual, or (c) otherwise discriminate against an individual with respect to compensation or terms, conditions, or privileges of employment on the basis that the individual is suffering or is suspected of suffering from human immunodeficiency virus infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

(2) A seller or lessor shall not refuse to sell or lease a dwelling as defined in section 20-310 to an individual on the basis that the individual, a member of the individual's family, or a person who will be residing with the individual is suffering or is suspected of suffering from human immunodeficiency virus infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

(3) A school district shall not deny admission to a student on the basis that the student is suffering or is suspected of suffering from human immunodeficiency virus infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

(4) A place of public accommodation as defined in section 20-133 shall not deny equal access to such public accommodation on the basis that the individual is suffering or is suspected of suffering from human immunodeficiency virus infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

(5) Any individual who has been discriminated against in violation of this section may file a civil action to enforce this section in the district court of the county where the discrimination is alleged to have occurred. The remedy granted by this subsection shall be in addition to any other remedy provided by law and shall not be interpreted as denying any other remedy provided by law.

Actions otherwise prohibited by subsections (1) and (3) of section 20-168 shall not constitute a violation of the requirements of such section if the individual suffering from or suspected of suffering from human immunodeficiency virus infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome poses a direct threat to the health or safety of himself, herself, or other individuals or is unable to perform the duties of the job he or she is applying for or is employed to perform.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a mother may breast-feed her child in any public or private location where the mother is otherwise authorized to be, including, but not limited to, a mother who is attending a public, private, denominational, or parochial day school which meets the requirements for legal operation prescribed in Chapter 79. For a mother who is attending a public, private, denominational, or parochial day school which meets the requirement for legal operation prescribed in Chapter 79, the school shall also provide for private or appropriate facilities or accommodation for milk expression and storage. Nothing in this section limits the authority of administrative and teaching personnel to regulate student behavior as provided by section 79-258 or the authority of a private, denominational, or parochial school to regulate student behavior in order to further school purposes or to prevent interference with the educational process.

It is the intention of the Legislature to provide a right of privacy as described and limited by sections 20-201 to 20-211 and 25-840.01, and to give to any natural person a legal remedy in the event of violation of the right.

Any person, firm, or corporation that exploits a natural person, name, picture, portrait, or personality for advertising or commercial purposes shall be liable for invasion of privacy. The provisions of this section shall not apply to:

(1) The publication, printing, display, or use of the name or likeness of any person in any printed, broadcast, telecast, or other news medium or publication as part of any bona fide news report or presentation or noncommercial advertisement having a current or historical public interest and when such name or likeness is not used for commercial advertising purposes;

(2) The use of such name, portrait, photograph, or other likeness in connection with the resale or other distribution of literary, musical, or artistic productions or other articles of merchandise or property when such person has consented to the use of his or her name, portrait, photograph, or likeness on or in connection with the initial sale or distribution thereof so long as such use does not differ materially in kind, extent, or duration from that authorized by the consent as fairly construed; or

(3) Any photograph of a person solely as a member of the public when such person is not named or otherwise identified in or in connection with the use of such photograph.

Any person, firm, or corporation that trespasses or intrudes upon any natural person in his or her place of solitude or seclusion, if the intrusion would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, shall be liable for invasion of privacy.

Any person, firm, or corporation which gives publicity to a matter concerning a natural person that places that person before the public in a false light is subject to liability for invasion of privacy, if:

(1) The false light in which the other was placed would be highly offensive to a reasonable person; and

(2) The actor had knowledge of or acted in reckless disregard as to the falsity of the publicized matter and the false light in which the other would be placed.

Any publication or intrusion otherwise actionable under section 20-202, 20-203, or 20-204 shall be justified and not actionable under sections 20-201 to 20-211 and 25-840.01 if the subject of such publication or intrusion expressly or by implication consents to the publicity or intrusion so long as such publication or intrusion does not differ materially in kind, extent, or duration from that implicitly or expressly authorized by the consent as fairly construed. If such person is a minor, such consent may be given by a parent or guardian. If the subject of the alleged invasion of privacy is deceased, such consent may be given by the surviving spouse, if any, or by the personal representative.

In addition to any defenses and privileges created in sections 20-201 to 20-211 and 25-840.01, the statutory right of privacy created in sections 20-201 to 20-211 and 25-840.01 shall be subject to the following defenses and privileges:

(1) All applicable federal and Nebraska statutory and constitutional defenses;

(2) As to communications alleged to constitute an invasion of privacy, the defense that the communication was made under circumstances that would give rise to an applicable qualified or absolute privilege according to the law of defamation; and

(3) All applicable, qualified, and absolute privileges and defenses in the common law of privacy in this state and other states.

The action for invasion of privacy created by sections 20-201 to 20-211 and 25-840.01 shall be personal to the subject of the invasion and shall in no case be assignable.

The right of action for invasion of privacy created by sections 20-201 to 20-211 and 25-840.01, with the single exception of the action arising out of exploitation of a person's name or likeness in section 20-202, shall not be deemed to survive the death of the subject of any such invasion of privacy.

No person shall have more than one cause of action for damages for libel or slander or invasion of privacy or any other tort founded upon any single publication, exhibition, or utterance, such as any one issue of a newspaper or book or magazine or any one presentation to an audience or any one broadcast over radio or television or any one exhibition of a motion picture. Recovery in any action shall include all damages for any such tort suffered by the plaintiff in all jurisdictions.

A judgment in any jurisdiction for or against the plaintiff upon the substantive merits of any action for damages founded upon a single publication, exhibition, or utterance as described in section 20-209 shall bar any other action for damages by the same plaintiff against the same defendant founded upon the same publication, exhibition, or utterance.

An action for invasion of privacy must be brought within one year of the date the cause of action arose.

Sections 20-301 to 20-344 shall be known and may be cited as the Nebraska Fair Housing Act.

It is the policy of the State of Nebraska that there shall be no discrimination in the acquisition, ownership, possession, or enjoyment of housing throughout the State of Nebraska in accordance with Article I, section 25, of the Constitution of Nebraska.

For purposes of the Nebraska Fair Housing Act, the definitions found in sections 20-304 to 20-317 shall be used.

Aggrieved person shall include any person who:

(1) Claims to have been injured by a discriminatory housing practice; or

(2) Believes that he or she will be injured by a discriminatory housing practice that is about to occur.

Commission shall mean the Equal Opportunity Commission.

Complainant shall mean the person, including the commission, who files a complaint under section 20-326.

Conciliation shall mean the attempted resolution of issues raised by a complaint or by the investigation of a complaint through informal negotiations involving the aggrieved person, the respondent, and the commission.

Conciliation agreement shall mean a written agreement setting forth the resolution of the issues in conciliation.

Disability has the same meaning as in 42 U.S.C. 12102, as such section existed on January 1, 2021.

Disability shall not include current, illegal use of or addiction to a controlled substance as defined in section 28-401.

Discriminatory housing practice shall mean an act that is unlawful under section 20-318, 20-319, 20-320, 20-321, or 20-344.

Dwelling shall mean any building, structure, or portion thereof which is occupied as or designed or intended for occupancy as a residence for one or more families and any vacant land which is offered for sale or lease for the construction or location thereon of any such building, structure, or portion thereof.

Familial status shall mean one or more minors being domiciled with:

(1) A parent or another person having legal custody of such individual; or

(2) The designee of a parent or other person having legal custody, with the written permission of the parent or other person.

The protections afforded against discrimination on the basis of familial status shall apply to any person who is pregnant or is in the process of securing legal custody of any minor.

Family shall include a single individual.

Person shall include one or more individuals, corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, associations, labor organizations, legal representatives, mutual companies, joint-stock companies, trusts, unincorporated organizations, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy, receivers, and fiduciaries.

Rent shall include lease, sublease, let, and otherwise grant for consideration the right to occupy premises not owned by the occupant.

Respondent shall mean:

(1) The person or other entity accused in a complaint of a discriminatory housing practice; and

(2) Any other person or entity identified in the course of investigation and notified as required with respect to respondents so identified under section 20-326.

Restrictive covenant shall mean any specification limiting the transfer, rental, or lease of any housing because of race, creed, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, familial status, or ancestry.

Except as exempted by section 20-322, it shall be unlawful to:

(1) Refuse to sell or rent after the making of a bona fide offer, refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of or otherwise make unavailable or deny, refuse to show, or refuse to receive and transmit an offer for a dwelling to any person because of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, or sex;

(2) Discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling or in the provision of services or facilities in connection therewith because of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, or sex;

(3) Make, print, publish, or cause to be made, printed, or published any notice, statement, or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, or sex or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination;

(4) Represent to any person because of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, or sex that any dwelling is not available for inspection, sale, or rental when such dwelling is in fact so available;

(5) Cause to be made any written or oral inquiry or record concerning the race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, or sex of a person seeking to purchase, rent, or lease any housing;

(6) Include in any transfer, sale, rental, or lease of housing any restrictive covenants or honor or exercise or attempt to honor or exercise any restrictive covenant pertaining to housing;

(7) Discharge or demote an employee or agent or discriminate in the compensation of such employee or agent because of such employee's or agent's compliance with the Nebraska Fair Housing Act; and

(8) Induce or attempt to induce, for profit, any person to sell or rent any dwelling by representations regarding the entry or prospective entry into the neighborhood of a person or persons of a particular race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, or sex.

(1) Except as exempted by section 20-322, it shall be unlawful to:

(a) Discriminate in the sale or rental of or otherwise make unavailable or deny a dwelling to any buyer or renter because of a disability of:

(i) The buyer or renter;

(ii) Any person associated with the buyer or renter; or

(iii) A person residing in or intending to reside in the dwelling after it is so sold, rented, or made available; or

(b) Discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling or in the provision of services or facilities in connection with a dwelling because of a disability of:

(i) Such person;

(ii) Any person associated with such person; or

(iii) A person residing in or intending to reside in the dwelling after it is so sold, rented, or made available.

(2) For purposes of this section, discrimination shall include:

(a) A refusal to permit, at the expense of the person with a disability, reasonable modifications of existing premises occupied or to be occupied by the person if the modifications may be necessary to afford the person full enjoyment of the premises, except that in the case of a rental, the landlord may, when it is reasonable to do so, condition permission for a modification on the renter agreeing to restore the interior of the premises to the condition that existed before the modification, reasonable wear and tear excepted;

(b) A refusal to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services when such accommodations may be necessary to afford the person with a disability equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling; and

(c) In connection with the design and construction of covered multifamily dwellings for first occupancy after September 1, 1991, a failure to design and construct the dwellings in such a manner that:

(i) The public use and common use portions of the dwellings are readily accessible to and usable by people with disabilities;

(ii) All the doors designed to allow passage into and within all premises within the dwellings are sufficiently wide to allow passage by people using wheelchairs; and

(iii) All premises within the dwellings contain the following features of adaptive design:

(A) An accessible route into and through the dwelling;

(B) Light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats, and other environmental controls in accessible locations;

(C) Reinforcements in bathroom walls to allow later installation of grab bars; and

(D) Kitchens and bathrooms such that a person in a wheelchair can maneuver about the space.

(3) Compliance with the appropriate requirements of the American National Standards Institute standard for buildings and facilities providing accessibility and usability for people with disabilities, ANSI A117.1, shall satisfy the requirements of subdivision (2)(c)(iii) of this section.

(4)(a) If a political subdivision has incorporated into its laws the design and construction requirements set forth in subdivision (2)(c) of this section, compliance with such laws shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements.

(b) A political subdivision may review and approve new constructed covered multifamily dwellings for the purpose of making determinations as to whether the design and construction requirements are met.

(c) The commission shall encourage but may not require political subdivisions to include in their existing procedures for the review and approval of new constructed covered multifamily dwellings determinations as to whether the design and construction of the dwellings are consistent with the design and construction requirements and shall provide technical assistance to political subdivisions and other persons to implement the requirements.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the commission to review or approve the plans, designs, or construction of all covered multifamily dwellings to determine whether the design and construction of the dwellings are consistent with the design and construction requirements.

(5)(a) Nothing in subsection (4) of this section shall be construed to affect the authority and responsibility of the commission or a local agency certified pursuant to section 20-332 to receive and process complaints or otherwise engage in enforcement activities under the Nebraska Fair Housing Act.

(b) Determinations by the commission or a political subdivision under subdivision (4)(a) or (b) of this section shall not be conclusive in enforcement proceedings under the act.

(6) For purposes of this section, covered multifamily dwellings shall mean:

(a) Buildings consisting of four or more units if such buildings have one or more elevators; and

(b) Ground floor units in other buildings consisting of four or more units.

(7) Nothing in this section shall be construed to invalidate or limit any law of a political subdivision or other jurisdiction in which this section is effective that requires dwellings to be designed and constructed in a manner that affords people with disabilities greater access than is required by this section.

(8) Nothing in this section shall require that a dwelling be made available to an individual whose tenancy would constitute a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals or whose tenancy would result in substantial physical damage to the property of others.

(1) It shall be unlawful for any person or other entity whose business includes engaging in transactions related to residential real estate to discriminate against any person in making available such a transaction or in the terms or conditions of such a transaction because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin.

(2) For purposes of this section, transaction related to residential real estate shall mean any of the following:

(a) The making or purchasing of loans or providing other financial assistance:

(i) For purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing, or maintaining a dwelling; or

(ii) Secured by residential real estate; or

(b) The selling, brokering, or appraising of residential real property.

(3) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a person engaged in the business of furnishing appraisals of real property from taking into consideration factors other than race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or familial status.

It shall be unlawful to deny any person access to or membership or participation in any multiple listing service, real estate brokers organization, or other service, organization, or facility relating to the business of selling or renting dwellings or to discriminate against any person in the terms or conditions of such access, membership, or participation on account of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, or sex.

(1) Nothing in the Nebraska Fair Housing Act shall prohibit a religious organization, association, or society or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society from limiting the sale, rental, or occupancy of a dwelling which it owns or operates for other than commercial purposes to persons of the same religion or from giving preferences to such persons unless membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, national origin, disability, familial status, or sex.

(2) Nothing in the act shall prohibit a private club not in fact open to the public, which as an incident to its primary purpose or purposes provides lodgings which it owns or operates for other than commercial purposes, from limiting the rental or occupancy of such lodging to its members or from giving preference to its members.

(3) Nothing in the act shall prohibit or limit the right of any person or his or her authorized representative to refuse to rent a room or rooms in his or her own home for any reason or for no reason or to change tenants in his or her own home as often as desired, except that this exception shall not apply to any person who makes available for rental or occupancy more than four sleeping rooms to a person or family within his or her own home.

(4)(a) Nothing in the act shall limit the applicability of any reasonable local restrictions regarding the maximum number of occupants permitted to occupy a dwelling, and nothing in the act regarding familial status shall apply with respect to housing for older persons.

(b) For purposes of this subsection, housing for older persons shall mean housing:

(i) Provided under any state program that the commission determines is specifically designed and operated to assist elderly persons as defined in the program;

(ii) Intended for and solely occupied by persons sixty-two years of age or older; or

(iii) Intended and operated for occupancy by at least one person fifty-five years of age or older per unit. In determining whether housing qualifies as housing for older persons under this subdivision, the commission shall develop regulations which require at least the following factors:

(A) The existence of significant facilities and services specifically designed to meet the physical or social needs of older persons or, if the provision of such facilities and services is not practicable, that such housing is necessary to provide important housing opportunities for older persons;

(B) That at least eighty percent of the units are occupied by at least one person fifty-five years of age or older per unit; and

(C) The publication of and adherence to policies and procedures which demonstrate an intent by the owner or manager to provide housing for persons fifty-five years of age or older.

(c) Housing shall not fail to meet the requirements for housing for older persons by reason of:

(i) Persons residing in the housing as of September 6, 1991, who do not meet the age requirements of subdivision (b)(ii) or (iii) of this subsection if succeeding occupants of the housing meet the age requirements; or

(ii) Unoccupied units if the units are reserved for occupancy by persons who meet the age requirements.

(5) Nothing in the act shall prohibit conduct against a person because such person has been convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction of the illegal manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance as defined in section 28-401.

All executive departments, state agencies, and independent instrumentalities exercising essential public functions, including any state agency having regulatory or supervisory authority over financial institutions, shall administer their programs and activities relating to housing and urban development in a manner affirmatively to further the purposes of the Nebraska Fair Housing Act and shall cooperate with the commission to further such purposes.

The commission shall conduct such educational and conciliatory activities as in the commission's judgment will further the purposes of the Nebraska Fair Housing Act. The commission shall call conferences of persons in the housing industry and other interested persons to acquaint them with the act and suggested means of implementing it and shall endeavor with their advice to work out programs of voluntary compliance and of enforcement. The commission shall consult with local officials and other interested parties to learn the extent, if any, to which housing discrimination exists in their locality and whether and how local enforcement programs might be utilized to combat such discrimination in connection with or in place of the commission's enforcement of the act. The commission shall issue reports on such conferences and consultations as it deems appropriate.

The commission shall:

(1) Make studies with respect to the nature and extent of discriminatory housing practices in representative urban, suburban, and rural communities throughout the state;

(2) Publish and disseminate reports, recommendations, and information derived from such studies, including an annual report to the Legislature to be submitted electronically:

(a) Specifying the nature and extent of progress made statewide in eliminating discriminatory housing practices and furthering the purposes of the Nebraska Fair Housing Act, obstacles remaining to achieving equal housing opportunity, and recommendations for further legislative or executive action; and

(b) Containing tabulations of the number of instances and the reasons therefor in the preceding year in which:

(i) Investigations have not been completed as required by subdivision (1)(b) of section 20-326;

(ii) Determinations have not been made within the time specified in section 20-333; and

(iii) Hearings have not been commenced or findings and conclusions have not been made as required by section 20-337;

(3) Cooperate with and render technical assistance to state, local, and other public or private agencies, organizations, and institutions which are formulating or carrying on programs to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices;

(4) Electronically submit an annual report to the Legislature and make available to the public data on the age, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, and sex of persons and households who are applicants for, participants in, or beneficiaries or potential beneficiaries of programs administered by the commission. In order to develop the data to be included and made available to the public under this subdivision, the commission shall, without regard to any other provision of law, collect such information relating to those characteristics as the commission determines to be necessary or appropriate;

(5) Adopt and promulgate rules and regulations, subject to the approval of the members of the commission, regarding the investigative and conciliation process that provide for testing standards, fundamental due process, and notice to the parties of their rights and responsibilities; and

(6) Have authority to enter into agreements with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development in cooperative agreements under the Fair Housing Assistance Program. The commission shall further have the authority to enter into agreements with testing organizations to assist in investigative activities. The commission shall not enter into any agreements under which compensation to the testing organization is partially or wholly based on the number of conciliations, settlements, and reasonable cause determinations.

(1)(a)(i) An aggrieved person may, not later than one year after an alleged discriminatory housing practice has occurred or terminated, file a complaint with the commission alleging such discriminatory housing practice. The commission, on its own initiative, may also file such a complaint.

(ii) The complaint shall be in writing and shall contain such information and be in such form as the commission requires.

(iii) The commission may also investigate housing practices to determine whether a complaint should be brought under this section.

(b) Upon the filing of a complaint:

(i) The commission shall serve notice upon the aggrieved person acknowledging such filing and advising the aggrieved person of the time limits and choice of forums provided under the Nebraska Fair Housing Act;

(ii) The commission shall, not later than ten days after such filing or the identification of an additional respondent under subsection (2) of this section, serve on the respondent a notice identifying the alleged discriminatory housing practice and advising such respondent of the procedural rights and obligations of respondents under the act, together with a copy of the original complaint;

(iii) Each respondent may file, not later than ten days after receipt of notice from the commission, an answer to the complaint; and

(iv) Unless it is impracticable to do so, the commission shall investigate the alleged discriminatory housing practice and complete such investigation within one hundred days after the filing of the complaint or, when the commission takes further action under section 20-332 with respect to a complaint, within one hundred days after the commencement of such further action.

(c) If the commission is unable to complete the investigation within one hundred days after the filing of the complaint or after the commencement of such further action, the commission shall notify the complainant and respondent in writing of the reasons for not doing so.

(d) Complaints and answers shall be under oath and may be reasonably and fairly amended at any time.

(2)(a) A person who is not named as a respondent in a complaint but who is identified as a respondent in the course of investigation may be joined as an additional or substitute respondent upon written notice under subdivision (1)(b)(ii) of this section to such person from the commission.

(b) The notice shall explain the basis for the commission's belief that the person to whom the notice is addressed is properly joined as a respondent.

(1) During the period beginning with the filing of the complaint and ending with the issuance of a charge or a dismissal by the commission, the commission shall, to the extent feasible, engage in conciliation with respect to the complaint.

(2) A conciliation agreement shall be an agreement between the complainant and the respondent and shall be subject to the approval of the members of the commission, which approval may not be delegated.

(3) A conciliation agreement arising out of such conciliation shall be an agreement between the respondent and the complainant and shall be subject to approval by the commission.

(4) A conciliation agreement may provide for binding arbitration of the dispute arising from the complaint. Any such arbitration that results from a conciliation agreement may award appropriate relief, including monetary relief.

(5) Each conciliation agreement shall be made public unless the complainant and respondent otherwise agree and the commission determines that disclosure is not required to further the purposes of the Nebraska Fair Housing Act.

(6) A conciliation agreement between a respondent and complainant which has been approved by the commission shall not be deemed an adjudication that the respondent has committed a discriminatory housing practice nor shall the conciliation agreement be the subject of an order for relief under section 20-337, unless the conciliation agreement is entered after an adjudication pursuant to an administrative proceeding or a civil action pursuant to state or federal law in which the respondent was found to have committed a discriminatory housing practice.

(1) At the end of each investigation of a complaint, the commission shall prepare a final investigative report containing:

(a) The names and dates of contacts with witnesses;

(b) A summary and the dates of correspondence and other contacts with the aggrieved person and the respondent;

(c) A summary description of other pertinent records;

(d) A summary of witness statements; and

(e) Answers to interrogatories.

(2) A final investigative report may be amended if additional evidence is later discovered.

Whenever the commission has reasonable cause to believe that a respondent has breached a conciliation agreement, the commission shall refer the matter to the Attorney General for filing of a civil action under section 20-343 for the enforcement of such agreement.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (5) of section 20-327, nothing said or done in the course of conciliation may be made public or used as evidence in a subsequent proceeding under the Nebraska Fair Housing Act without the written consent of the persons concerned. All records compiled in the course of conciliation activities shall be exempt from public release. The commission may release any fully executed conciliation agreement.

(2)(a) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, the commission shall make available to the aggrieved person and the respondent, upon request, following the completion of an investigation, information derived from an investigation and any final investigative report relating to that investigation.

(b) The commission's release of information pursuant to subdivision (2)(a) of this section is subject to the federal Privacy Act of 1974, Public Law 93-579, as such act existed on January 1, 2005, and any other state or federal laws limiting the release of confidential information obtained in the course of an investigation under the Nebraska Fair Housing Act.

(3) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2) of this section, materials in the investigative file shall be disclosed to the complainant and respondent to the extent reasonably necessary to further the investigation or conciliation discussions.

(1) If the commission concludes at any time following the filing of a complaint that prompt judicial action is necessary to carry out the purposes of the Nebraska Fair Housing Act, the commission may authorize a civil action for appropriate temporary or preliminary relief pending final disposition of the complaint under this section. Upon receipt of such an authorization, the Attorney General shall promptly commence and maintain such an action. Any temporary restraining order or other order granting preliminary or temporary relief shall be issued in accordance with sections 25-1062 to 25-1080. The commencement of a civil action under this section shall not affect the initiation or continuation of administrative proceedings under this section and section 20-336.

(2) Whenever the commission has reason to believe that a basis may exist for the commencement of proceedings against any respondent under subsection (1) or (3) of section 20-343 or for proceedings by any governmental licensing or supervisory authorities, the commission shall transmit the information upon which such belief is based to the Attorney General or to such authorities, as the case may be.

(1) Whenever a complaint alleges a discriminatory housing practice (a) within the jurisdiction of a local agency in an incorporated city or a county and (b) as to which the agency has been certified by the commission under this section, the commission shall refer the complaint to that agency before taking any action with respect to the complaint.

(2) After a referral is made, the commission shall take no further action with respect to such complaint without the consent of the agency unless:

(a) The agency has failed to commence proceedings with respect to the complaint before the end of the thirtieth day after the date of such referral;

(b) The agency, having so commenced proceedings, fails to carry forward the proceedings with reasonable promptness; or

(c) The commission determines that the agency no longer qualifies for certification under this section with respect to the relevant jurisdiction.

(3)(a) The commission may certify a local agency under this section only if the commission determines that the following are substantially equivalent to those created by and under the Nebraska Fair Housing Act:

(i) The substantive rights protected by the agency in the jurisdiction with respect to which certification is to be made;

(ii) The procedures followed by the agency;

(iii) The remedies available to the agency; and

(iv) The availability of judicial review of the agency's action.

(b) Before making such certification, the commission shall take into account the current practices and past performance, if any, of the agency.

(1)(a) The commission shall, within one hundred days after the filing of the complaint or after the commencement of further action under section 20-332, determine based on the facts whether reasonable cause exists to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur unless it is impracticable to do so or unless the commission has approved a conciliation agreement with respect to the complaint. If the commission is unable to make the determination within one hundred days after the filing of the complaint or after the commencement of such further action, the commission shall notify the complainant and respondent in writing of the reasons for not doing so.

(b)(i) If the commission determines that reasonable cause exists to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur, the commission shall, except as provided in subdivision (iii) of this subdivision, immediately issue a charge on behalf of the aggrieved person, for further proceedings under sections 20-335 to 20-340.

(ii) Such charge shall consist of a short and plain statement of the facts upon which the commission has found reasonable cause to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur, shall be based on the final investigative report, and need not be limited to the facts or grounds alleged in the complaint filed under section 20-326.

(iii) If the commission determines that the matter involves the legality of any state or local zoning or other land-use law or ordinance, the commission shall immediately refer the matter to the Attorney General for appropriate action under section 20-343 instead of issuing such charge.

(c) If the commission determines that no reasonable cause exists to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur, the commission shall promptly dismiss the complaint. The commission shall make public disclosure of each such dismissal.

(d) The commission may not issue a charge under this section regarding an alleged discriminatory housing practice after the filing of a civil action commenced by the aggrieved party under state or federal law seeking relief with respect to that discriminatory housing practice.

(2) After the commission issues a charge under this section, the commission shall cause a copy of the charge, together with information as to how to make an election under section 20-335 and the effect of such an election, to be served:

(a) On each respondent named in the charge, together with a notice of opportunity for a hearing at a time and place specified in the notice, unless such an election is made; and

(b) On each aggrieved person on whose behalf the complaint was filed.

(1) The commission may issue subpoenas and order discovery in aid of investigations and hearings under the Nebraska Fair Housing Act. The subpoenas and discovery may be ordered to the same extent and subject to the same limitations as would apply if the subpoenas or discovery were ordered or served in aid of a civil action in the district court.

(2) Witnesses summoned by a subpoena shall be entitled to the same witness and mileage fees as witnesses in proceedings in district court. Fees payable to a witness summoned by a subpoena issued at the request of a party shall be paid by that party or, when a party is unable to pay the fees, by the commission.

(3)(a) Any person who willfully fails or neglects to attend and testify or to answer any lawful inquiry or to produce records, documents, or other evidence, if it is in such person's power to do so, in obedience to the subpoena or other lawful order under subsection (1) of this section shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor.

(b) Any person shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor who, with intent to mislead another person in any proceeding under the act:

(i) Makes or causes to be made any false entry or statement of fact in any report, account, record, or other document produced pursuant to subpoena or other lawful order under subsection (1) of this section;

(ii) Willfully neglects or fails to make or to cause to be made full, true, and correct entries in such reports, accounts, records, or other documents; or

(iii) Willfully mutilates, alters, or by any other means falsifies any documentary evidence.

When a charge is issued under section 20-333, a complainant, a respondent, or an aggrieved person on whose behalf the complaint was filed may elect to have the claims asserted in that charge decided in a civil action under section 20-340 in lieu of a hearing under section 20-336. The election must be made not later than twenty days after service has been made under section 20-333. The person making the election shall give notice of doing so to the commission and to all other complainants and respondents to whom the charge relates.

(1) If an election is not made under section 20-335 with respect to a charge issued under section 20-333, the commission shall provide an opportunity for a hearing on the record with respect to the charge. The commission shall delegate the conduct of a hearing under this section to a hearing officer. The hearing officer shall meet the qualifications of a judge of the district court prescribed in section 24-301 or any successor statute. The hearing officer shall be appointed by the commission pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the commission. The hearing officer shall conduct the hearing at a place in the vicinity of the place where the discriminatory housing practice is alleged to have occurred or to be about to occur.

(2) At the hearing each party may appear in person, be represented by counsel, present evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and obtain the issuance of subpoenas under section 20-334. Any aggrieved person may intervene as a party in the proceeding. The rules of evidence shall apply to the presentation of evidence in such hearing as they would in a civil action in district court.

(3)(a) Discovery in administrative proceedings under this section shall be conducted as expeditiously and inexpensively as possible consistent with the need of all parties to obtain relevant evidence.

(b) A hearing under this section shall be conducted as expeditiously and inexpensively as possible consistent with the needs and rights of the parties to obtain a fair hearing and a complete record.

(4) Any resolution of a charge before issuance of a final order under section 20-337 shall require the consent of the aggrieved person on whose behalf the charge is issued.

(5) A hearing officer may not continue administrative proceedings under this section regarding any alleged discriminatory housing practice after the filing of a civil action by the aggrieved party under state or federal law seeking relief with respect to that discriminatory housing practice.

(1) The hearing officer shall commence the hearing no later than one hundred twenty days following the issuance of the charge unless it is impracticable to do so. If the hearing officer is unable to commence the hearing within one hundred twenty days, he or she shall notify the commission, the aggrieved person on whose behalf the charge was issued, and the respondent in writing of the reasons for not doing so.

(2) The hearing officer shall make findings of fact and conclusions of law within sixty days after the end of the hearing unless it is impracticable to do so. If the hearing officer is unable to make findings of fact and conclusions of law within such period or any succeeding sixty-day period thereafter, he or she shall notify the commission, the aggrieved person on whose behalf the charge was issued, and the respondent in writing of the reasons for not doing so.

(3)(a) If the hearing officer finds that a respondent has engaged or is about to engage in a discriminatory housing practice, he or she shall promptly issue an order for such relief as may be appropriate which may include actual damages suffered by the aggrieved person and injunctive or other equitable relief.

(b) Subject to subdivision (c) of this subsection, the order may, to vindicate the public interest, assess a civil penalty against the respondent:

(i) In an amount not exceeding ten thousand dollars if the respondent has not been adjudged to have committed any prior discriminatory housing practice or if subdivision (ii) or (iii) of this subdivision does not apply;

(ii) In an amount not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars if the respondent has been adjudged to have committed one other discriminatory housing practice during the five-year period ending on the date of the issuance of the current charge; or

(iii) In an amount not exceeding fifty thousand dollars if the respondent has been adjudged to have committed two or more discriminatory housing practices during the seven-year period ending on the date of the issuance of the current charge.

(c) If the acts constituting the discriminatory housing practice that is the object of the charge are committed by the same individual who has been previously adjudged to have committed acts constituting a discriminatory housing practice, the civil penalties set forth in subdivisions (b)(ii) and (iii) of this subsection may be imposed without regard to the period of time within which any subsequent discriminatory housing practice occurred.

(4) No such order shall affect any contract, sale, encumbrance, or lease consummated before the issuance of such order and involving a bona fide purchaser, encumbrancer, or tenant without actual notice of the charge.

(5) In the case of an order with respect to a discriminatory housing practice that occurred in the course of a business subject to licensing or regulation by a governmental agency, the commission shall, not later than thirty days after the date of the issuance of the order or, if the order is judicially reviewed, thirty days after the order is in substance affirmed upon such review:

(a) Send copies of the findings of fact, conclusions of law, and the order to that governmental agency; and

(b) Recommend to that governmental agency appropriate disciplinary action, including, when appropriate, the suspension or revocation of the license of the respondent.

(6) In the case of an order against a respondent against whom another order was issued under this section within the preceding five years, the commission shall send a copy of each such order to the Attorney General.

(7) If the hearing officer finds that the respondent has not engaged or is not about to engage in a discriminatory housing practice, as the case may be, he or she shall enter an order dismissing the charge. The commission shall make public disclosure of each such dismissal.

(1) The commission may review any finding, conclusion, or order issued under section 20-337. The review shall be completed not later than thirty days after the finding, conclusion, or order is so issued or the finding, conclusion, or order will become final.

(2) The commission shall cause the findings of fact and conclusions of law made with respect to any final order for relief, together with a copy of such order, to be served on each aggrieved person and each respondent in the proceeding.

(1) Any party aggrieved by a final order granting or denying in whole or in part the relief sought may appeal the order. The appeal shall be in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, except that venue of the proceeding shall be in the county in which the discriminatory housing practice is alleged to have occurred.

(2)(a) The commission may petition the district court for the county in which the discriminatory housing practice is alleged to have occurred or in which any respondent resides or transacts business for the enforcement of the order of the hearing officer and for appropriate temporary relief or restraining order.

(b) The commission shall file in court with the petition the record in the proceeding. A copy of such petition shall be transmitted by the clerk of the court to the parties to the proceeding before the hearing officer.

(3)(a) Upon the filing of a petition under subsection (1) or (2) of this section, the court may:

(i) Grant to the petitioner or any other party such temporary relief, restraining order, or other order as the court deems just and proper;

(ii) Affirm, modify, or set aside the order, in whole or in part, or remand the order for further proceedings; and

(iii) Enforce the order to the extent that the order is affirmed or modified.

(b) Any party to the proceeding before the hearing officer may intervene in the district court.

(c) An objection not made before the hearing officer shall not be considered by the court unless the failure or neglect to urge such objection is excused because of extraordinary circumstances.

(4) If no appeal is filed before the expiration of forty-five days after the date the hearing officer's order is entered, the hearing officer's findings of fact and order shall be conclusive in connection with any petition for enforcement:

(a) Which is filed by the commission under subsection (2) of this section after the end of such forty-fifth day; or

(b) Under subsection (5) of this section.

(5) If before the expiration of sixty days after the date the hearing officer's order is entered no appeal has been filed and the commission has not sought enforcement of the order under subsection (2) of this section, any person entitled to relief under the order may petition for a decree enforcing the order in the district court for the county in which the discriminatory housing practice is alleged to have occurred.

(6) The district court in which a petition for enforcement is filed under subsection (2) or (5) of this section shall enter a decree enforcing the order. The clerk of the court shall transmit a copy of such decree to the commission, the respondent named in the petition, and any other parties to the proceeding before the hearing officer.

(1) If an election is made under section 20-335 to have the claims asserted in the charge decided in a civil action, the commission shall authorize, and not later than thirty days after the election is made the Attorney General shall commence and maintain, a civil action on behalf of the aggrieved person in the appropriate district court seeking relief under this section.

(2) Any aggrieved person with respect to the issues to be determined in a civil action under this section may intervene as of right.

(3) In a civil action under this section, if the court finds that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur, the court may grant any relief which a court could grant with respect to such discriminatory housing practice in a civil action under section 20-342. Any relief so granted that would accrue to an aggrieved person in such a civil action shall also accrue to that aggrieved person in a civil action under this section. If monetary relief is sought for the benefit of an aggrieved person who does not intervene in the civil action, the court shall not award such relief if that aggrieved person has not complied with discovery orders entered by the court.

In any administrative proceeding brought under section 20-336, any court proceeding arising from such a proceeding, or any civil action under section 20-340, the hearing officer or the court, as the case may be, may allow the prevailing party, other than the state, reasonable attorney's fees and costs. The state shall be liable for such fees and costs to the same extent as a private person.

(1)(a)(i) An aggrieved person may commence a civil action in an appropriate district court not later than two years after the occurrence or the termination of an alleged discriminatory housing practice or the breach of a conciliation agreement entered into under section 20-327, whichever occurs last, to obtain appropriate relief with respect to such discriminatory housing practice or breach.

(ii) The computation of such two-year period shall not include any time during which an administrative proceeding under section 20-336 is pending with respect to a complaint or charge under the Nebraska Fair Housing Act based upon such discriminatory housing practice. This subdivision shall not apply to actions arising from a breach of a conciliation agreement.

(b) An aggrieved person may commence a civil action under this section whether or not a complaint has been filed under section 20-326 and without regard to the status of any such complaint, but if the commission or a local agency has obtained a conciliation agreement with the consent of an aggrieved person, no action may be filed under this section by such aggrieved person with respect to the alleged discriminatory housing practice which forms the basis for the complaint except for the purpose of enforcing the terms of the agreement.

(c) An aggrieved person may not commence a civil action under this section with respect to an alleged discriminatory housing practice which forms the basis of a charge issued by the commission if a hearing officer has commenced a hearing on the record under section 20-336 with respect to such charge.

(2) Upon application by a person alleging a discriminatory housing practice or a person against whom such a practice is alleged, the court may, if in the opinion of the court the person is financially unable to bear the costs of an action:

(a) Appoint an attorney for the person; or

(b) Authorize the commencement or continuation of a civil action under subsection (1) of this section without the payment of fees, costs, or security.

(3)(a) In a civil action under subsection (1) of this section, if the court finds that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur, the court may award to the plaintiff actual damages and, subject to subsection (4) of this section, may grant as relief, as the court deems appropriate, any permanent or temporary injunction, temporary restraining order, or other order, including an order enjoining the defendant from engaging in such practice or ordering such affirmative action as may be appropriate.

(b) In a civil action under subsection (1) of this section, the court may allow the prevailing party, other than the state, reasonable attorney's fees and costs. The state shall be liable for such fees and costs to the same extent as a private person.

(4) Relief granted under this section shall not affect any contract, sale, encumbrance, or lease consummated before the granting of such relief and involving a bona fide purchaser, encumbrancer, or tenant without actual notice of the filing of a complaint with the commission or a civil action under the act.

(5) Upon timely application, the Attorney General may intervene in the civil action if the Attorney General certifies that the case is of general public importance. Upon intervention the Attorney General may obtain such relief as would be available under section 20-343.

(1) Whenever the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that any person or group of persons is engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of any of the rights granted by the Nebraska Fair Housing Act or that any group of persons has been denied any of the rights granted by the act and such denial raises an issue of general public importance, the Attorney General may commence a civil action in any appropriate district court.

(2)(a) The Attorney General may commence a civil action in any appropriate district court for appropriate relief with respect to a discriminatory housing practice referred to the Attorney General by the commission under section 20-337. The action may be commenced not later than the expiration of eighteen months after the date of the occurrence or the termination of the alleged discriminatory housing practice.

(b) The Attorney General may commence a civil action in any appropriate district court for appropriate relief with respect to breach of a conciliation agreement referred to the Attorney General by the commission under section 20-329. The action may be commenced not later than the expiration of ninety days after the referral of the alleged breach under such section.

(3) The Attorney General, on behalf of the commission or other party at whose request a subpoena is issued under section 20-334, may enforce the subpoena in appropriate proceedings in the district court for the county in which the person to whom the subpoena was addressed resides, was served, or transacts business.

(4)(a) In a civil action under subsection (1) or (2) of this section, the court:

(i) May award such temporary relief, including a permanent or temporary injunction, a restraining order, or any other order against the person responsible for a violation of the act as is necessary to assure the full enjoyment of the rights granted by the act;

(ii) May award such other relief as the court deems appropriate, including monetary damages to persons aggrieved; and

(iii) May, to vindicate the public interest, assess a civil penalty against the respondent:

(A) In an amount not exceeding fifty thousand dollars for a first violation; and

(B) In an amount not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars for any subsequent violation.

(b) In a civil action under this section, the court may allow the prevailing party, other than the state, reasonable attorney's fees and costs. The state shall be liable for such fees and costs to the same extent as a private person.

(5) Upon timely application, any person may intervene in a civil action commenced by the Attorney General under subsection (1) or (2) of this section which involves an alleged discriminatory housing practice with respect to which such person is an aggrieved person or a conciliation agreement to which such person is a party. The court may grant such appropriate relief to any such intervening party as is authorized to be granted to a plaintiff in a civil action under section 20-342.

It shall be unlawful to coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any person in the exercise of enjoyment of or on account of the person having exercised or enjoyed or having aided and encouraged any other person in the exercise of benefits and rights guaranteed by the Nebraska Fair Housing Act. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor.

Sections 20-401 to 20-416 shall be known and may be cited as the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act.

(1) The Legislature recognizes the common-law right and a constitutionally protected liberty interest for people to direct their medical treatment. The exercise of such right and liberty interest is subject to certain state interests in preserving life, preventing homicide and suicide, protecting dependent third parties, and maintaining the integrity of the medical profession. The Legislature adopts the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act to provide one means, by use of the declaration described in the act, for people to exercise their rights. Unjustifiable violation of a patient's direction shall be a civil cause of action maintainable by the patient or the patient's next of kin. Remedy in law and equity may be granted by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(2) It is the public policy of this state that no existing right be terminated or restricted by the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act.

For purposes of the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) Adult shall mean any person who is nineteen years of age or older or who is or has been married;

(2) Attending physician shall mean the physician who has primary responsibility for the treatment and care of the patient;

(3) Declaration shall mean a writing executed in accordance with the requirements of subsection (1) of section 20-404;

(4) Health care provider shall mean a person who is licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by the law of this state to administer health care in the ordinary course of business or practice of a profession;

(5) Life-sustaining treatment shall mean any medical procedure or intervention that, when administered to a qualified patient, will serve only to prolong the process of dying or maintain the qualified patient in a persistent vegetative state;

(6) Persistent vegetative state shall mean a medical condition that, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty as determined in accordance with currently accepted medical standards, is characterized by a total and irreversible loss of consciousness and capacity for cognitive interaction with the environment and no reasonable hope of improvement;

(7) Person shall mean an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision or agency, or other legal or commercial entity;

(8) Physician shall mean an individual licensed to practice medicine in this state;

(9) Qualified patient shall mean an adult who has executed a declaration and who has been determined by the attending physician to be in a terminal condition or a persistent vegetative state;

(10) State shall mean a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; and

(11) Terminal condition shall mean an incurable and irreversible condition that, without the administration of life-sustaining treatment, will, in the opinion of the attending physician, result in death within a relatively short time.

(1) An adult of sound mind may execute at any time a declaration governing the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. The declaration must be signed by the declarant or another person at the declarant's direction and witnessed by two adults or a notary public. No more than one witness to a declaration shall be an administrator or employee of a health care provider who is caring for or treating the declarant, and no witness shall be an employee of a life or health insurance provider for the declarant. The restrictions upon who may witness the signing shall not apply to a notary public.

(2) A declaration directing a physician to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment may, but need not, be in the form provided in this subsection.

DECLARATION

If I should lapse into a persistent vegetative state or have an incurable and irreversible condition that, without the administration of life-sustaining treatment, will, in the opinion of my attending physician, cause my death within a relatively short time and I am no longer able to make decisions regarding my medical treatment, I direct my attending physician, pursuant to the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, to withhold or withdraw life sustaining treatment that is not necessary for my comfort or to alleviate pain.

Signed this .... day of .............. .

Signature ..........................

Address ............................

The declarant voluntarily signed this writing in my presence.

Witness ............................

Address ............................

Witness ............................

Address ............................

Or

The declarant voluntarily signed this writing in my presence.

.................. Notary Public

(3) A physician or other health care provider who is furnished a copy of the declaration shall make it a part of the declarant's medical record and, if unwilling to comply with the declaration, shall promptly so advise the declarant.

A declaration shall become operative when (1) it is communicated to the attending physician, (2) the declarant is determined by the attending physician to be in a terminal condition or in a persistent vegetative state, (3) the declarant is determined by the attending physician to be unable to make decisions regarding administration of life-sustaining treatment, and (4) the attending physician has notified a reasonably available member of the declarant's immediate family or guardian, if any, of his or her diagnosis and of the intent to invoke the patient's declaration. When the declaration becomes operative, the attending physician and other health care providers shall act in accordance with its provisions or comply with the transfer requirements of section 20-409.

(1) A declarant may revoke a declaration at any time and in any manner without regard to the declarant's mental or physical condition. A revocation shall be effective upon its communication to the attending physician or other health care provider by the declarant or a witness to the revocation.

(2) The attending physician or other health care provider shall make the revocation a part of the declarant's medical record.

When the attending physician has knowledge of a declaration and, after personal examination, has determined that a declarant is in a terminal condition or in a persistent vegetative state, the attending physician shall record the diagnosis, determination, and the terms of the declaration, in writing, in the declarant's medical record.

(1) A qualified patient may make decisions regarding life-sustaining treatment so long as the patient is able to do so.

(2) The Rights of the Terminally Ill Act shall not affect the responsibility of the attending physician or other health care provider to provide treatment, including nutrition and hydration, for a patient's comfort care or alleviation of pain.

(3) Life-sustaining treatment shall not be withheld or withdrawn pursuant to a declaration from an individual known to the attending physician to be pregnant so long as it is probable that the fetus will develop to the point of live birth with continued application of life-sustaining treatment.

An attending physician or other health care provider who is unwilling to comply with the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act shall take all reasonable steps as promptly as practicable to transfer care of the declarant to another physician or health care provider who is willing to do so.

(1) A physician or other health care provider shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability or discipline for unprofessional conduct for giving effect to a declaration in the absence of knowledge of the revocation of a declaration.

(2) A physician or other health care provider whose action under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act is in accord with reasonable medical standards shall not be subject to criminal or civil liability, or discipline for unprofessional conduct, with respect to that action.

(1) A physician or other health care provider who willfully fails to transfer the care of a patient in accordance with section 20-409 shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor.

(2) A physician who willfully fails to record a determination of terminal condition or persistent vegetative state or the terms of a declaration in accordance with section 20-407 shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor.

(3) An individual who willfully conceals, cancels, defaces, or obliterates the declaration of another individual without the declarant's consent or who falsifies or forges a revocation of the declaration of another individual shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor.

(4) An individual who falsifies or forges the declaration of another individual or willfully conceals or withholds personal knowledge of a revocation under section 20-406 shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor.

(5) A person who requires or prohibits the execution of a declaration as a condition for being insured for, or receiving, health care services shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor.

(6) A person who coerces or fraudulently induces an individual to execute a declaration shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor.

(7) The penalties provided in this section shall not displace any sanction applicable under other law.

(1) Death resulting from the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in accordance with the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act shall not constitute, for any purpose, a suicide or homicide.

(2) The making of a declaration pursuant to section 20-404 shall not affect the sale, procurement, or issuance of a policy of life insurance or annuity or affect, impair, or modify the terms of an existing policy of life insurance or annuity. A policy of life insurance or annuity shall not be legally impaired or invalidated by the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from an insured, notwithstanding any term to the contrary.

(3) No person shall prohibit or require the execution of a declaration as a condition to being insured for or receiving health care services. No insurance company or health care provider shall charge a higher or lower rate for signers of declarations under the act as opposed to nonsigners.

(4) The act shall create no presumption concerning the intention of an individual who has revoked or has not executed a declaration with respect to the use, withholding, or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in the event of a terminal condition.

(5) The act shall not affect the right of a patient to make decisions regarding use of life-sustaining treatment so long as the patient is able to do so or impair or supersede a right or responsibility that a person has to effect the withholding or withdrawal of medical care.

(6) The act shall not require a physician or other health care provider to take action contrary to reasonable medical standards.

(7) The act shall not confer any new rights regarding the provision or rejection of any specific medical treatment and shall not alter any existing laws concerning homicide, suicide, or assisted suicide. Nothing in the act shall be construed to condone, authorize, or approve homicide, suicide, or assisted suicide.

In the absence of knowledge to the contrary, a physician or other health care provider may assume that a declaration complies with the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act and is valid.

A declaration executed in another state in compliance with the law of that state or of this state shall be valid for purposes of the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act.

An instrument executed anywhere before July 15, 1992, which substantially complies with subsection (1) of section 20-404 shall be effective under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act.

The Rights of the Terminally Ill Act shall be applied and liberally construed so as to effectuate its general purposes.

Racial profiling is a practice that presents a great danger to the fundamental principles of a democratic society. It is abhorrent and cannot be tolerated. An individual who has been detained or whose vehicle has been stopped by the police for no reason other than the color of his or her skin or his or her apparent nationality or ethnicity is the victim of a discriminatory practice.

(1) No member of the Nebraska State Patrol or a county sheriff's office, officer of a city or village police department, or member of any other law enforcement agency in this state shall engage in racial profiling. The disparate treatment of an individual who has been detained or whose motor vehicle has been stopped by a law enforcement officer is inconsistent with this policy.

(2) Racial profiling shall not be used to justify the detention of an individual or to conduct a motor vehicle stop.

For purposes of sections 20-501 to 20-506:

(1) Disparate treatment means differential treatment of persons on the basis of race, color, or national origin;

(2) Motor vehicle stop means any stop of a motor vehicle, except for a stop of a motor truck, truck-tractor, semitrailer, trailer, or towed vehicle at a state weighing station; and

(3) Racial profiling means detaining an individual or conducting a motor vehicle stop based upon disparate treatment of an individual.

(1) The Nebraska State Patrol, the county sheriffs, all city and village police departments, and any other law enforcement agency in this state shall adopt and provide a copy to the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice of a written policy that prohibits the detention of any person or a motor vehicle stop when such action is motivated by racial profiling. Such racial profiling prevention policy shall include definitions consistent with section 20-503 and one or more internal methods of prevention and enforcement, including, but not limited to:

(a) Internal affairs investigation;

(b) Preventative measures including extra training at the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center focused on avoidance of apparent or actual racial profiling;

(c) Anti-bias and implicit bias training and testing designed to minimize apparent or actual racial profiling;

(d) Early intervention with any particular personnel determined by the administration of the agency to have committed, participated in, condoned, or attempted to cover up any instance of racial profiling; and

(e) Disciplinary measures or other formal or informal methods of prevention and enforcement.

None of the preventative or enforcement measures shall be implemented contrary to the collective-bargaining agreement provisions or personnel rules under which the member or officer in question is employed.

(2) The Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice may develop and distribute a suggested model written racial profiling prevention policy for use by law enforcement agencies, but the commission shall not mandate the adoption of the model policy except for any particular law enforcement agency which fails to timely create and provide to the commission a policy for the agency in conformance with the minimum standards set forth in this section.

(3) With respect to a motor vehicle stop, on and after January 1, 2002, the Nebraska State Patrol, the county sheriffs, all city and village police departments, and any other law enforcement agency in this state shall record and retain the following information using the form developed and promulgated pursuant to section 20-505:

(a) The number of motor vehicle stops;

(b) The characteristics of race or ethnicity of the person stopped. The identification of such characteristics shall be based on the observation and perception of the law enforcement officer responsible for reporting the motor vehicle stop and the information shall not be required to be provided by the person stopped;

(c) If the stop is for a law violation, the nature of the alleged law violation that resulted in the motor vehicle stop;

(d) Whether a warning or citation was issued, an arrest made, or a search conducted as a result of the motor vehicle stop. Search does not include a search incident to arrest or an inventory search; and

(e) Any additional information that the Nebraska State Patrol, the county sheriffs, all city and village police departments, or any other law enforcement agency in this state, as the case may be, deems appropriate.

(4) The Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice may develop a uniform system for receiving allegations of racial profiling. The Nebraska State Patrol, the county sheriffs, all city and village police departments, and any other law enforcement agency in this state shall provide to the commission (a) a copy of each allegation of racial profiling received and (b) written notification of the review and disposition of such allegation. No information revealing the identity of the law enforcement officer involved in the stop shall be used, transmitted, or disclosed in violation of any collective-bargaining agreement provision or personnel rule under which such law enforcement officer is employed. No information revealing the identity of the complainant shall be used, transmitted, or disclosed in the form alleging racial profiling.

(5) Any law enforcement officer who in good faith records information on a motor vehicle stop pursuant to this section shall not be held civilly liable for the act of recording such information unless the law enforcement officer's conduct was unreasonable or reckless or in some way contrary to law.

(6) On or before October 1, 2002, and annually thereafter, the Nebraska State Patrol, the county sheriffs, all city and village police departments, and all other law enforcement agencies in this state shall provide to the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, in such form as the commission prescribes, a summary report of the information recorded pursuant to subsection (3) of this section.

(7) The Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice shall, within the limits of its existing appropriations, including any grant funds which the commission is awarded for such purpose, provide for an annual review and analysis of the prevalence and disposition of motor vehicle stops based on racial profiling and allegations of racial profiling involved in other detentions reported pursuant to this section. After the review and analysis, the commission may, when it deems warranted, inquire into and study individual law enforcement agency circumstances in which the raw data collected and analyzed raises at least some issue or appearance of possible racial profiling. The commission may make recommendations to any such law enforcement agency for the purpose of improving measures to prevent racial profiling or the appearance of racial profiling. The results of such review, analysis, inquiry, and study and any recommendations by the commission to any law enforcement agency shall be reported annually to the Governor and the Legislature. The report submitted to the Legislature shall be submitted electronically.

(8) Any law enforcement officer, prosecutor, defense attorney, or probation officer, unless restricted by privilege, who becomes aware of incidents of racial profiling by a law enforcement agency, shall report such incidents to the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice within thirty days after becoming aware of such practice.

(9) If the Nebraska State Patrol, a county sheriff, a city and village police department, or any other law enforcement agency in this state fails, in a material manner, to record or retain information as required by subsection (3) of this section or to provide the information to the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice as required by subsection (6) of this section, such agency shall be ineligible to receive loans, grants, funds, or donations administered by the commission until the commission determines that such material failure has been corrected.

On or before January 1, 2002, the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, the Superintendent of Law Enforcement and Public Safety, the Attorney General, and the State Court Administrator may adopt and promulgate (1) a form, in printed or electronic format, to be used by a law enforcement officer when making a motor vehicle stop to record personal identifying information about the operator of such motor vehicle, the location of the stop, the reason for the stop, and any other information that is required to be recorded pursuant to subsection (3) of section 20-504 and (2) a form, in printed or electronic format, to be used to report an allegation of racial profiling by a law enforcement officer.

(1) The Racial Profiling Advisory Committee is created.

(2)(a) The committee shall consist of:

(i) The executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, who also shall be the chairperson of the committee;

(ii) The Superintendent of Law Enforcement and Public Safety or his or her designee;

(iii) The director of the Commission on Latino-Americans or his or her designee; and

(iv) The executive director of the Commission on Indian Affairs or his or her designee.

(b) The committee shall also consist of the following persons, each appointed by the Governor from a list of five names submitted to the Governor for each position:

(i) A representative of the Fraternal Order of Police;

(ii) A representative of the Nebraska County Sheriffs Association;

(iii) A representative of the Police Officers Association of Nebraska;

(iv) A representative of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska;

(v) A representative of the AFL-CIO;

(vi) A representative of the Police Chiefs Association of Nebraska;

(vii) A representative of the Nebraska branches of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and

(viii) A representative of the Nebraska State Bar Association appointed by the Governor from a list of attorneys submitted by the executive council of the Nebraska State Bar Association.

(3) The committee shall meet and organize within thirty days after the appointment of the members. The committee shall meet semiannually at a time and place to be fixed by the committee. Special meetings may be called by the chairperson or at the request of two or more members of the committee.

(4) The committee shall advise the commission and its executive director in the conduct of their duties regarding (a) the completeness and acceptability of written racial profiling prevention policies submitted by individual law enforcement agencies as required by subsection (1) of section 20-504, (b) the collection of data by law enforcement agencies, any needed additional data, and any needed additional analysis, investigation, or inquiry as to the data provided pursuant to subsection (3) of section 20-504, (c) the review, analysis, inquiry, study, and recommendations required pursuant to subsection (7) of section 20-504, including an analysis of the review, analysis, inquiry, study, and recommendations, and (d) policy recommendations with respect to the prevention of racial profiling and the need, if any, for enforcement by the Department of Justice of the prohibitions found in section 20-502.

The Legislature hereby declares that American Sign Language is recognized by the State of Nebraska as a distinct and separate language.

Sections 20-701 to 20-705 shall be known and may be cited as the First Freedom Act.

For purposes of the First Freedom Act:

(1) Exercise of religion means the practice or observance of religion and includes any action that is motivated by a sincerely held religious belief, whether or not the exercise is compulsory or central to a larger system of religious belief;

(2) Person means any individual, association, partnership, corporation, church, religious institution, estate, trust, foundation, or other legal entity;

(3) Religious organization means:

(a) A house of worship;

(b) A religious group, corporation, association, educational institution, ministry, order, society, or similar entity, regardless of whether it is integrated or affiliated with a church or other house of worship; or

(c) An officer, owner, employee, manager, religious leader, clergy, or minister of an entity or organization described in subdivision (3)(a) or (b) of this section;

(4) Religious service means a meeting, gathering, or assembly of two or more persons organized by a religious organization for the purpose of worship, teaching, training, providing educational services, conducting religious rituals, or other activities that are deemed necessary by the religious organization for the exercise of religion;

(5) State action means the implementation or application of any law, including state and local laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, and policies, whether statutory or otherwise, or other action by the state or any political subdivision thereof and any local government, municipality, instrumentality, or public official authorized by state or local law; and

(6)(a) Substantially burden means any action that directly or indirectly constrains, inhibits, curtails, or denies the exercise of religion by any person or compels any action contrary to a person's exercise of religion.

(b) Substantially burden includes withholding benefits, imposing criminal, civil, or administrative penalties or damages, or exclusion from governmental programs or access to governmental facilities.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, state action shall not:

(1) Substantially burden a person's right to the exercise of religion unless it is demonstrated that applying the burden to that person's exercise of religion in this particular instance is essential to further a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest; or

(2) Restrict a religious organization from operating and engaging in religious services during a state of emergency to a greater extent than the state restricts other organizations or businesses from operating during a state of emergency.

(1) A person or religious organization whose exercise of religion or religious service has been burdened or restricted, or is likely to be burdened or restricted, in violation of the First Freedom Act, may bring a civil action or assert such violation or impending violation as a defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding.

(2) This section applies regardless of whether the state or a political subdivision is a party to the judicial or administrative proceeding.

(3) A person or religious organization asserting a claim or defense under this section may obtain appropriate relief, including against the state or a political subdivision. Appropriate relief includes:

(a) Actual damages;

(b) Such preliminary and other equitable or declaratory relief as may be appropriate; and

(c) Reasonable attorney's fees and other litigation costs reasonably incurred.

The First Freedom Act applies to all state and local laws, and the implementation of those laws, whether statutory or otherwise, regardless of whether adopted before or after July 19, 2024.

Sections 20-801 to 20-804 shall be known and may be cited as the Personal Privacy Protection Act.

For purposes of the Personal Privacy Protection Act:

(1) Nonprofit organization means a nonprofit organization holding a certificate of exemption under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code;

(2) Person means any individual, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, association, firm, or agent or employee of any such individual or business entity;

(3) Personal information means any list, record, register, registry, roll, roster, or other compilation of data that directly or indirectly identifies a person as a member, supporter, or volunteer of, or donor of financial or nonfinancial support to, any nonprofit organization; and

(4) Public agency means any state or local governmental unit, including, but not limited to:

(a) The State of Nebraska;

(b) Any agency, department, division, office, commission, board, bureau, committee, council, or other entity of the state;

(c) The University of Nebraska or any state college;

(d) Any political subdivision of the state, including, but not limited to, any county, city, village, township, school district, community college area, public power district, rural fire district, or other local governmental unit, or agency, authority, council, board, or commission thereof;

(e) Any state or local court, tribunal, or other judicial or quasi-judicial body; or

(f) Any public corporation whose primary function is to act as an instrumentality or agency of the state or of any other public agency.

(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, and except as otherwise provided in this section, each public agency is prohibited from:

(a) Requiring any individual to provide personal information or otherwise compelling the release of personal information;

(b) Requiring any nonprofit organization to provide such public agency with personal information or otherwise compelling the release of personal information;

(c) Publicizing or otherwise publicly disclosing personal information in the possession of such public agency without the express permission of every individual who is identifiable from the potential release of such personal information, including individuals identifiable as members, supporters, or volunteers of, or donors to, a nonprofit organization; or

(d) Requesting or requiring a current or prospective contractor or grantee to provide such public agency with a list of nonprofit organizations to which such contractor or grantee has provided financial or nonfinancial support.

(2) Personal information is exempt from disclosure under public records laws, including, but not limited to, sections 84-712 to 84-712.09 and 84-1413.

(3) This section does not prohibit:

(a) Any report or disclosure required by the Nebraska Political Accountability and Disclosure Act;

(b) Any report or disclosure by a public agency regarding testimony received at a public hearing conducted by such public agency;

(c) Any lawful warrant, subpoena, or order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction for the production of personal information;

(d) Any lawful request for discovery of personal information in litigation if both of the following conditions are met:

(i) The requestor demonstrates a compelling need for such personal information by clear and convincing evidence; and

(ii) The requestor obtains an order barring disclosure of such personal information to any person not named in the litigation;

(e) Admission of personal information as relevant evidence before a court of competent jurisdiction. However, no court shall publicly reveal personal information absent a specific finding of good cause;

(f) Any report or disclosure required by state or federal law or regulation for an employee of the University of Nebraska or any state college. Except as otherwise required by law, no such report or disclosure shall be subject to release under the state public records laws;

(g) Any report or disclosure required by conflict of interest, conflict of commitment, or outside income policies for an employee or contractor of the University of Nebraska or any state college. Except as otherwise required by law, no such report or disclosure shall be subject to release under the state public records laws;

(h) Any document required or permitted to be filed with the Secretary of State disclosing the identity of any director, officer, incorporator, or registered agent of a nonprofit organization;

(i) Any request for information required by the Uniform Credentialing Act or Health Care Facility Licensure Act or by a federal funding agency;

(j) A request for information required for a criminal history record information check undertaken pursuant to express statutory authority, except that such information shall only be used in connection with the specific criminal history record information check and for any related proceedings;

(k)(i) The Auditor of Public Accounts from accessing personal information during an examination undertaken pursuant to express statutory authority. The auditor may publicly disclose personal information obtained during such examination only if that information:

(A) Pertains specifically to a person who has violated or is alleged to have violated a state or federal law, rule, or regulation or an ordinance of a city or village; or

(B) Pertains to a person directly associated with a violation described in subdivision (3)(k)(i)(A) of this section.

(ii) This subdivision (3)(k) shall be strictly construed and only authorizes disclosure of personal information pertaining to a person who meets the criteria described in subdivision (3)(k)(i) of this section.

(iii) All other personal information accessed by the Auditor of Public Accounts shall be subject to the restrictions on working papers contained in section 84-311; or

(l) Subject to compliance with section 8-112, any request for, or release of, information, a record, or a report, obtained by the Department of Banking and Finance from a nonprofit organization.

Any person aggrieved by a violation of the Personal Privacy Protection Act may bring a civil action for appropriate relief. Appropriate relief includes:

(1) The greater of actual damages or two thousand five hundred dollars in liquidated damages per violation; and

(2) Such preliminary and other equitable or declaratory relief as may be appropriate.