Proposal to strengthen protection orders expanded, advanced

A bill aimed at strengthening Nebraska’s protection order laws received first-round approval from lawmakers April 14.

LB80, introduced by Syracuse Sen. Bob Hallstrom, would consolidate existing state laws regarding protective orders for domestic abuse, sexual assault and harassment into a single Protection Orders Act.

Under the bill, protection orders could be issued initially for one or two years, depending on the evidence presented and the court’s discretion, and would be renewable.

Additionally, the measure would require that certified copies of the protection order be provided at no cost to petitioners and law enforcement. LB80 also would allow petitioners to request that the courts keep their contact information confidential.

The measure would provide that violation of a domestic abuse or sexual assault protection order is a Class I misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class IV felony for the second offense. Violation of a harassment protection order would be a Class II misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class I misdemeanor for a second or subsequent offense.

Hallstrom said protection orders, which are court-issued directives intended to protect individuals from abuse and harassment, are critical in providing safety for survivors and allowing them to rebuild their lives.

LB80 could provide survivors with greater stability, reduce the judicial system workload and minimize the number of times a survivor needs to appear in court, he said.

“No law can prevent every tragedy, but we must do everything in our power to protect vulnerable individuals and save lives,” Hallstrom said. “Where we can improve policy, we should, as it’s our duty to ensure that laws are as effective as possible in providing protection and support to victims.”

Lincoln Sen.Carolyn Bosn supported the bill, calling it a “step in the right direction.” So far in 2025, she said, there have been four domestic violence-related homicides in Nebraska, one of which occurred in her legislative district.

“These are not statistics, they are tragedies,” Bosn said. “We have a responsibility to act and respond wherever we can.”

Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln spoke in opposition to LB80, cautioning lawmakers against using the criminal justice system to attempt to solve societal problems. A better approach would be providing education and additional support, he said, which could prevent abusive situations from occurring in the first place.

“I do think that we as a Legislature need to be sure that we’re doing everything we can to support survivors in a way that is actually providing support, without unnecessarily pivoting to increasing penalties and doing things that make us feel good but [that] don’t actually have the added benefit of helping survivors,” Dungan said.

A Judiciary Committee amendment would incorporate provisions from two other proposals considered by the committee this session.

LB141, introduced by Bellevue Sen. Victor Rountree, would require the state Department of Health and Human Services to notify military authorities and military family advocacy programs when a report of child abuse or neglect is received that involves a member of a military family.

The measure also would require DHHS to negotiate a memorandum of understanding with military advocacy programs at Nebraska military installations to establish clear procedures and reporting protocols.

Provisions of LB267, also introduced by Rountree, would allow landlords to remove a tenant from a rental agreement if the tenant commits an act of domestic violence against another household member if a protection order or similar legal measure is in effect.

The provisions also would require landlords to install new locks on housing units if a perpetrator is removed from the premises or an act of domestic violence occurs against a tenant by someone who does not live in the unit if the tenant has obtained a protective or similar legal order.

After adopting the committee amendment 38-0, senators voted 35-1 to advance LB80 to select file.