Proposal to strengthen protection orders clears final round

Senators approved a bill May 14 strengthening Nebraska’s protection order laws.

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

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

LB80 requires that certified copies of the protection order be provided at no cost to petitioners and law enforcement, and petitioners may request that the courts keep their contact information confidential.

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

LB80 passed on a 46-3 vote.