Nebraska: Support Bills Providing Liability Protections for COVID Exposure on February 18

The Nebraska Legislature Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider two bills next week that provide certain liability protections when there has been exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

These bills may be of potential interest to some AKC-affiliated clubs with concerns about conducting their events while under a higher-than-normal exposure to liability risks.

Bill Summaries:

The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider two bills relating to COVID-19 liability:

Legislative Bill 52 – This bill would protect any “person” from civil liability for injury or death resulting from alleged exposure to COVID-19.

Legislative Bill 139 – This bill would also protect any “person” from civil liability for a minimum medical condition related to COVID, and clarifies that protection includes volunteers, independent contractors, and any premises leased, owned or occupied by a person.  A civil action seeking recovery may not be taken if the person or activity were in substantial compliance with state and local laws, guidelines, and public health orders.   There is an exception if there was gross misconduct or negligence.

What You Can Do:

Contact the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee and ask them to support Legislative Bills 52 and 139.  Let them know about Nebraska dog shows and events that you participate in.  If you are writing on behalf of your club, tell them about your show (including how long it has been held, number of exhibitors, etc.) and your desire to hold shows safely in Nebraska.

If you are a constituent, click on the link below to directly contact your legislator.  Be sure to mention you are a constituent when you contact them.

Committee Contact Information:

Sen. Steve Lathrop, Chairperson (Douglas County)
slathrop@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Tom Brandt (Jefferson County)
tbrandt@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Wendy DeBoer (Douglas County)
wdeboer@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Suzanne Geist (Lancaster County)
sgeist@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Terrell McKinney (Douglas County)
tmckinney@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Adam Morfeld (Lancaster County)
amorfeld@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks (Lancaster County)
ppansingbrooks@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Julie Slama (Otoe, Johnson, Nemaha, Pawnee, Richardson Counties)
jslama@leg.ne.gov

AKC Government Relations continues to track bills across the country relating to the issue of COVID-19 liability.  For the latest information on this topic, visit the COVID-19 Liability key issues page in the AKC Legislative Action Center.

To view AKC legislative information and updates relating to COVID-19 and how they are impacting dogs, events, and businesses, visit www.akcgr.org/covid19.

For more information, contact AKC Government Relations at doglaw@akc.org.