LB 668 — Change provisions relating to the Adult Protective Services Central Registry and the Child Protection and Family Safety Act

ER97 ER97 LB668 LB668 MLU2026 -LEGISLATIVE 01/23/2026BILL MLU668 -Approved 01/23/2026by Ethe ANDGovernor RFebruary AMENDMENTS17, TO2026 LB 668   Introduced by Guereca,Storer, 7,43; Chairman Enrollment and Review 1.

StrikeIbach, the44; original sections and all amendments thereto and insert the following new sections:

SectionLippincott, 1.34.

  A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to the Department of Health and Human Services;

to amend sections 28-374.01 and 28-720, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, sections 28-712 and 28-718, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement, 2024, and sections 28-710 and 28-713.01, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025;

to change provisions relating to the Adult Protective Services Central Registry;

to define and redefine terms;

to change provisions relating to the Child Protection and Family Safety Act;

and to repeal the original sections.

Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska, Section 1.

(ii) an appeal within fourteen calendar days after the date of the notice of the department's determination is sent to the person who allegedly abused, neglected, or -1- ER97 ER97 LB668 LB668 MLU - 01/23/2026 MLU - 01/23/2026 exploited a vulnerable adult;

28-710 (1)28-710 (1) Sections 28-710 to 28-727 shall be known and may be cited as the Child Protection and Family Safety Act.

(vi) Placed in a situation to be sexually exploited through sex trafficking of a minor as defined in section 28-830 or by allowing, -2- ER97 ER97 LB668 LB668 MLU - 01/23/2026 MLU - 01/23/2026 encouraging, or forcing such person to engage in debauchery, public indecency, or obscene or pornographic photography, films, or depictions;

(c) Child advocacy center means a community-based organization that (i) provides an appropriate site for conducting forensic interviews as defined in section 28-728 and referring victims of child abuse or neglect and appropriate caregivers for such victims to needed evaluation, services, and supports, (ii) -1- LB668 LB668 2026 assists county attorneys in facilitating case reviews, developing and updating protocols, and arranging training opportunities for the teams established pursuant to sections 28-728 and 28-729, and (iii) is a member, in good standing, of a state chapter as defined in 34 U.S.C.

(g) Kin caregiver means a person with whom a child in foster care has been placed or with whom a child is residing pursuant to a temporary living arrangement in a non-court-involved case, who has previously lived with or is a trusted adult that has a preexisting, significant -3- ER97 ER97 LB668 LB668 MLU - 01/23/2026 MLU - 01/23/2026 relationship with the child or with a sibling of such child placed pursuant to section 43-1311.02;

(l)(i) Prevention case means a case in which (A) at least one juvenile in the home meets the definition of a candidate for foster care as outlined in the department's prevention plan submitted and approved pursuant to section 471(e)(4)471(e) (4) of the federal Family First Prevention Services Act;

and (C) the family voluntarily engages in -4- ER97 ER97 LB668 LB668 MLU - 01/23/2026 MLU - 01/23/2026 prevention services through community resources.

or (C) non-court-involvednon- court-involved case with the department.

(m) Prevention services means community support services including, but not limited to, mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services, in-in-home home parent skill-based programs, and kinship navigator services.

(r) (p) Student means a person less than nineteen years of age -5- ER97 ER97 LB668 LB668 MLU - 01/23/2026 MLU - 01/23/2026 enrolled in or attending a public, private, denominational, or parochial school approved or accredited by the State Department of Education, or who was such a person enrolled in or who attended such a school within ninety days of any violation of section 28-316.01;

(s) (q) Traditional response means an investigation by a law enforcement -2- LB668 LB668 2026 agency or the department pursuant to section 28-713 which requires a formal determination of whether child abuse or neglect has occurred;

(2)(a) The Nebraska Children's Commission shall appoint an advisory committee to examine the department's alternative response to reports of child abuse or neglect and to make recommendations to the Legislature, the department, and the commission regarding (i) the receipt and -6- ER97 ER97 LB668 LB668 MLU - 01/23/2026 MLU - 01/23/2026 screening of reports of child abuse or neglect by the department, (ii) the ongoing use of alternative response, (iii) the ongoing use of traditional response, and (iv) the provision of services within alternative response and non-court-involved cases to ensure child safety, to reduce the risk of child abuse or neglect, and to engage families.

28-713.01 (1) Upon completion of the investigation pursuant to -7- ER97 ER97 LB668 LB668 MLU - 01/23/2026 MLU - 01/23/2026 section 28-713:

(i) An appeal within fourteen calendar days -8- ER97 ER97 LB668 LB668 MLU - 01/23/2026 MLU - 01/23/2026 after the date of the notice of the department's determination is sent to the person who -3- LB668 LB668 2026 allegedly abused or neglected a child and (ii) the department to amend or expunge identifying information from the report or to remove the substantiated report from the central registry in accordance with section 28-723;

(4) The subject of the report may appeal the decision of the -9- ER97 ER97 LB668 LB668 MLU - 01/23/2026 MLU - 01/23/2026 department under this section.

28-72028-720 (1) (1) All cases entered into the central registry of child protection cases maintained pursuant to section 28-718 shall be classified as one of the following:

(a) Court substantiated, if a court of competent jurisdiction has entered a judgment of guilty against the subject of the report of child -10- ER97 ER97 LB668 LB668 MLU - 01/23/2026 MLU - 01/23/2026 abuse or neglect upon a criminal complaint, indictment, or information or there has been an adjudication of jurisdiction of a juvenile court over the child under subdivision (3)(a) of section 43-247 which relates or pertains to the report of child abuse or neglect;

(4) If the subject of the report of child abuse or neglect is a minor -4- LB668 LB668 2026 child who is twelve years of age or older but younger than nineteen years of age, the case shall not be classified as court pending in the central registry of child protection cases.

(5) The department shall report annually, on or before September 15, to the Governor and electronically to the chairpersons of the Health and -11- ER97 ER97 LB668 LB668 MLU - 01/23/2026 MLU - 01/23/2026 Human Services Committee of the Legislature and the Judiciary Committee of the Legislature the number of cases entered into the central registry of child protection cases in which the subject is a minor child, the ages of such subjects who are children, and the number of such cases classified as court substantiated or agency substantiated.

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On page 1, strike beginning with "Department" in line 1 through line 8 and insert "Department of Health and Human Services;

to amend sections 28-374.01 and 28-720, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, sections 28-712 and 28-718, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement, 2024, and sections 28-710 and 28-713.01, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025;

to change provisions relating to the Adult Protective Services Central Registry;

to define and redefine terms;

to change provisions relating to the Child Protection and Family Safety Act;

and to repeal the original sections.".

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