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NebraskaLB414109th Legislature 1st and 2nd Sessionslegislature

Establish a suicide mortality review team for the Department of Veterans' Affairs

Sponsored By: George Dungan

Signed by Governor

Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Better suicide data, protocols, and reports

The team builds a suicide data system and analyzes suicide deaths each year. It sets investigation protocols for police, prosecutors, medical examiners, health care, and social services. It studies laws, rules, training, and services, educates the public, and recommends changes to reduce preventable suicides. The team signs a data‑sharing agreement with the Nebraska Violent Death Reporting System. People who hold related records must provide access within five business days after the team’s request. The director can ask a county attorney or the Attorney General to issue subpoenas for needed records. Subpoenaed information goes into the violent‑death system and is shared with the team as summaries. Beginning April 1, 2026, and every April 1 after, the team files an electronic annual report to the Clerk of the Legislature, DHHS, and other nonprofits. The report lists, for each reviewed death in the prior calendar year, cause, contributing factors, age, sex, race, location, date, and how many deaths were not reviewed. It may include prevention recommendations.

Nebraska creates suicide review team for veterans

The law creates a suicide mortality review team in the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs. The team includes the department director; representatives for the state violent‑death data system, suicide loss survivors, and DHHS Behavioral Health. The director also appoints members from education, hospitals, EMS, law enforcement, mental health or social work, a veteran, and others as needed. The Department of Veterans' Affairs provides staff and administrative support so the team can do its work.

Privacy rules for suicide case reviews

Law enforcement may withhold investigative records if a prosecutor approves and release could interfere with a pending case. All information the team collects is confidential and not subject to subpoena, discovery, or use in court. Information available from other sources stays usable. Team members and presenters cannot be questioned in court about meeting content or opinions, but they may testify about independent or public information. A team member may contact a deceased person’s family only if the team approves the request first.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • George Dungan

    Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 155 • No: 0

legislature vote • 4/25/2025

Final Reading

Yes: 46 • No: 0 • Other: 3

legislature vote • 4/3/2025

Vote

Yes: 37 • No: 0 • Other: 12

legislature vote • 4/3/2025

Vote

Yes: 36 • No: 0 • Other: 13

legislature vote • Unknown

Vote

Yes: 36 • No: 0 • Other: 13

Actions Timeline

  1. Approved by Governor on April 29, 2025

    4/29/2025legislature

  2. Cavanaugh, J. name added

    4/25/2025legislature

  3. Presented to Governor on April 25, 2025

    4/25/2025legislature

  4. President/Speaker signed

    4/25/2025legislature

  5. Passed on Final Reading 46-0-3

    4/25/2025legislature

  6. Placed on Final Reading

    4/22/2025legislature

  7. Advanced to Enrollment and Review for Engrossment

    4/17/2025legislature

  8. Enrollment and Review ER44 adopted

    4/17/2025legislature

  9. Enrollment and Review ER44 filed

    4/10/2025legislature

  10. Placed on Select File with ER44

    4/10/2025legislature

  11. Advanced to Enrollment and Review Initial

    4/3/2025legislature

  12. Government, Military and Veterans Affairs AM565 adopted

    4/3/2025legislature

  13. Speaker priority bill

    3/17/2025legislature

  14. Government, Military and Veterans Affairs AM565 filed

    3/11/2025legislature

  15. Placed on General File with AM565

    3/11/2025legislature

  16. Notice of hearing for March 06, 2025

    2/24/2025legislature

  17. Referred to Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee

    1/22/2025legislature

  18. Date of introduction

    1/17/2025legislature

Bill Text

  • Introduced

    1/17/2025

    PDF

  • Enrolled / Slip Law

    PDF

  • Final / Enacted

    PDF

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