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LB 414

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

109th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by John Cavanaugh and 1 co-sponsor

Establishes a Nebraska suicide mortality review team in the DVA to analyze suicides (with focus on veterans), share data, develop protocols, and publish annual prevention-focused r

Approved by Governor on April 29, 2025
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Bill Summary · LB 414

Summary — LB 414 (2025)

Establish a suicide mortality review team in the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) to collect and analyze information about suicide deaths, develop investigation protocols and prevention recommendations, and report findings annually to the Legislature and other stakeholders. Enacted April 29, 2025.

Purpose

To improve understanding of suicide deaths (with emphasis on veterans) in Nebraska, standardize review and investigation practices across agencies, identify preventable factors, and produce data-driven recommendations to reduce future deaths.

Key provisions

  • Establishes the suicide mortality review team in the DVA (Sections 1–2).
  • Membership:
    • Statutory members: DVA Director (or designee), a Nebraska Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) representative, a Nebraska Local Outreach to Suicide Loss Survivors representative, and a Division of Behavioral Health (DHHS) representative.
    • Director-appointed additional members: education administrator, hospital rep, EMS rep, law enforcement member, mental health professional or licensed clinical social worker, a veteran representative, and others as needed.
  • Duties (Section 3):
    • Develop a suicide mortalities data collection system.
    • Conduct annual analyses of incidences and causes of suicide.
    • Develop investigation protocols for law enforcement, prosecutors, medical examiners, healthcare and social service agencies.
    • Review adequacy of laws/rules/training/services and pursue implementation of needed changes.
    • Public education about suicide causes and prevention.
    • Designate a chairperson.
  • Data sharing and storage (Section 4): requires a cooperative agreement with NVDRS to share and store review-relevant information, including reporting within NVDRS.
  • Records access and subpoenas (Section 5):
    • Upon request by the DVA Director, a county attorney or the Attorney General may issue subpoenas to obtain records (examples listed: coroner reports, autopsies, law enforcement reports, medical records, mental health notes, prescription monitoring data, EMS data, toxicology, school/employment records, interviews with next of kin, etc.).
    • Subpoenaed information must be entered into NVDRS and provided to the review team using an aggregate narrative format.
    • Agencies must provide requested records within five business days.
    • Law enforcement, with prosecuting attorney approval, may withhold records that would interfere with ongoing criminal investigations or prosecutions.
  • Confidentiality and evidentiary protections:
    • All information acquired by the review team is confidential and not subject to subpoena, discovery, or introduction into evidence in civil/criminal proceedings solely because it was presented to the team.
    • Team members and presenters cannot be questioned in civil/criminal proceedings about information presented or opinions formed in meetings (but may testify to independently obtained or public information).
    • Team contact with decedents’ family members requires team approval before outreach.
  • Reporting (Section 6):
    • First report due April 1, 2026, and annually by April 1 thereafter.
    • Reports (electronically to the Clerk of the Legislature, DHHS, and nonprofit organizations) must summarize for each reviewed suicide: cause of death; contributing factors; age; sex; race; geographic location at time of death; date of death; and count of suicides not reviewed. Reports may include prevention recommendations.

Who is affected

  • Veterans and families (focus and stakeholders).
  • DVA, NVDRS, DHHS Division of Behavioral Health.
  • Law enforcement, coroners/medical examiners, hospitals, EMS, schools, mental health and substance use treatment providers, prosecutors, county attorneys.
  • Organizations involved in suicide loss outreach and prevention.

Implementation & timeline

  • DVA must provide administrative and professional support.
  • Cooperative agreement with NVDRS to be established.
  • Annual reporting begins April 1, 2026.
  • Bill passed final reading 46–0–3 and was approved by the Governor April 29, 2025.

Considerations

  • The bill centralizes review and data collection with legal protections to encourage candid review while preserving the ability to use independently obtained records in other proceedings.
  • Fiscal notes were filed (March and April 2025); specific cost details are not included in this summary.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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