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LB 166

Require the county treasurer to maintain confidentiality of certain persons' residential addresses and change procedures for judicial officeholders to file for retention elections

109th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Jana Hughes and 1 co-sponsor

LB 166 enhances privacy by withholding residential addresses of certain public servants (officers, judges, National Guard) and restricting disclosure of judicial retention details.

Provisions/portions of LB334 amended into LB166 by AM612
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Bill Summary · LB 166

Summary — LB 166 (2025)

Status: Enacted (Governor approved May 20, 2025).
Introduced: Jan 13, 2025. Sponsors: Sen. Jana Hughes (primary); Sen. Raybould (cosponsor).
Key amendment: AM612 (incorporated portions of LB 334). Passed Final Reading 48–1–0.

Main purpose

LB 166 increases confidentiality protections for the residential address information of certain public servants and changes the public disclosure rules for judicial retention filings. The bill is intended to reduce risk to persons deemed at greater threat if their home addresses are publicly available.

Key provisions

  1. Withholding residential addresses (amends §23-3211)

    • County assessor, register of deeds, and county treasurer must withhold from public view the residential address of:
      • Law enforcement officers (must provide law enforcement ID on application),
      • Members of the Nebraska National Guard acting under subdivision (3) of §55‑182 (must provide proof of status),
      • Judges (must identify specific court).
    • Application: made to the county assessor in the applicant’s county of residence on a form prescribed by the assessor; must include applicant name, address, and parcel identification number.
    • The assessor notifies the register of deeds and county treasurer upon receipt of a complete application.
    • Withholding lasts five years and may be renewed every five years with an updated application.
    • “Judge” is explicitly defined to include judges and magistrates of county, district, Court of Appeals, Workers’ Compensation Court, juvenile courts, Supreme Court, and federal courts located in Nebraska.

  2. Confidentiality of judicial retention filings (amends §24-814)

    • Judicial officeholders who seek retention must file a written request with the Secretary of State on or before August 1 immediately preceding term expiration.
    • Such written requests are not public records under §84‑712.01 and are not subject to public disclosure, except the Secretary of State must electronically publish a list that includes the judicial officeholder’s name and the district/area served for that calendar year.
    • Effectively prevents release of other retention-form details (e.g., residential/mailing addresses, phone numbers) while preserving publication of names and jurisdiction.

  3. Candidate filing form content (amends §32-607)

    • Clarifies required fields on candidate filing forms: name, residence address, mailing address (if different), phone number, office sought, party affiliation (if partisan), civil-penalty disclosure and surety-bond status if applicable. Email is optional. Names must be those by which candidates are generally known.

Who is affected

  • Law enforcement officers, Nebraska National Guard members (as specified), and judges seeking address confidentiality — gain greater privacy protection.
  • County assessors, registers of deeds, and county treasurers — must implement and coordinate withholding procedures.
  • Secretary of State — must treat judicial retention requests as non-public but publish a public list of names and served areas.
  • General public and media — will continue to receive names/districts for judges but will not have access to contact or address details from retention filings or county record sites for covered persons.

Procedural timeline / notable actions

  • Committee hearing: Jan 23, 2025 (Government, Military & Veterans Affairs). AM612 (incorporating LB 334 provisions) adopted by committee.
  • Advanced to Final Reading and passed 48–1–0 (May 14, 2025).
  • Presented to Governor May 14, 2025; approved May 20, 2025.
  • Fiscal notes filed (dates: Jan 22 and May 13, 2025).

Potential impacts / considerations

  • Improves privacy and safety protections for at-risk public servants.
  • Adds administrative responsibilities for counties and the Secretary of State.
  • Narrows public access to certain information previously available — supporters cite safety; some media stakeholders raised transparency concerns during hearings.

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

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