Nebraska Legislature Bill LB 980
- sarahcooper402
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
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About LB 980:
Change provisions of the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act relating to waivers of jury trials and summonses and provide for summary judgment and expedited proceedings
Why We Support LB 980
The Nebraska Supreme Court recently highlighted a serious constitutional concern in landlord-tenant law, creating significant uncertainty for property owners and the rental housing industry.
This issue prompted the introduction of LB 101 and LB 980 in the Unicameral.
The MOPOA Board of Directors, in coordination with SPOA, supports LB 980 as the
responsible solution to this constitutional challenge. While MOPOA opposes LB 101 for multiple reasons, LB 980 addresses the core issue while preserving fairness, flexibility, and efficiency.
Key points in support of LB 980:
1. Jury Trials with Flexibility – LB 980 preserves the tenant’s constitutional right to a jury trial but allows jury trials to be waived by agreement when the lease is executed. This balances constitutional rights with practical efficiency.
2. Prevention of Delays and Abuse – LB 980 includes provisions to reduce unnecessary
delays in eviction cases. Courts are empowered and may require tenants to deposit rent during jury trials, discouraging strategic misuse of the process.
3. Expedited Proceedings – By allowing summary judgment and structured timelines,
LB 980 ensures that eviction actions are resolved as quickly as possible, protecting both property owners and all of our great tenants who pay on time and in full.
4. Court Costs and Attorney Fees – The bill provides for recovery of court costs and
reasonable attorney fees for prevailing parties, discouraging frivolous or bad-faith
litigation.
5. Protecting the Industry – If the Nebraska Supreme Court were to rule without
legislative guidance, property owners would very likely lose flexibility, expedited
processes, waiver options, and cost recovery. LB 980 proactively attempts to mitigate risk while maintaining constitutional compliance.
This is not a partisan issue; it is about practical, fair, and constitutional solutions for
Nebraska’s rental housing industry. LB980 is the superior approach to resolve this critical matter to protect property owners.
Public Hearing:
Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 at 1:30pm
Room 1525
What Can You Do?
The MOPOA Board of Directors respectfully asks you to support LB 980. Please consider using the text below - or modifying it as needed with a concise and impactful personal touch - to help convey the importance of passing LB 980 this legislative session.
Step 1: Click HERE
Step 2: Click the "Submit Comments Online for LB 980" button
Step 3: Once you confirm "I Understand" it will provide you a form to submit to our Judicial Committee
Step 4: Feel free to copy & paste the verbiage below
Step 5: Check your email to verify your submission (make sure to check your spam folder)
COMMENTS MUST SUBMITTED BY WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4th AT 8:00am
Suggested Text:
You can copy and edit the below text.
Support LB 980. LB 980 provides essential procedural tools that help small, local
landlords—many of whom only own (the mortgage) to a few rental homes—manage
nonpayment issues without stripping tenant rights. By allowing voluntary jury trial waivers, clear timelines for possession cases, and summary judgment where facts are undisputed, this bill reduces months-long delays and legal costs that can financially devastate small landlords.
For Nebraska’s “mom-and-pop” property owners, a single nonpaying tenant can wipe out the income from an entire property. LB 980 ensures faster resolution while maintaining due process, discourages bad-faith delays, and provides for reasonable attorney’s fees where appropriate. This stability keeps small landlords in the market, protects tenants’ housing options, and supports overall rental affordability.
LB 980 is not pro-landlord or anti-tenant—it is pro-efficiency and pro-housing stability. I
respectfully ask the Judiciary Committee to support LB 980 to preserve Nebraska’s rental housing supply.
Sample Form:
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