reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
NE Code § 2-272 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-272 - County agricultural society; reinstatement; certificate; recording; requirements; effect.

2-272.  County agricultural society; reinstatement; certificate; recording; requirements; effect.The certificate for the renewal and continuance of the existence of a county agricultural society shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State, who shall furnish a certified copy of the certificate under his or her hand and seal of office. The certified copy shall be recorded in the office of the clerk of the county in which the principal office of the society is located in this state in a book kept for the purpose. The certificate or a certified copy of the certificate duly certified under the hand of the Secretary of State and his or her seal of office, accompanied with the certificate of the clerk of the county where it is recorded under the clerk's hand and seal of his or her office, stating that it had been recorded, the record of the same in the office of the clerk, or a copy of such record duly certified by the clerk, or the record of such certified copy, recorded in the county clerk's office, is evidence in all courts of law and equity of this state.Source   Laws 1995, LB 671, § 8;   R.S.Supp.,1996, § 2-248;   Laws 1997, LB 469, § 23.
NE Code § 2-273 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-273 - County agricultural society; reinstatement; effect.

2-273.  County agricultural society; reinstatement; effect.A county agricultural society renewing, extending, and continuing its corporate existence shall, upon complying with sections 2-267 to 2-272, be a corporation and continue its existence for the time stated in its certificate of renewal and shall, in addition to the rights, privileges, and immunities conferred by its original articles of incorporation, possess and enjoy all of the benefits of the laws of this state which are applicable to the nature of its business and shall be subject to the restrictions and liabilities imposed on such societies by the laws of this state.Source   Laws 1995, LB 671, § 9;   R.S.Supp.,1996, § 2-249;   Laws 1997, LB 469, § 24.
NE Code § 2-301 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-301 - Act, how cited.

2-301.  Act, how cited.Sections 2-301 to 2-304 shall be known and may be cited as the Community Gardens Act.Source  Laws 2015, LB175, § 11;  Laws 2017, LB644, § 1.
NE Code § 2-302 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-302 - Legislative findings and declarations; legislative intent; purpose of act.

2-302.  Legislative findings and declarations; legislative intent; purpose of act.(1) The Legislature finds and declares that:(a) Community gardens provide significant health, educational, and social benefits to the general public, especially for those who reside in urban and suburban areas of this state;(b) The community garden movement (i) continues to provide low-cost food that is fresh and nutritious for those who may be unable to readily afford fresh fruits and vegetables for themselves or their families, (ii) promotes public health and healthier individual lifestyles by encouraging better eating habits and increased physical activity by growing food, (iii) fosters the retention and expansion of open spaces, particularly in urban environments, (iv) enhances urban and suburban environmental quality and community beautification, (v) provides inexpensive community building activities, recreation, and physical exercise for all age groups, (vi) establishes a safe place for community involvement and helps to reduce the incidence of crime, (vii) engenders a closer relationship between urban residents, nature, and the local environment, and (viii) fosters green job training and ecological education at all levels; and(c) It is the public policy of this state to promote and foster growth in the number of community gardens and the acreage of such gardens.(2) It is the intent of the Legislature and the purpose of the Community Gardens Act to foster growth in the number, size, and scope of community gardens in this state by encouraging state agencies, municipalities, and private parties in their efforts to promote community gardens.Source Laws 2015, LB175, § 12.
NE Code § 2-303 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-303 - Terms, defined.

2-303.  Terms, defined.For purposes of the Community Gardens Act:(1) Community garden means public or private land upon which individuals have the opportunity to raise a garden on land which they do not themselves own;(2) Garden means a piece or parcel of land appropriate for cultivation of herbs, fruits, flowers, nuts, honey, poultry for egg production, maple syrup, ornamental or vegetable plants, nursery products, or vegetables;(3) Municipality means any county, village, or city or any office or agency of a county, village, or city;(4) State agency means any department or other agency of the State of Nebraska;(5) Use means to avail oneself of or to employ without conveyance of title gardens on vacant public land by any individual or organization; and(6) Vacant public land means any land owned by the state or another governmental subdivision, including a municipality, that is not in use for a public purpose, is otherwise unoccupied, idle, or not being actively utilized for a period of at least six months, and is suitable for garden use.Source Laws 2015, LB175, § 13.
NE Code § 2-304 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-304 - Use of vacant public land; conditions; application; response.

2-304.  Use of vacant public land; conditions; application; response.(1) A state agency or municipality having title to vacant public land may permit community organizations to use such lands for community garden purposes. Such use of vacant public land may be conditioned on the community organization having liability insurance and accepting liability for injury or damage resulting from use of the vacant public land for community garden purposes. State agencies and municipalities may adopt and promulgate rules, regulations, ordinances, or resolutions to establish an application process for a community garden. The applicant may include a request for access to a fire hydrant or other source of water owned or operated by the state agency or municipality or by a utility district in order to provide water to the community garden. The state agency, municipality, or utility district shall consider whether to supply the water to the applicant at a reduced or fixed rate.(2) A state agency or municipality which receives an application pursuant to this section shall respond to the applicant within sixty days from the date on which the application is received and shall make a final determination within one hundred eighty days from such date.Source Laws 2015, LB175, § 14.
NE Code § 2-401 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-401 - Legislative findings.

2-401.  Legislative findings.The Legislature finds that:(1) Healthy soils are a limited natural resource and fundamental for healthy and sustainable food production. Improving soil health means increasing soil's organic matter and diversifying its microbial activity to enhance agricultural productivity and environmental resilience. A commitment to healthy and productive soils and clean water is critical as world population and food production demands rise;(2) Nebraska is a powerhouse agricultural state because of its productive soils and abundant water. However, through the years there has been a depletion of organic matter and trace minerals, making the soil less fertile than it was;(3) There is a significant opportunity for Nebraska farmers and ranchers to capitalize on the economic and production benefits of improved soil health, while simultaneously improving surface and ground water quality;(4) Improving the health of Nebraska's soil is the most effective way for agricultural producers to increase crop and forage productivity and profitability while also protecting the environment;(5) Appropriate planning and coordination is needed to speed up and coordinate the adoption of conservation practices that rebuild and protect soil carbon to increase water holding capacity and enhance the vitality of the subsurface microbiome for landowners to capitalize on the economic and production benefits of soil health, while simultaneously enhancing water quality, capturing carbon, building resilience to drought and pests, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding pollinator and other wildlife habitat, and protecting fragile ecosystems for a more sustainable future; and(6) A number of states have initiated formal soil health programs either through the establishment of new entities or collaborations between existing entities.Source Laws 2019, LB243, § 1.
NE Code § 2-402 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-402 - Healthy Soils Task Force; created; members; meetings.

2-402.  Healthy Soils Task Force; created; members; meetings.(1) The Healthy Soils Task Force is created.(2) The task force shall consist of the following voting members:(a) The Director of Agriculture or his or her designee;(b) Two representatives of natural resources districts in Nebraska, appointed by the Governor;(c) Two academic experts in agriculture and natural resources in Nebraska, appointed by the Governor;(d) Six representatives from production agriculture, including at least two producers that are using healthy soil practices, appointed by the Governor;(e) Two representatives from agribusiness, appointed by the Governor; and(f) Two representatives from environmental organizations in Nebraska, appointed by the Governor.(3) The task force shall consist of the following nonvoting members:(a) The chairperson of the Natural Resources Committee of the Legislature, or his or her designee; and(b) The chairperson of the Agriculture Committee of the Legislature, or his or her designee.(4) In selecting membership for appointment to the task force, the Governor shall seek to appoint members with relevant expertise regarding methods for incorporating healthy soil stewardship practices into working agricultural operations and for optimizing environmental services provided through such practices. Appointments to the task force shall be made within sixty days after April 18, 2019, and appointed members shall begin serving immediately following notice of appointment. Members shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in carrying out their duties as members, as provided in sections 81-1174 to 81-1177.(5) The task force shall hold its first meeting no later than September 1, 2019. At its first meeting, the members shall elect a chairperson. Subsequent to the initial meeting, the task force may meet as necessary at the call of the chairperson.(6) For administrative and budgetary purposes, the task force shall be housed within the Department of Agriculture. Additional support to facilitate the work of the task force may be requested from appropriate federal and state agencies.Source Laws 2019, LB243, § 2.
NE Code § 2-403 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-403 - Healthy Soils Task Force; duties.

2-403.  Healthy Soils Task Force; duties.(1) The Healthy Soils Task Force shall:(a) Develop a comprehensive healthy soils initiative for the State of Nebraska;(b) Develop a comprehensive action plan to coordinate efforts to carry out such healthy soils initiative using standards for organic matter, biological activity, biological diversity, and soil structure as measures to assess improved soil health. The action plan shall set goals, formulate timelines for task completion, and determine resources required and resource availability. In developing the action plan, the task force shall examine:(i) Issues related to providing farmers and ranchers with research, education, technical assistance, and demonstration projects;(ii) Options for financial incentives to improve soil health; and(iii) The contribution of livestock to soil health;(c) Identify realistic and achievable goals and timelines for improvement of soil health in Nebraska through voluntary partnerships among agricultural producers and relevant state and local agencies and other public and private entities; and(d) Review provisions of the federal Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Public Law 115-334, and any implementing rules, regulations, and guidelines of the United States Department of Agriculture and identify opportunities to leverage state, local, or private funds under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program of the United States Department of Agriculture and other conservation programs for the purposes of the healthy soils initiative. Such information shall be included in the report issued pursuant to section 2-404.(2) To carry out its duties, the Healthy Soils Task Force may consult other agencies or organizations, including, but not limited to, the University of Nebraska, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Farm Service Agency, and the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, the Soil Health Institute, the Soil Health Partnership, and other state and federal agencies or public or private organizations with responsibility or expertise in research, demonstration, education, advising, funding, or promotion relating to agronomic and other agricultural land management practices consistent with the purpose of the task force.Source Laws 2019, LB243, § 3.
NE Code § 2-404 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-404 - Comprehensive action plan and report; task force; termination.

2-404.  Comprehensive action plan and report; task force; termination.On or before January 1, 2021, the Healthy Soils Task Force shall submit the comprehensive action plan and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and electronically to the Agriculture Committee of the Legislature. The task force shall terminate on January 1, 2021.Source Laws 2019, LB243, § 4.
NE Code § 2-501 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-501 - Act, how cited.

2-501.  Act, how cited.Sections 2-501 to 2-519 shall be known and may be cited as the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act.Source Laws 2019, LB657, § 1.
NE Code § 2-502 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-502 - Statement of policy; purpose of act.

2-502.  Statement of policy; purpose of act.It is the policy of this state that hemp is recognized as a viable agricultural crop. The purpose of the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act is to:(1) Align state law with federal law regarding the cultivation, handling, marketing, and processing of hemp and hemp products;(2) Promote the cultivation and processing of hemp and open up new commercial markets for farmers and businesses through the sale of hemp products;(3) Establish testing and compliance procedures;(4) Promote the expansion of Nebraska's hemp industry to the maximum extent permitted by law and allow farmers and businesses to cultivate, handle, and process hemp and sell hemp products for commercial purposes;(5) Encourage and empower research into hemp cultivation and the processing of hemp products at postsecondary institutions in the state and in the private sector;(6) Facilitate interstate commerce by not impeding the shipment of hemp into and out of this state; and(7) Return Nebraska to the forefront of the hemp industry.Source Laws 2019, LB657, § 2.
NE Code § 2-507 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-507 - Cultivator, processor-handler, and broker license applications; issuance; minimum qualifications; denial of license; hearing.

2-507.  Cultivator, processor-handler, and broker license applications; issuance; minimum qualifications; denial of license; hearing.(1) The department shall receive and process all completed license applications and issue licenses to all qualified applicants. The department shall deny cultivator, processor-handler, and broker license applications if they are incomplete or deficient or if the applicant does not meet minimum qualifications, including, but not limited to:(a) The applicant, if an individual, is at least eighteen years of age;(b) The site registered by the applicant is located in this state;(c) The applicant has no unpaid fees or fines owed to the state under the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act;(d) The applicant has not had a cultivator, processor-handler, or broker license revoked in the five years preceding the date of application;(e) The applicant has not been deemed ineligible:(i) At any time under this section;(ii) In the five years preceding the date of application under section 2-511; or(iii) In the ten years preceding the date of application under section 2-512; or(f) Any individual listed in the application for a cultivator, processor-handler, or broker license has not been convicted of a felony related to a controlled substance under either state or federal law within the preceding ten years.(2) If an application is incomplete or deficient, the department shall, in a timely manner, notify the applicant in writing describing the reason or reasons and request additional information. If such application is not corrected or supplemented within thirty days after the department's request, the department shall deny the application.(3) Any person who intentionally and materially falsifies any information contained in an application under the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act shall be ineligible to obtain a license to operate as a cultivator, processor-handler, or broker.(4) A person aggrieved by the denial of a license may request a hearing pursuant to section 2-513.Source  Laws 2019, LB657, § 7;  Laws 2020, LB1152, § 5.
NE Code § 2-508 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-508 - License fees; delinquent fee; administrative fee; waiver by department; grounds.

2-508.  License fees; delinquent fee; administrative fee; waiver by department; grounds.(1) License fees under the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act are due on or before December 31 and shall be in the amount listed in column A of subsection (2) of this section. The fees due on or before December 31, 2019, and by each December 31 thereafter shall be set by the director on or before July 1 of each year. The director may raise or lower such fees each year to meet the criteria in this subsection, but the fee shall not be greater than the amount in column B of subsection (2) of this section. The same percentage shall be applied to each category for all fee increases or decreases. The director shall use the fees in column A of subsection (2) of this section as a base for future fee increases or decreases. The director shall determine the fees based on estimated annual revenue and fiscal year-end cash fund balances as follows:(a) The estimated annual revenue shall not be greater than one hundred seven percent of program cash fund appropriations allocated for the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act; and(b) The estimated fiscal year-end cash fund balance shall not be greater than seventeen percent of program cash fund appropriations allocated for the act.(2) Fees.  Fees A B   Cultivator, processor-handler, and     broker license application fee $100 $150   Cultivator site registration fee $400 per site $600 per site   Processor-handler site     registration fee $800 per site $1,200 per site   Site modification fee $50 $75  (3) Any fee remaining unpaid for more than one month shall be considered delinquent and the person owing the fee shall pay an additional administrative fee of twenty-five percent of the delinquent amount for each month it remains unpaid, not to exceed one hundred percent of the original amount due. The department may waive the additional administrative fee based upon the existence and extent of any mitigating circumstances that have resulted in the late payment of such fee. The purpose of the additional administrative fee is to cover the administrative costs associated with collecting fees, and all money collected as an additional administrative fee shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the Nebraska Hemp Program Fund.Source Laws 2019, LB657, § 8.
NE Code § 2-509 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-509 - Nebraska Hemp Program Fund; established; use; investment.

2-509.  Nebraska Hemp Program Fund; established; use; investment.The Nebraska Hemp Program Fund is established. The fund shall be administered by the department for the purpose of covering the costs of the department in administering sections 2-504 to 2-516 and 2-5701. The fund may receive appropriations by the Legislature, gifts, grants, federal funds, and any other funds both public and private. All fees collected by the department under sections 2-508 and 2-5701 shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the fund. Transfers from the Nebraska Hemp Program Fund to the Noxious Weed Cash Fund may be made as provided in section 2-958. Transfers from the Nebraska Hemp Program Fund to the Fertilizers and Soil Conditioners Administrative Fund may be made as provided in section 81-2,162.27. Any money in the fund available for investment shall be invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act.Source Laws 2019, LB657, § 9. Cross References   Nebraska Capital Expansion Act, see section 72-1269.  Nebraska State Funds Investment Act, see section 72-1260.
NE Code § 2-510 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 2 - Agriculture|2-510 - Cultivator, processor-handler, or broker; consent to certain actions; acknowledge risk of financial loss under act.

2-510.  Cultivator, processor-handler, or broker; consent to certain actions; acknowledge risk of financial loss under act.(1) A cultivator, processor-handler, or broker consents to all of the following:(a) A background check for any felony controlled substance charge in the ten years prior to the time of application completed by the department or a law enforcement agency at the direction of the department, at any time, for all of the individuals listed on the cultivator's, processor-handler's, or broker's application at the applicant's expense, which shall be in addition to the application and registration fees;(b) Entry onto, and inspection of, all registered sites by the department or by persons at the direction of the department, with or without cause, and with reasonable advance notice;(c) Reimbursement of the department for expenses relating to sampling and testing of any hemp or hemp material;(d) Destruction of any of the following:(i) Hemp found to have a measured delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration greater than the acceptable hemp THC level. Only hemp from lots found to have a measured delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration greater than the acceptable hemp THC level shall be subject to destruction;(ii) Hemp intended for commercial purposes that is present at a location not included in a cultivator's or processor-handler's application; and(iii) Hemp that is cultivated, processed, handled, or brokered in a manner that violates the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act or the rules and regulations adopted and promulgated thereunder; and(e) Inspections by the department, at least annually, of cultivators and processor-handlers to verify that hemp is not cultivated, processed, or handled in violation of the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act.(2) A cultivator, processor-handler, or broker acknowledges that all risk of financial loss under the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act is borne by such person. No compensation shall be paid by the department or the State of Nebraska for destruction of any hemp under this section.Source  Laws 2019, LB657, § 10;  Laws 2020, LB1152, § 6.