reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
NE Code § 19-5402 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5402 - Legislative findings and declarations.

19-5402.  Legislative findings and declarations.The Legislature finds and declares that:(1) Vacant properties have the potential to create a host of problems for Nebraska communities, including a propensity to foster criminal activity, create public health problems, and otherwise diminish quality of life;(2) Vacant properties have the potential to reduce the value of area properties, increase the risk of property damage through arson and vandalism, and discourage neighborhood stability;(3) Vacant properties represent unrealized economic growth in Nebraska communities;(4) A vacant property registration ordinance allows a municipality to discourage property vacancy, maintain unoccupied buildings, provide a database of vacant properties and their owners, and assess fees for the increased public costs associated with vacant properties;(5) Fees imposed under a vacant property registration ordinance have the potential to benefit the owners of vacant properties by helping to finance additional government services to protect the value and security of such properties; and(6) Enactment of a vacant property registration ordinance is a proper exercise of governmental authority to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of community residents and a valid regulatory scheme.Source Laws 2018, LB256, § 2.
NE Code § 19-5403 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5403 - Purposes of act.

19-5403.  Purposes of act.The purposes of the Vacant Property Registration Act are to promote the health, safety, and welfare of Nebraska residents by providing authority for municipalities to enact vacant property registration ordinances. Such ordinances will allow communities to identify and register vacant properties, collect fees to compensate for the public costs of vacant properties, plan for the rehabilitation of vacant properties, and encourage the occupancy of vacant properties.Source Laws 2018, LB256, § 3.
NE Code § 19-5404 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5404 - Terms, defined.

19-5404.  Terms, defined.For purposes of the Vacant Property Registration Act:(1) Evidence of vacancy means any condition or circumstance that on its own or in combination with other conditions or circumstances would lead a reasonable person to believe that a residential building or commercial building is vacant. Such conditions or circumstances may include, but are not limited to:(a) Overgrown or dead vegetation, including grass, shrubbery, and other plantings;(b) An accumulation of abandoned personal property, trash, or other waste;(c) Visible deterioration or lack of maintenance of any building or structure on the property;(d) Graffiti or other defacement of any building or structure on the property; or(e) Any other condition or circumstance reasonably indicating that the property is not occupied for residential purposes or being used for the operation of a lawful business;(2) Municipality means a city of the first class, city of the second class, or village;(3) Owner means the person or persons shown to be the owner or owners of record on the records of the register of deeds;(4) Residential building means a house, a condominium, a townhouse, an apartment unit or building, or a trailer house; and(5) Vacant means that a residential building or commercial building exhibits evidence of vacancy.Source Laws 2018, LB256, § 4.
NE Code § 19-5405 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5405 - Vacant property registration ordinance; adoption by municipality.

19-5405.  Vacant property registration ordinance; adoption by municipality.Under the Vacant Property Registration Act, a municipality may adopt a vacant property registration ordinance which applies to any type of either residential or commercial buildings or both, located within the corporate limits of the municipality, except that a vacant property registration ordinance shall not apply to property owned by the federal government, the State of Nebraska, or any political subdivision thereof. A vacant property registration ordinance shall create a city-wide vacant property registration database and clearly designate a program administrator.Source Laws 2018, LB256, § 5.
NE Code § 19-5406 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5406 - Registration of property; duty of owner; information required; fee; exemptions.

19-5406.  Registration of property; duty of owner; information required; fee; exemptions.(1) Owners of vacant property subject to a vacant property registration ordinance adopted pursuant to section 19-5405 shall be required to register such property with the program administrator if the property has been vacant for one hundred eighty days or longer. A vacant property registration ordinance registration form shall be in either paper or electronic form, and the following information shall be required:(a) The name, street address, mailing address, telephone number, and, if applicable, the facsimile number and email address of the property owner and his or her agent;(b) The street address and parcel identification number of the vacant property;(c) The transfer date of the instrument conveying the property to the owner; and(d) The date on which the property became vacant.(2)(a) A vacant property registration ordinance may require payment of a fee one hundred eighty days after initial registration of the vacant property pursuant to subsection (1) of this section or three hundred sixty days after the property becomes vacant, whichever is sooner, and may require the payment of supplemental registration fees at intervals not more frequently than every six months thereafter for as long as the property remains on the vacant property registration database. The initial registration fee shall be not more than two hundred fifty dollars for a residential property and not more than one thousand dollars for a commercial property. A supplemental registration fee shall be not more than double the previous fee amount, with a maximum supplemental registration fee of ten times the initial registration fee amount. Registration fees may be refundable for the year preceding the date on which the property is no longer vacant.(b) A vacant property registration ordinance shall provide an exemption to the registration and fee requirements for vacant property that is advertised in good faith for sale or lease.(c) A vacant property registration ordinance may provide exemptions to the registration and fee requirements, including, but not limited to, for vacant property:(i) Only considered to be a seasonal residence;(ii) Damaged by fire, weather, an act of God, or vandalism;(iii) Under construction or renovation;(iv) Where the owner is temporarily absent, but who has demonstrated his or her intent to return; and(v) Which is subject to divorce, probate, or estate proceedings.Source Laws 2018, LB256, § 6.
NE Code § 19-5407 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5407 - Vacant property registration ordinance; contents; program administrator; powers.

19-5407.  Vacant property registration ordinance; contents; program administrator; powers.(1) A vacant property registration ordinance shall:(a) Provide that a subsequent owner or owners of property subject to the ordinance will assume the obligations of the previous owner or owners;(b) Provide for removal of the property from the vacant property registration database when the property is no longer vacant;(c) Require submission of an owner plan for occupancy of the property; and(d) Provide that owners have the right to prior notice and to appeal adverse decisions of the municipality or the program administrator. Such notice shall be sent by certified mail to the registered owner at the address maintained in the register of deeds' office at least ten days prior to such adverse decision.(2) A vacant property registration ordinance may allow the program administrator or his or her designee to inspect the interior and exterior of the vacant property upon registration and at one-year intervals thereafter for so long as the property remains on the vacant property registration database. A vacant property registration ordinance may provide for municipal fines for failure to comply with its requirements. A municipality may enforce the collection of vacant property registration fees by civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction. Unpaid vacant property registration fees and unpaid fines for any violation of a vacant property registration ordinance shall become a lien on the applicable property upon the recording of a notice of such lien in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the applicable property is located. The lien created under this subsection shall be subordinate to all liens on the applicable property recorded prior to the time the notice of such lien under this subsection is recorded.Source Laws 2018, LB256, § 7.
NE Code § 19-5408 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5408 - Supplemental provisions.

19-5408.  Supplemental provisions.The provisions of the Vacant Property Registration Act shall be supplemental and in addition to any other laws of the State of Nebraska relating to vacant property.Source Laws 2018, LB256, § 8.
NE Code § 19-5501 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5501 - Act, how cited.

19-5501.  Act, how cited.Sections 19-5501 to 19-5506 shall be known and may be cited as the Municipal Density and Missing Middle Housing Act.Source Laws 2020, LB866, § 1.
NE Code § 19-5502 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5502 - Legislative findings.

19-5502.  Legislative findings.The Legislature finds and declares that:(1) Residential density is beneficial in making better and more cost-effective use of municipal resources and services;(2) There is a need for affordable housing in municipalities of all sizes in Nebraska. Affordable housing contributes to economic growth by providing housing options for workers of all levels;(3) Following World War II, municipal zoning codes, ordinances, and regulations in Nebraska and throughout the United States prioritized detached single-family homes and mid-rise to high-rise apartment buildings over other forms of housing stock;(4) In addition to zoning restrictions, the historic practice of redlining in Nebraska communities has contributed to a lack of affordable housing in many Nebraska municipalities;(5) Housing stock known as middle housing, while prominent in the early 1900s, has been largely missing in the construction of new housing in the United States since the mid-1940s; and(6) Examining and updating municipal zoning codes and ordinances to permit varied types of housing stock will provide greater availability of affordable housing, increase residential density, promote more efficient and effective land use, and create conditions for successful mass transit, bikeability, walkability, and affordability in residential neighborhoods.Source Laws 2020, LB866, § 2.
NE Code § 19-5503 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5503 - Terms, defined.

19-5503.  Terms, defined.For purposes of the Municipal Density and Missing Middle Housing Act:(1) Accessory dwelling unit means an interior, attached, or detached residential structure that is used in connection with, or that is an accessory to, a single-family dwelling and is located on the same lot or parcel as such single-family dwelling;(2) Affordable housing means residential dwelling units affordable to a household earning not more than eighty percent of the income limit as set forth by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development under its Income Limits Documentation System, as such limits existed on January 1, 2020, for the county in which the units are located and for a particular household size;(3) City means any city of the metropolitan class, city of the primary class, or city of the first class in the State of Nebraska with a population of at least twenty thousand inhabitants as determined by the most recent federal decennial census or the most recent revised certified count by the United States Bureau of the Census;(4) Cottage cluster means a grouping of no fewer than four detached housing units per acre with a footprint of less than nine hundred square feet each and that includes a common courtyard;(5) Density bonus means a density increase over the otherwise maximum allowable residential density under a city's zoning codes, ordinances, and regulations;(6) Middle housing means:(a) Duplexes;(b) Triplexes;(c) Quadplexes;(d) Cottage clusters; or(e) Townhouses;(7) Townhouse means a dwelling unit constructed in a row of two or more attached units where each dwelling unit is located on an individual lot or parcel and shares at least one common wall with an adjacent unit; and(8) Workforce housing means:(a) Housing that meets the needs of working families;(b) Owner-occupied housing units that have an after-construction appraised value of at least one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars but not more than two hundred seventy-five thousand dollars to construct;(c) Owner-occupied housing units for which the cost to substantially rehabilitate exceeds fifty percent of a unit's assessed value;(d) Upper-story housing for occupation by a homeowner; and(e) Housing that does not receive federal or state low-income housing tax credits, community development block grants, HOME funds as defined in section 81-1228, or funds from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.Source Laws 2020, LB866, § 3.
NE Code § 19-5504 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5504 - Affordable housing; report; contents.

19-5504.  Affordable housing; report; contents.(1) On or before July 1, 2021, and by each July 1 every two years thereafter, each city shall electronically submit a report to the Urban Affairs Committee of the Legislature detailing its efforts to address the availability of and incentives for affordable housing through its zoning codes, ordinances, and regulations. Such report shall include, but not be limited to:(a) An overview of the city's current residential zoning requirements;(b) The percentage of areas in the city zoned for residential use which permit the construction of multifamily housing and middle housing;(c) A breakdown of new residential construction in the city over the previous five years, including the percentage of such construction that was single-family housing, multifamily housing, and middle housing;(d) A breakdown of residential units annexed by the city over the previous five years, including the percentage of such units that were single-family housing, multifamily housing, and middle housing;(e) An estimate of the per-unit cost of housing in the city;(f) Whether such zoning codes, ordinances, and regulations provide for density bonuses or other concessions or incentives which encourage residential density, and the frequency with which such bonuses, concessions, or incentives are utilized;(g) Whether such zoning codes, ordinances, and regulations allow the construction of accessory dwelling units;(h) What incentives the city applies to encourage the development of affordable housing, including both direct incentives and regulatory relief;(i) A demographic analysis of the city with trends and estimates of the housing need classified by housing type and price range; and(j) Efforts to adopt an affordable housing action plan as required under section 19-5505.(2) The Urban Affairs Committee of the Legislature may require any city to present its report to the committee at a public hearing.Source Laws 2020, LB866, § 4.
NE Code § 19-5505 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5505 - Affordable housing action plan; required; failure to adopt; effect.

19-5505.  Affordable housing action plan; required; failure to adopt; effect.(1) On or before January 1, 2023, each city with a population of fifty thousand or more inhabitants shall adopt an affordable housing action plan. On or before January 1, 2024, each city with a population of less than fifty thousand inhabitants shall adopt an affordable housing action plan. Such action plan shall include, but not be limited to:(a) Goals for the construction of new affordable housing units, including multifamily housing and middle housing, with specific types and numbers of units, geographic locations, and specific actions to encourage the development of affordable housing, middle housing, and workforce housing;(b) Goals for a percentage of areas in the city zoned for residential use which permit the construction of multifamily housing and middle housing;(c) Plans for the use of federal, state, and local incentives to encourage affordable housing, middle housing, and workforce housing, including the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the Local Option Municipal Economic Development Act, tax-increment financing, federal community development block grants, density bonuses, and other nonmonetary regulatory relief; and(d) Updates to the city's zoning codes, ordinances, and regulations to incentivize affordable housing.(2) An affordable housing action plan required under subsection (1) of this section may be adopted as part of a city's comprehensive plan or as a separate plan.(3) Any city which fails to adopt an affordable housing action plan as required under subsection (1) of this section shall be required to allow the development of:(a) Middle housing in all areas in the city zoned for residential use that allow for the development of detached single-family dwellings; and(b) A duplex on each lot or parcel zoned for residential use that allows for the development of detached single-family dwellings.(4) A city shall amend any building zoning ordinances or regulations as needed to comply with subsection (3) of this section.Source  Laws 2020, LB866, § 5;  Laws 2021, LB44, § 1.   Effective Date: August 28, 2021  Cross References  Local Option Municipal Economic Development Act, see section 18-2701.
NE Code § 19-5506 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5506 - Act, how construed.

19-5506.  Act, how construed.Nothing in the Municipal Density and Missing Middle Housing Act shall be construed to prohibit any city from:(1) Regulating the siting and design of middle housing provided for under section 19-5505, except that such regulation shall not prohibit or have the effect of physically precluding the development of middle housing in any residential area; or(2) Allowing single-family dwellings in areas zoned to allow for single-family dwellings.Source Laws 2020, LB866, § 6.
NE Code § 19-5601 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5601 - Act, how cited.

19-5601.  Act, how cited.Sections 19-5601 to 19-5608 shall be known and may be cited as the Municipal Natural Gas System Emergency Assistance Act.Source  Laws 2021, LB131, § 1.   Operative Date: May 26, 2021   Termination Date: June 30, 2023
NE Code § 19-5602 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5602 - Act; purpose.

19-5602.  Act; purpose.The purpose of the Municipal Natural Gas System Emergency Assistance Act is to assist municipalities which own and operate a natural gas plant or natural gas system in addressing extraordinary costs due to extreme weather events.Source  Laws 2021, LB131, § 2.   Operative Date: May 26, 2021   Termination Date: June 30, 2023
NE Code § 19-5603 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5603 - Terms, defined.

19-5603.  Terms, defined.For purposes of the Municipal Natural Gas System Emergency Assistance Act:(1) Extraordinary costs means expenses that exceed the usual, average, or budgeted costs related to procuring and delivering natural gas, including the purchase of spot or incremental natural gas, costs related to propane injection, and pipeline charges beyond the scope of normal and customary charges;(2) Extreme weather event means a weather event occurring on or after January 1, 2021, including, but not limited to, snow, rain, drought, flood, storm, extreme heat, or extreme cold, that generates extraordinary costs related to such event; and(3) Municipality means any city of the first class, city of the second class, or village which owns or operates a natural gas plant or natural gas system.Source  Laws 2021, LB131, § 3.   Operative Date: May 26, 2021   Termination Date: June 30, 2023
NE Code § 19-5604 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5604 - Extreme weather event; extraordinary costs; grant; application.

19-5604.  Extreme weather event; extraordinary costs; grant; application.A municipality may apply to the State Treasurer for a grant under the Municipal Natural Gas System Emergency Assistance Act to cover up to eighty percent of the extraordinary costs incurred by such municipality as a result of an extreme weather event. Applications shall be submitted on a form prescribed by the State Treasurer. Each application shall include the amount of grant funds requested, the date or dates of the extreme weather event, and documentation of the extraordinary costs incurred as a result of such extreme weather event. The State Treasurer shall consider applications in the order in which they are received and may approve applications within the limits of available appropriations. The State Treasurer shall not be required to verify the information provided in the application.Source  Laws 2021, LB131, § 4.   Operative Date: May 26, 2021   Termination Date: June 30, 2023
NE Code § 19-5605 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 19 - Cities and Villages; Laws Applicable to More Than One and Less Than All Classes|19-5605 - Municipal Natural Gas System Emergency Assistance Fund; created; use; investment.

19-5605.  Municipal Natural Gas System Emergency Assistance Fund; created; use; investment.The Municipal Natural Gas System Emergency Assistance Fund is created. The fund shall be used by the State Treasurer to make grants to municipalities under the Municipal Natural Gas System Emergency Assistance Act and to defray any administrative expenses incurred by the State Treasurer in carrying out the act. The fund shall consist of appropriations made by the Legislature, transfers authorized by the Legislature, and any federal funds which may become available for the purposes of the act. 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 2021, LB131, § 5.   Operative Date: May 26, 2021   Termination Date: June 30, 2023  Cross References   Nebraska Capital Expansion Act, see section 72-1269.  Nebraska State Funds Investment Act, see section 72-1260.