This section defines key terms and says an advocate should, if reasonably possible, speak the victim’s preferred language or use a qualified interpreter.
For the purposes of the Sexual Assault Victims' Bill of Rights Act: (1)(a) Advocate means: (i) Any employee or supervised volunteer of a domestic violence and sexual assault victim assistance program or of any other agency, business, or organization that is not affiliated with a law enforcement or prosecutor's office, whose primary purpose is assisting domestic violence and sexual assault victims. This includes employees or supervised volunteers of an Indian tribe or a postsecondary educational institution; (ii) A representative from a victim and witness assistance center as established in sections 81-1845 to 81-1847 or a similar entity affiliated with a law enforcement agency or prosecutor's office; or (iii) An advocate who is employed by a child advocacy center that meets the requirements of subsection (2) of section 28-728. (b) If reasonably possible, an advocate shall speak the victim's preferred language or use the services of a qualified interpreter; (2) Health care provider means any individual who is licensed, certified, or registered to perform specified health services consistent with state law; (3) Sexual assault means a violation of section 28-319, 28-319.01, 28-320, 28-320.01, 28-320.02, 28-322.01, 28-322.02, 28-322.03, 28-322.04, 28-322.05, 28-322.06, 28-322.07, 28-703, or 28-1805, sex trafficking or sex trafficking of a minor under section 28-831, or subdivision (1)(c) or (g) of section 28-386 or subdivision (1)(d), (e), or (f) of section 28-707; (4) Sexual assault forensic evidence means evidence collected by a health care provider contained within any sexual assault forensic evidence collection kit, including a toxicology kit, or any forensic evidence collected by law enforcement through the course of an investigation; and (5)(a) Sexual assault victim or victim means any person who is a victim of sexual assault who reports such sexual assault: (i) To a health care provider, law enforcement, or an advocate, including anonymous reporting as provided in section 28-902; and (ii) In the case of a victim who is under eighteen years of age, to the Department of Health and Human Services. (b) Sexual assault victim or victim also includes, if the victim described in subdivision (5)(a) of this section is incompetent, deceased, or a minor who is unable to consent to counseling services, such victim's parent, guardian, or spouse, unless such person is the reported assailant. History: Laws 2020, LB43, § 2; Laws 2025, LB383, § 21; Laws 2026, LB965, § 38.