§ 43-3318. Certification to relevant licensing authorities; when; procedure; effect.

(1) The Department of Health and Human Services, county attorney, authorized attorney, or court of competent jurisdiction may certify in writing to the Department of Motor Vehicles, relevant licensing authorities, and, if the license holder is a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association, the Counsel for Discipline of the Nebraska Supreme Court, that a license holder is a license holder described in subsection (1) of section 43-3314 if: (a) The license holder does not timely request either administrative review or judicial review upon issuance of a notice under subsection (2) of section 43-3314, is still a license holder described in subsection (1) of section 43-3314 thirty-one days after issuance of the notice, and does not obtain a written confirmation of compliance from the Department of Health and Human Services, county attorney, or authorized attorney pursuant to section 43-3320 within thirty-one days after issuance of the notice; (b) The Department of Health and Human Services issues a decision after a hearing that finds the license holder is a license holder described in subsection (1) of section 43-3314, the license holder is still a license holder described in such subsection thirty-one days after issuance of that decision, and the license holder does not seek judicial review of the decision within the ten-day appeal period provided in section 43-3317; or (c) The court of competent jurisdiction enters a judgment on a petition for judicial review, initiated under either section 43-3315 or 43-3317, that finds the license holder is a license holder described in subsection (1) of section 43-3314. (2) The court of competent jurisdiction, after providing appropriate notice, may certify a license holder to the Department of Motor Vehicles and relevant licensing authorities if a license holder has failed to comply with subpoenas or warrants relating to paternity or child support proceedings. (3) If the Department of Health and Human Services, county attorney, authorized attorney, or court of competent jurisdiction determines to certify a license holder to the appropriate licensing authority, then the department, county attorney, authorized attorney, or court of competent jurisdiction shall certify a license holder in the following order and in compliance with the following restrictions: (a) To the Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend the license holder's operator's license, except the Department of Motor Vehicles shall not suspend the license holder's commercial driver's license or restricted commercial driver's license. If a license holder possesses a commercial driver's license or restricted commercial driver's license, the Department of Health and Human Services, county attorney, authorized attorney, or court of competent jurisdiction shall certify such license holder pursuant to subdivision (b) of this subsection. If the license holder fails to come into compliance with the support order as provided in section 43-3314 or with subpoenas and warrants relating to paternity or child support proceedings within ten working days after the date on which the license holder's operator's license suspension becomes effective, then the department, county attorney, authorized attorney, or court of competent jurisdiction may certify the license holder pursuant to subdivision (b) of this subsection without further notice; (b) To the relevant licensing authority to suspend the license holder's recreational license once the Game and Parks Commission has operative the electronic or other automated retrieval system necessary to suspend recreational licenses. If the license holder does not have a recreational license and until the Game and Parks Commission has operative the electronic or other automated retrieval system necessary to suspend recreational licenses, the department, county attorney, authorized attorney, or court of competent jurisdiction may certify the license holder pursuant to subdivision (c) of this subsection. If the license holder fails to come into compliance with the support order as provided in section 43-3314 or with subpoenas and warrants relating to paternity or child support proceedings within ten working days after the date on which the license holder's recreational license suspension becomes effective, the department, county attorney, authorized attorney, or court of competent jurisdiction may certify the license holder pursuant to subdivision (c) of this subsection without further notice; and (c) To the relevant licensing authority to suspend the license holder's professional license, occupational license, commercial driver's license, or restricted commercial driver's license. (4) If the Department of Health and Human Services, county attorney, authorized attorney, or court of competent jurisdiction certifies the license holder to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall suspend the operator's license of the license holder ten working days after the date of certification. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall without undue delay notify the license holder by regular United States mail that the license holder's operator's license will be suspended and the date the suspension becomes effective. No person shall be issued an operator's license by the State of Nebraska if at the time of application for a license the person's operator's license is suspended under this section. Any person whose operator's license has been suspended shall return his or her license to the Department of Motor Vehicles within five working days after receiving the notice of the suspension. If any person fails to return the license, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall direct any peace officer to secure possession of the operator's license and to return it to the Department of Motor Vehicles. The peace officer who is directed to secure possession of the license shall make every reasonable effort to secure the license and return it to the Department of Motor Vehicles or shall show good cause why the license cannot be returned. An appeal of the suspension of an operator's license under this section shall be pursuant to section 60-4,105. A license holder whose operator's license has been suspended under this section may apply for an employment driving permit as provided by sections 60-4,129 and 60-4,130, except that the license holder is not required to fulfill the driver improvement or driver education and training course requirements of subsection (2) of section 60-4,130. (5) Except as provided in subsection (6) of this section as it pertains to a license holder who is a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association, if the Department of Health and Human Services, county attorney, authorized attorney, or court of competent jurisdiction certifies the license holder to a relevant licensing authority, the relevant licensing authority, notwithstanding any other provision of law, shall suspend the license holder's professional, occupational, or recreational license and the license holder's right to renew the professional, occupational, or recreational license ten working days after the date of certification. The relevant licensing authority shall without undue delay notify the license holder by regular United States mail that the license holder's professional, occupational, or recreational license will be suspended and the date the suspension becomes effective. (6) If the department, county attorney, authorized attorney, or court of competent jurisdiction certifies a license holder who is a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association to the Counsel for Discipline of the Nebraska Supreme Court, the Nebraska Supreme Court may suspend the license holder's license to practice law. It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage all license holders to comply with their child support obligations. Therefor, the Legislature hereby requests that the Nebraska Supreme Court adopt amendments to the rules regulating attorneys, if necessary, which provide for the discipline of an attorney who is delinquent in the payment of or fails to pay his or her child support obligation. (7) The Department of Health and Human Services, or court of competent jurisdiction when appropriate, shall send by regular United States mail to the license holder at the license holder's last-known address a copy of any certification filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles or a relevant licensing authority and a notice which states that the license holder's operator's license will be suspended ten working days after the date of certification and that the suspension of a professional, occupational, or recreational license pursuant to subsection (5) of this section becomes effective ten working days after the date of certification. History: Laws 1997, LB 752, § 18; Laws 1999, LB 594, § 31; Laws 2004, LB 1207, § 43; Laws 2007, LB296, § 156; Laws 2024, LB1200, § 5.