AI-assisted research summary: This section sets rules for how Nebraska statutes are to be read, including how to treat words like “may” and “shall,” tense, gender, singular/plural wording, headings, section references, and repealed laws.
Unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the Legislature, rules for construction of the statutes of Nebraska hereafter enacted shall be as follows: (1) When the word may appears, permissive or discretionary action is presumed. When the word shall appears, mandatory or ministerial action is presumed. (2) The present tense of any verb includes the future, when applicable. (3) The phrase shall have been includes past and future cases. (4) Gender when referring to masculine also includes feminine and neuter. (5) Words and phrases shall be construed and understood according to the common and approved usage of the language; but technical words and phrases and such others as may have acquired a peculiar and appropriate meaning in the law shall be construed and understood according to such peculiar and appropriate meaning. (6) Singular words may extend and be applied to several persons or things as well as to one person or thing. (7) Plural words may extend and be applied to one person or thing as well as to several persons or things. (8) Title heads, chapter heads, section and subsection heads or titles, and explanatory notes and cross references, in the statutes of Nebraska, supplied in compilation, do not constitute any part of the law. (9) Whenever, in the statute laws of this state, a reference is made to two or more sections and the section numbers given in the reference are connected by the word to, the reference includes both the sections whose numbers are given and all intervening sections. (10) No law repealed by subsequent act of the Legislature is revived or affected by the repeal of such repealing act. (11) The repeal of a curative or validating law does not impair or affect any cure or validation previously perfected thereunder. The enumeration of the rules of construction set out in this section is not intended to be exclusive, but is intended to set forth the common situations which arise in the preparation of legislative bills where a general statement by the Legislature of its purpose may aid and assist in ascertaining the legislative intent. History: Laws 1947, c. 182, § 2, p. 603.