Neb. Rev. Stat. § 20-301 et seq. § 20-343
Attorney General; civil action; powers and duties; relief authorized; intervention; when permitted.
Operative Text
(1) Whenever the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that any person or group of persons is engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of any of the rights granted by the Nebraska Fair Housing Act or that any group of persons has been denied any of the rights granted by the act and such denial raises an issue of general public importance, the Attorney General may commence a civil action in any appropriate district court. (2)(a) The Attorney General may commence a civil action in any appropriate district court for appropriate relief with respect to a discriminatory housing practice referred to the Attorney General by the commission under section 20-337 . The action may be commenced not later than the expiration of eighteen months after the date of the occurrence or the termination of the alleged discriminatory housing practice. (b) The Attorney General may commence a civil action in any appropriate district court for appropriate relief with respect to breach of a conciliation agreement referred to the Attorney General by the commission under section 20-329 . The action may be commenced not later than the expiration of ninety days after the referral of the alleged breach under such section. (3) The Attorney General, on behalf of the commission or other party at whose request a subpoena is issued under section 20-334 , may enforce the subpoena in appropriate proceedings in the district court for the county in which the person to whom the subpoena was addressed resides, was served, or transacts business. (4)(a) In a civil action under subsection (1) or (2) of this section, the court: (i) May award such temporary relief, including a permanent or temporary injunction, a restraining order, or any other order against the person responsible for a violation of the act as is necessary to assure the full enjoyment of the rights granted by the act; (ii) May award such other relief as the court deems appropriate, including monetary damages to persons aggrieved; and (iii) May, to vindicate the public interest, assess a civil penalty against the respondent: (A) In an amount not exceeding fifty thousand dollars for a first violation; and (B) In an amount not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars for any subsequent violation. (b) In a civil action under this section, the court may allow the prevailing party, other than the state, reasonable attorney's fees and costs. The state shall be liable for such fees and costs to the same extent as a private person. (5) Upon timely application, any person may intervene in a civil action commenced by the Attorney General under subsection (1) or (2) of this section which involves an alleged discriminatory housing practice with respect to which such person is an aggrieved person or a conciliation agreement to which such person is a party. The court may grant such appropriate relief to any such intervening party as is authorized to be granted to a plaintiff in a civil action under section 20-342 .
Nebraska Revised Statute § 20-343 authorizes the state Attorney General to file civil lawsuits in district court when there is reasonable cause to believe that a pattern or practice of housing discrimination is occurring, or when a significant public-interest denial of fair housing rights has taken place. Courts handling these cases can issue injunctions, award monetary damages to harmed individuals, and impose civil penalties up to $50,000 for a first violation and up to $100,000 for subsequent violations. The provision also allows aggrieved individuals to intervene in Attorney General-initiated lawsuits and permits courts to award attorney's fees and costs to prevailing non-state parties.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 20-343, property owners and managers who are found to have engaged in a pattern or practice of discriminatory housing conduct face the possibility of civil penalties reaching $50,000 for a first violation and $100,000 for any subsequent violation, in addition to injunctive relief and monetary damages awarded to affected parties. Operators who maintain consistent, documented fair housing compliance policies—covering advertising, tenant screening, and lease terms—generally demonstrate the kind of good-faith conduct that reduces exposure to Attorney General civil actions. Familiarity with the Nebraska Fair Housing Act and regular staff training are practices commonly associated with compliant housing operations under this framework.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 20-343 gives the Nebraska Attorney General the authority to bring civil actions on behalf of the public when housing discrimination is widespread or raises issues of general public importance, meaning individual tenants may benefit from enforcement actions even without filing their own lawsuits. Tenants who believe they have experienced discriminatory housing practices can report concerns to the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission, which may refer matters to the Attorney General under this provision. Additionally, aggrieved individuals have the right to intervene directly in an Attorney General-initiated civil action under § 20-343, and courts may award them relief comparable to what is available in a private fair housing lawsuit under § 20-342; consulting a tenant-rights organization can help individuals understand these options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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