Terms Used In Nebraska Statutes > Nebraska Political Accountability and Disclosure Act

• Acquire: when used in connection with a grant of power or property right to any person shall include the purchase, grant, gift, devise, bequest, and obtaining by eminent domain. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Action: shall include any proceeding in any court of this state. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Action shall: include any proceeding in any court of this state. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Administrative action: shall mean any decision on, or proposal, consideration, enactment, or defeat of any rule, regulation, or other official policy action or nonaction by any executive agency, or any policy matter which is within the official jurisdiction of an executive agency. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1404
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attorney: shall mean attorney at law. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Ballot question: shall mean any question which is submitted or which is intended to be submitted to a popular vote at an election, including, but not limited to, a question submitted or intended to be submitted by way of initiative, referendum, recall, or judicial retention, whether or not it qualifies for the ballot. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1405
• Ballot question committee: shall mean any committee acting in support of, or in opposition to, the qualification, passage, or defeat of a ballot question but which does not receive contributions or make expenditures or contributions for the purpose of influencing or attempting to influence the action of the voters for or against the nomination or election of a candidate. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1406
• Business: shall mean any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, sole proprietorship, firm, enterprise, franchise, association, organization, self-employed individual, holding company, joint-stock company, receivership, trust, activity, or entity. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1407
• Candidate: shall mean an individual: (a) Who files, or on behalf of whom is filed, a fee, affidavit, nomination papers, or nominating petition for an elective office. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1409
• Candidate committee: shall mean the committee designated in a candidate's filed statement of organization as that individual's candidate committee. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1410
• Candidate shall not: include any individual who is a candidate within the meaning of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, 2 U. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1409
• Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
• Closing date: shall mean the date through which a campaign statement is required to be complete. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1411
• Commission: shall mean the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission created by section Nebraska Statutes 49-1412
• Company: shall include any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint-stock company, joint venture, or association. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Company shall: include any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint-stock company, joint venture, or association. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Compensation: shall mean anything of monetary value received or to be received from a person, whether in the form of a fee, salary, forbearance, forgiveness, or any other form of recompense. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1414
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: shall mean the Department of Insurance. See Nebraska Statutes 44-103
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Director: shall mean the Director of Insurance. See Nebraska Statutes 44-103
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Domestic: when applied to corporations shall mean all those created by authority of this state. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Election: shall mean a primary, general, special, or other election held in this state or a convention or caucus of a political party held in this state to nominate a candidate. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1416
• Elective office: shall mean a public office filled by an election, except for federal offices. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1417
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Executive agency: shall mean a board, commission, agency, or other body in the executive branch of the state government. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1418
• Expenditure: shall mean a payment, donation, loan, pledge, or promise of payment of money or anything of ascertainable monetary value for goods, materials, services, or facilities in assistance of, or in opposition to, the nomination or election of a candidate or the qualification, passage, or defeat of a ballot question. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1419
• Expenditure shall: include a contribution or a transfer of anything of ascertainable monetary value for purposes of influencing the nomination or election of any candidate or the qualification, passage, or defeat of a ballot question. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1419
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Finance charge: The total cost of credit a customer must pay on a consumer loan, including interest. The Truth in Lending Act requires disclosure of the finance charge. ^{Source: OCC}
• Financial transaction: shall mean a loan, purchase, sale, or other type of transfer or exchange of money, goods, other property, or services for value. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1421
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Forbearance: A means of handling a delinquent loan. A
• Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Foreign: when applied to corporations shall include all those created by authority other than that of this state. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Fundraising event: shall mean an event such as a dinner, reception, testimonial, rally, auction, bingo, or similar affair through which contributions are solicited or received by such means as purchase of a ticket, payment of an attendance fee, donations or chances for prizes, or through purchase of goods or services. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1422
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Gift: shall mean a payment, subscription, advance, forbearance, rendering, or deposit of money, services, or anything of value, unless consideration of equal or greater value is given therefor. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1423
• Government body: shall mean an authority, department, commission, committee, council, board, bureau, division, office, legislative body, or other agency in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government or of one or more political subdivisions thereof or a school district, state college, state university, or other state-supported institution of higher education. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1424
• Grantee: shall include every person to whom any estate or interest passes in or by any conveyance. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Immediate family: shall mean a child residing in an individual's household, a spouse of an individual, or an individual claimed by that individual or that individual's spouse as a dependent for federal income tax purposes. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1425
• In which the individual: is a partner, limited liability company member, director, or officer. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1408
• In-kind contribution or expenditure: shall mean a contribution as defined in section Nebraska Statutes 49-1430
• Income: shall mean any money or thing of value received, or to be received as a claim on future services, whether in the form of a fee, salary, expense, allowance, forbearance, forgiveness, interest, dividend, royalty, rent, capital gain, or any other form of recompense then constituting income under the Internal Revenue Code. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1426
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Independent committee: shall mean a committee other than a candidate, ballot question, or political party committee. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1427
• Independent expenditure: shall mean an expenditure as defined in section Nebraska Statutes 49-1428
• Influencing: shall mean promoting, supporting, affecting, modifying, opposing, or delaying by any means, including the providing of or use of information, statistics, studies, or analyses. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1429
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Insurer: shall include all companies, exchanges, societies, or associations whether organized on the stock, mutual, assessment, or fraternal plan of insurance and reciprocal insurance exchanges. See Nebraska Statutes 44-103
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Irrevocable trust: A trust arrangement that cannot be revoked, rescinded, or repealed by the grantor.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Legislative action: shall mean introduction, sponsorship, support, opposition, consideration, debate, voting, passage, defeat, approval, veto, delay, or an official action by an official in the executive branch or an official in the legislative branch on a bill, resolution, amendment, nomination, appointment, report, or any matter pending or proposed in a committee or the Legislature. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1431
• Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Loan: shall mean a transfer of money, property, or anything of ascertainable monetary value in exchange for an obligation, conditional or not, to repay in whole or part. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1432
• Lobbying: shall mean the practice of promoting or opposing for another person, as defined in section Nebraska Statutes 49-1433
• Lobbyist: means a person who is authorized to lobby on behalf of a principal and includes an officer, agent, attorney, or employee of the principal whose regular duties include lobbying. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1434
• Lobbyist means a person who is authorized to lobby on behalf of a principal and: includes an officer, agent, attorney, or employee of the principal whose regular duties include lobbying. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1434
• Major out-of-state contributor: means a corporation, union, industry association, trade association, or professional association which is not organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska and which makes contributions or expenditures totaling more than ten thousand dollars in any calendar year in connection with one or more elections. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1433.01
• Month: shall mean calendar month. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• National Credit Union Administration: The federal regulatory agency that charters and supervises federal credit unions. (NCUA also administers the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, which insures the deposits of federal credit unions.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• Nonministerial: shall mean an action other than an action which a person performs in a prescribed manner under prescribed circumstances in obedience to the mandate of legal authority, without the exercise of personal judgment regarding whether to take the action. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1435
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Official in the executive branch: shall mean an official holding a state executive office as provided in Article IV, . See Nebraska Statutes 49-1436
• Official in the legislative branch: shall mean a member or member-elect of the Legislature, a member of an official body established by and responsible to the Legislature, or employee thereof other than an individual employed by the state in a clerical or nonpolicymaking capacity. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1437
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Permanent appropriation: Budget authority that becomes available as the result of previously enacted legislation (substantive legislation or prior appropriations act) and does not require current action by the legislature. Budget authority is considered to be "current" if provided in the current session of the legislature and "permanent" if provided in prior sessions.
• Person: shall mean a business, individual, proprietorship, firm, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, syndicate, business trust, labor organization, company, corporation, association, committee, or other organization or group of persons acting jointly. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1438
• Person: shall include bodies politic and corporate, societies, communities, the public generally, individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, joint-stock companies, and associations. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Person shall: include bodies politic and corporate, societies, communities, the public generally, individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, joint-stock companies, and associations. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Political merchandise: shall mean goods such as bumper stickers, pins, hats, beverages, literature, or other items sold by a person at a fundraiser or to the general public for publicity or for the purpose of raising funds to be used in supporting or opposing a candidate for nomination for or election to an elective office or in supporting or opposing the qualification, passage, or defeat of a ballot question. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1439
• Political party: shall mean a political party which has a right under law to have the names of its candidates listed on the ballot in a general election. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1440
• Political party committee: shall mean a state central, district, or county committee of a political party which is a committee. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1441
• Principal: means a person who authorizes a lobbyist to lobby in behalf of that principal. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1434
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Process: shall mean a summons, subpoena, or notice to appear issued out of a court in the course of judicial proceedings. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public employee: shall mean an employee of the state or a political subdivision thereof. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1442
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Public official: shall mean an official in the executive branch, an official in the legislative branch, or an elected or appointed official in the judicial branch of the state government or a political subdivision thereof. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1443
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Relative: shall mean any person related to another by blood or marriage to the third degree of consanguinity, including a foster parent, foster child, stepparent, stepchild, and adopted children and their adoptive parents. See Nebraska Statutes 49-1443.01
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• State: when applied to different states of the United States shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories organized by Congress. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Sworn: shall include affirmed in all cases in which an affirmation may be substituted for an oath. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. ^{Source: OCC}
• United States: shall include territories, outlying possessions, and the District of Columbia. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Usury: Charging an illegally high interest rate on a loan. ^{Source: OCC}
• Variable Rate: Having a "variable" rate means that the APR changes from time to time based on fluctuations in an external rate, normally the Prime Rate. This external rate is known as the "index." If the index changes, the variable rate normally changes. Also see Fixed Rate.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Veto: The procedure established under the Constitution by which the President/Governor refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President/Governor returns the legislation to the house in which it originated. The President/Governor usually returns a vetoed bill with a message indicating his reasons for rejecting the measure. In Congress, the veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.
• Violate: shall include failure to comply with. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Year: shall mean calendar year. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801