(1) Any person who intentionally fails, refuses, or neglects to provide proper support which he or she knows or reasonably should know he or she is legally obliged to provide to a spouse, minor child, minor stepchild, or other dependent commits criminal nonsupport.

Attorney's Note

Under the Nebraska Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class IV felonyup to 2 yearsup to $10,000
Class II misdemeanorup to 6 monthsup to $1,000
For details, see Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105 and Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-106
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Terms Used In Nebraska Statutes 28-706

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • 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.
  • 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

(2) A parent or guardian who refuses to pay hospital costs, medical costs, or any other costs arising out of or in connection with an abortion procedure performed on a minor child or minor stepchild does not commit criminal nonsupport if:

(a) Such parent or guardian was not consulted prior to the abortion procedure; or

(b) After consultation, such parent or guardian refused to grant consent for such procedure, and the abortion procedure was not necessary to preserve the minor child or stepchild from an imminent peril that substantially endangered her life or health.

(3) Support includes, but is not limited to, food, clothing, medical care, and shelter.

(4) A designation of assets for or use of income by an individual in accordance with section 68-922 shall be considered just cause for failure to use such assets or income to provide medical support of such individual’s spouse.

(5) This section does not exclude any applicable civil remedy.

(6) Except as provided in subsection (7) of this section, criminal nonsupport is a Class II misdemeanor.

(7) Criminal nonsupport is a Class IV felony if it is in violation of any order of any court.