§ 69-1317 — Abandoned property; Unclaimed Property Trust Fund; record; professional finder's fee; information withheld; when; transfers; Unclaimed Property Cash Fund; created; use; investment

(a)(1)(i) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, all funds received under the Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act, including the proceeds from the sale of abandoned property under section 69-1316 , shall be deposited by the State Treasurer into the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund from which he or she shall make prompt payment of claims allowed pursuant to the act and payment of any expenses related to unclaimed property. All funds received under section 69-1307.05 shall be deposited by the State Treasurer into the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund from which he or she shall make prompt payment of claims regarding such funds allowed pursuant to the act. Transfers from the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund to the General Fund may be made at the direction of the Legislature. Before making the deposit he or she shall record the name and last-known address of each person appearing from the holders' reports to be entitled to the abandoned property, the name and last-known address of each insured person or annuitant, and with respect to each policy or contract listed in the report of a life insurance corporation, its number, the name of the corporation, and the amount due. The record shall be available for public inspection during business hours.
(ii) The record shall not be subject to public inspection or available for copying, reproduction, or scrutiny by commercial or professional locators of property presumed abandoned who charge any service. A finders' fee cannot be charged by commercial or professional locators of property presumed abandoned until twenty-four months after the names from the holders' reports have been published or officially disclosed. Records concerning the social security number, date of birth, and last-known address of an owner shall be treated as confidential and subject to the same confidentiality as tax return information held by the Department of Revenue, except that the Auditor of Public Accounts shall have unrestricted access to such records.
(iii) A professional finders' fee shall be limited to ten percent of the total dollar amount of the property presumed abandoned. To claim any such fee, the finder shall disclose to the owner the nature, location, and value of the property, provide notice of when such property was reported to the State Treasurer, and provide notice that the property may be claimed by the owner from the State Treasurer free of charge. To claim any such fee if the property has not yet been abandoned, the finder shall disclose to the owner the nature, location, and value of the property, provide notice of when such property will be reported to the State Treasurer, if known, and provide notice that, upon receipt of the property by the State Treasurer, such property may be claimed by the owner from the State Treasurer free of charge.
(2)(i) The unclaimed property records of the State Treasurer, the unclaimed property reports of holders, and the information derived by an unclaimed property examination or audit of the records of a person or otherwise obtained by or communicated to the State Treasurer may be withheld from the public. Any record or information that may be withheld under the laws of this state or of the United States when in the possession of such a person may be withheld when revealed or delivered to the State Treasurer. Any record or information that is withheld under any law of another state when in the possession of that other state may be withheld when revealed or delivered by the other state to the State Treasurer.
(ii) Information withheld from the general public concerning any aspect of unclaimed property shall only be disclosed to an apparent owner of the property or to the escheat, unclaimed, or abandoned property administrators or officials of another state if that other state accords substantially reciprocal privileges to the State Treasurer.
(b)(1) On or before November 1 of each year prior to 2026, the State Treasurer shall transfer any balance in excess of one million dollars from the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund to the permanent school fund.
(2) On or before November 1 of each year beginning in 2026 through 2035, the State Treasurer shall transfer any balance in excess of one million dollars from the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund as follows:
(i) The first one million dollars to the Capitol Restoration Cash Fund; and
(ii) Any remaining balance to the permanent school fund.
(3) On or before November 1 of each year beginning in 2036, the State Treasurer shall transfer any balance in excess of one million dollars from the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund to the permanent school fund.
(c) Before making any deposit to the credit of the permanent school fund, the Capitol Restoration Cash Fund, or the General Fund, the State Treasurer may deduct any costs related to unclaimed property and place such funds in the Unclaimed Property Cash Fund.
(d) The Unclaimed Property Cash Fund is created. Transfers from the fund to the General Fund may be made at the direction of the Legislature. Any money in the Unclaimed Property Cash Fund available for investment shall be invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act.

Legislative History

Source: Laws 1969, c. 611, § 17, p. 2488; Laws 1971, LB 648, § 2; Laws 1977, LB 305, § 7; Laws 1978, LB 754, § 1; Laws 1986, LB 212, § 2; Laws 1992, Third Spec. Sess., LB 26, § 17; Laws 1994, LB 1048, § 8; Laws 1994, LB 1049, § 1; Laws 1994, LB 1066, § 63; Laws 1995, LB 7, § 67; Laws 1997, LB 57, § 1; Laws 2003, LB 424, § 4; Laws 2009, LB432, § 1; Laws 2012, LB1026, § 1; Laws 2019, LB406, § 4; Laws 2021, LB532, § 5; Laws 2025, LB183, § 2; Laws 2025, LB264, § 149. Note: The Revisor of Statutes has pursuant to section 49-769 correlated LB183, section 2, with LB264, section 149, to reflect all amendments. Note: Changes made by LB183 became effective September 3, 2025. Changes made by LB264 became operative May 22, 2025. Cross References: Nebraska Capital Expansion Act, see section 72-1269. Nebraska State Funds Investment Act, see section 72-1260.