Article 29: Dispute Resolution Act and Uniform Mediation Act · Last amended 2019 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceSection 25-2902 lays out the Legislature’s eleven findings behind the Dispute Resolution Act, explaining why mediation and restorative justice save courts time and money while giving disputing parties, victims, and offenders a less adversarial path to resolution.
Full Text of § 25-2902
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The Legislature finds that:
(1) The resolution of certain disputes and offenses can be costly and time consuming in the context of a formal judicial proceeding;
(2) Employing restorative justice and mediation to address disputes can provide an avenue for efficiently reducing the volume of matters which burden the court system in this state;
(3) Restorative justice practices and programs can meet the needs of Nebraska's residents by providing forums in which persons may participate in voluntary or court-ordered resolution of juvenile and adult offenses in an informal and less adversarial atmosphere;
(4) Employing restorative justice can provide an avenue for repair, healing, accountability, and community safety to address the harm experienced by victims as a result of an offense committed by youth or adult individuals;
(5) Restorative justice practices and programs are grounded in a wide body of research and evidence showing individuals who participate in restorative justice practices and programs are less likely to reoffend;
(6) Unresolved disputes of those who do not have the resources for formal resolution may be of small social or economic magnitude individually but are collectively of enormous social and economic consequences;
(7) Many seemingly minor conflicts between individuals may escalate into major social problems unless resolved early in an atmosphere in which the persons involved can discuss the dispute or offense through a private and informal yet structured process;
(8) There is a need in our society to reduce acrimony and improve relationships between people in conflict which has a long-term benefit of a more peaceful community of people;
(9) There is a compelling need in a complex society for dispute resolution and restorative justice whereby people can participate in creating comprehensive, lasting, and realistic resolutions to conflicts and offenses;
(10) Mediation can increase the public's access to dispute resolution and thereby increase public regard and usage of the legal system; and
(11) Office-approved nonprofit dispute resolution centers can make a substantial contribution to the operation and maintenance of the courts of this state
by preserving the court's scarce resources for those disputes and offenses which cannot be resolved by means other than litigation.
Source
Laws 1991, LB 90, § 2; Laws 2019, LB595, § 2.
Plain-English Summary
Section 25-2902 is the Legislature’s statement of purpose, not a rule that creates duties. It records eleven findings behind the Dispute Resolution Act, and reading them together shows what problem the act tries to solve: formal court proceedings cost money and take time, and many disputes — consumer complaints, neighbor conflicts, juvenile misconduct — do not need a judge to reach a fair resolution.
The findings draw a line between two related but distinct tools. Mediation gives parties a private, informal forum to negotiate their own settlement with a neutral third party. Restorative justice does something more specific: it brings a victim and the person who caused harm together so the victim can describe the impact, the responsible person can take ownership of it, and both can agree on how to repair the damage. The Legislature ties both tools to the same benefits — fewer cases burdening the courts, less acrimony between people in conflict, and research showing that participants in restorative justice programs are less likely to reoffend.
None of this section imposes a requirement on any person or agency. Its value is interpretive: when a later section of the act leaves room for judgment, these findings show what the Legislature was trying to accomplish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does § 25-2902 require anyone to do anything?
No. It is a statement of legislative findings and purpose, not an operative rule imposing duties on any person or agency.
What problems is the Dispute Resolution Act meant to solve?
The findings point to the cost and delay of formal litigation, the burden unresolved disputes place on courts, and the risk that minor conflicts escalate into larger social problems without an early, informal way to address them.
How do the findings distinguish mediation from restorative justice?
Mediation is described as a private, informal way for parties to negotiate their own resolution with a neutral third party. Restorative justice is described as a way to repair harm from an offense by involving the victim and the person responsible in a structured, less adversarial process.
Does the Legislature cite evidence for restorative justice reducing reoffending?
Yes. Finding (5) states that restorative justice practices and programs are grounded in research showing that participants are less likely to reoffend.
Who benefits from dispute resolution and restorative justice under these findings?
The findings point to several groups: people who lack the resources for formal litigation, victims seeking repair rather than a verdict, and courts that gain capacity to focus on disputes only litigation can resolve.
Can these findings be used to interpret a later section of the act?
Yes. Because they state legislative purpose, they can inform how a court or agency reads a later provision of the Dispute Resolution Act when its meaning is unclear.
Source & verification. Section text and the amendment-history citation are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Legislature, Revisor of Statutes, enacted by the
Nebraska Legislature. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
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