Article 29: Dispute Resolution Act and Uniform Mediation Act · Last amended 2019 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceSection 25-2903 defines the ten terms — approved center, center, council, director, dispute resolution process, mediation, mediator, office, restorative justice facilitator, and restorative justice — that give precise meaning to every other section of the Dispute Resolution Act.
Full Text of § 25-2903
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For purposes of the Dispute Resolution Act:
(1) Approved center means a center that has applied for and received approval from the director under section 25-2909;
(2) Center means a nonprofit organization or a court-established program which makes dispute resolution procedures and restorative justice services available;
(3) Council means the Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution;
(4) Director means the Director of the Office of Dispute Resolution;
(5) Dispute resolution process means a process by which the parties involved in a dispute voluntarily agree to enter into informal discussion and negotiation with the assistance of a mediator;
(6) Mediation means the intervention into a dispute by a third party who has no decisionmaking authority and is impartial to the issues being discussed;
(7) Mediator means a person trained in the process of mediation who assists parties in dispute to reach a mutually acceptable resolution of their conflict;
(8) Office means the Office of Dispute Resolution; (9) Restorative justice facilitator means a person trained to facilitate restorative justice practices as a staff member or affiliate of an approved center; and
(10) Restorative justice means practices, programs, or services described in section 25-2912.01 that emphasize repairing the harm caused to victims and the community by persons who have caused the harm or committed an offense.
Source
Laws 1991, LB 90, § 3; Laws 2019, LB595, § 3.
Plain-English Summary
Section 25-2903 is the glossary for the Dispute Resolution Act. Ten terms get fixed definitions here, and every later section relies on this one instead of re-explaining what it means each time it uses a word like “center” or “mediator.”
Some definitions describe the institutions that run the act. The office is the Office of Dispute Resolution; the director runs it; the council is the Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution that advises the director. A center is any nonprofit or court-established program offering dispute resolution or restorative justice services, and an approved center is one the director has formally approved under section 25-2909.
Other definitions describe the people and processes involved. A mediator is trained in mediation and has no authority to decide the outcome; a restorative justice facilitator is trained to run restorative justice practices as staff or an affiliate of an approved center. A dispute resolution process is the voluntary, informal negotiation a mediator helps parties conduct. And restorative justice, defined here by cross-reference to section 25-2912.01, covers the practices and programs built around repairing the harm a victim suffered rather than negotiating a settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “approved center” mean under the act?
A center that has applied for and received approval from the director under section 25-2909.
What is the difference between a “center” and an “approved center”?
A “center” is any nonprofit organization or court-established program that makes dispute resolution or restorative justice services available. An “approved center” is a center the director has specifically approved to operate under the act.
How does the act define “mediator”?
A person trained in mediation who helps parties in a dispute reach a mutually acceptable resolution, with no authority to decide the outcome and no stake in the issues being discussed.
What is a “restorative justice facilitator”?
A person trained to facilitate restorative justice practices as a staff member or affiliate of an approved center.
Does “restorative justice” have its own separate definition section?
Yes. Section 25-2903 defines it by pointing to section 25-2912.01, which describes the specific practices, programs, and services that qualify.
Who is the “director,” and what does the term “office” mean?
The “office” is the Office of Dispute Resolution, and the “director” is the Director of the Office of Dispute Resolution who leads it.
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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