An approved center may use sources of funds, both public and private, in addition to funds appropriated by the Legislature. An approved center may require each party to pay a fee to help defray costs based upon ability to pay. A person shall not be denied services solely because of an inability to pay the fee.
§ 25-2910.Approved center; funding; fees.
Article 29: Dispute Resolution Act and Uniform Mediation Act · Last amended 1991 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceSection 25-2910 lets an approved center draw on public and private funding beyond its legislative appropriation, charge parties a fee scaled to their ability to pay, and bars the center from turning anyone away solely because they cannot afford that fee.
Full Text of § 25-2910
Source
Laws 1991, LB 90, § 10.
Plain-English Summary
Section 25-2910 addresses money at the level of the individual center rather than the statewide grant program covered in section 25-2909. An approved center is not limited to whatever the Legislature appropriates; it can seek out public and private funding on its own.
Centers can also charge parties a fee to help cover costs, but that fee has to reflect the party’s ability to pay rather than a flat rate. And the statute draws a hard line here: a center cannot deny services to someone solely because that person cannot afford the fee. Ability to pay can shape what a party owes, but it cannot become a gatekeeper that shuts a person out of mediation or restorative justice altogether.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an approved center raise money from private sources?
Yes, in addition to any funds appropriated by the Legislature.
Can a center charge a flat fee to every party?
The fee has to be based upon ability to pay rather than a uniform flat charge.
Can someone be turned away from mediation for being unable to pay?
No. The statute states a person shall not be denied services solely because of an inability to pay the fee.
Does this section set the exact amount a center can charge?
No. It requires an ability-to-pay approach; section 25-2908 has the director develop guidelines for the sliding scale centers use.
Who develops the sliding-scale fee guidelines centers use?
The director, as one of the duties listed in section 25-2908.
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
Also known as: mediation center fees Nebraskasliding scale fee dispute resolutioncannot deny mediation for inability to payapproved center funding sourcessection 25-2910 fees