NE LB961

Creates a new "Certificate of Qualification for Employment" that individuals with criminal convictions can petition for to lift automatic bars from collateral sanctions affecting employment, occupational licenses, and government certifications

Establishes eligibility waiting periods based on offense type: 3 years for felonies or 2 years for misdemeanors after sentence completion, with shorter 6-month periods for those who also receive a conviction set-aside

Provides employer liability protections, including immunity from negligent hiring claims when employers knowingly hire certificate holders

Creates a rebuttable presumption favoring certificate approval for non-serious felonies (excluding Class I, IA, IB, IC, ID, or II felonies) when applicants meet offense-free periods of 5 years for felonies or 3 years for misdemeanors

Amends existing conviction set-aside law (section 29-2264) to add a similar rebuttable presumption for granting set-asides and expands factors courts must consider, including rehabilitation efforts, employment history, and age at time of offense