43-1227. Terms, defined.

In the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act:

(1) Abandoned means left without provision for reasonable and necessary care or supervision.

(2) Child means an individual who has not attained eighteen years of age.

(3) Child custody determination means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for the legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child. The term includes a permanent, temporary, initial, and modification order. The term does not include an order relating to child support or other monetary obligation of an individual.

(4) Child custody proceeding means a proceeding in which legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child is an issue. The term includes a proceeding for divorce, separation, neglect, abuse, dependency, guardianship, paternity, termination of parental rights, and protection from domestic violence, in which the issue may appear. The term does not include a proceeding involving juvenile delinquency, contractual emancipation, or enforcement under sections 43-1248 to 43-1264.

(5) Commencement means the filing of the first pleading in a proceeding.

(6) Court means an entity authorized under the law of a state to establish, enforce, or modify a child custody determination.

(7) Home state means the state in which a child lived with a parent or a person acting as a parent for at least six consecutive months immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding. In the case of a child less than six months of age, the term means the state in which the child lived from birth with any of the persons mentioned. A period of temporary absence of any of the mentioned persons is part of the period.

(8) Initial determination means the first child custody determination concerning a particular child.

(9) Issuing court means the court that makes a child custody determination for which enforcement is sought under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act.

(10) Issuing state means the state in which a child custody determination is made.

(11) Modification means a child custody determination that changes, replaces, supersedes, or is otherwise made after a previous determination concerning the same child, whether or not it is made by the court that made the previous determination.

(12) Person means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government; governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality; public corporation; or any other legal or commercial entity.

(13) Person acting as a parent means a person, other than a parent, who:

(A) has physical custody of the child or has had physical custody for a period of six consecutive months, including any temporary absence, within one year immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding; and

(B) has been awarded legal custody by a court or claims a right to legal custody under the law of this state.

(14) Physical custody means the physical care and supervision of a child.

(15) State means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

(16) Tribe means an Indian tribe or band, or Alaskan Native village, which is recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state.

(17) Warrant means an order issued by a court authorizing law enforcement officers to take physical custody of a child.

Source

Annotations

Regardless of where a child was born, if the child and his or her parents have been living in another state for the 6 months immediately preceding the commencement of a custody proceeding, then the state in which the child was born is not the child's home state. Carter v. Carter, 276 Neb. 840, 758 N.W.2d 1 (2008).

The clause contained in subsection (7) of this section was meant to provide a home state for a child when a custody proceeding is commenced at a time when the child has not lived in a state for the requisite 6-month period—because the child has not been alive for that period of time. It is not meant to say that a child's state of birth is that child's home state. Carter v. Carter, 276 Neb. 840, 758 N.W.2d 1 (2008).

The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act does not specifically address the meaning of "temporary absence" as used in this section. But it is clear that time spent living in another state or country due to a permanent military duty assignment is not considered a "temporary absence" simply because it was motivated by such assignment. Carter v. Carter, 276 Neb. 840, 758 N.W.2d 1 (2008).

A child custody proceeding for purposes of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act is a proceeding in which legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child is an issue. Watson v. Watson, 272 Neb. 647, 724 N.W.2d 24 (2006).

A juvenile case brought under section 43-247(3)(a) fits the definition of a "child custody proceeding" under subsection (4) of this section of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. In re Interest of Maxwell T., 15 Neb. App. 47, 721 N.W.2d 676 (2006).

For purposes of the Nebraska Child Custody Jurisdiction Act, "home state" is defined as the state in which the child immediately preceding the time involved lived with his or her parents, a parent, or a person acting as parent, for at least 6 consecutive months. Periods of temporary absence of any of the named persons shall be counted as part of the 6-month or other period. Lamb v. Lamb, 14 Neb. App. 337, 707 N.W.2d 423 (2005).

A person whose only claim to the custody of a child is that he or she had possession of the child for a short period of time in the recent past does not have a colorable right to the custody of the child and is not a person acting as a parent. Garcia v. Rubio, 12 Neb. App. 228, 670 N.W.2d 475 (2003).