48-638. Appeal to district court; procedure.

(1) Any party to the proceedings before a hearing officer may appeal the hearing officer's decision by filing a petition (a) in the district court of the county in which the individual claiming benefits claims to have been last employed or in which such claimant resides, (b) in any district court of this state upon which the parties may agree, or (c) if neither subdivision (1)(a) or (b) of this section applies, then in the district court of Lancaster County.

(2) If the commissioner is not the petitioning party, he or she shall be a party defendant in every appeal. Such appeal shall otherwise be governed by the Administrative Procedure Act.

(3) An appeal may be taken from the decision of the district court to the Court of Appeals in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

(4) No bond shall be required as a condition of initiating a proceeding for judicial review or entering an appeal from the decision of the court upon such review. Costs which would be otherwise taxed to a claimant shall be taxed in such courts to the commissioner regardless of the result of the action unless justice and equity otherwise require. Notwithstanding any general statute to the contrary, no filing fee shall be charged by a hearing officer or by the clerk of any court for any service required by sections 48-634 to 48-638.

(5) In any proceeding for judicial review pursuant to this section, the commissioner may be represented by any qualified attorney employed and designated by the commissioner for that purpose or, at the commissioner's request, by the Attorney General.

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Annotations

In an appeal to the district court under this section by the Commissioner of Labor the filing of the transcript required by the statute is not jurisdictional. The transcript filing requirement in this section is distinguishable from that in an error proceeding because it applies only to the commissioner, review in the district court is de novo, and the statute permits the introduction of additional evidence in the review proceeding. Sorensen v. Bernhardt, 223 Neb. 395, 389 N.W.2d 583 (1986).

The Employment Security Law provides one avenue of judicial appeal when the dispute concerns benefit liability and another when the dispute concerns contribution liability. Northern Messenger v. Sorensen, 218 Neb. 846, 359 N.W.2d 787 (1984).

Appeal from decision of appeal tribunal is provided. A. Borchman Sons v. Carpenter, 166 Neb. 322, 89 N.W.2d 123 (1958).

The Commissioner of Labor is an interested party in any action under the provisions of the Unemployment Compensation Act, and may appeal when he feels himself aggrieved. Woodmen of the World Life Ins. Soc. v. Olsen, 141 Neb. 12, 2 N.W.2d 353 (1942).

An employee who has established rights to benefits under the Unemployment Compensation Act is a necessary party for a review of the decision on appeal. Brown v. Haith, 140 Neb. 717, 1 N.W.2d 825 (1942).