81-1801.02. Community Trust; authorized; powers and duties; board of directors; create separate funds; distribution committee.

(1) A nonprofit organization, to be known as the Community Trust, may be created. After a tragedy, the Community Trust shall accept contributions from the public, manage such funds, and make distributions to help individuals, families, and communities in Nebraska that have suffered from a tragedy of violence or natural disaster. The committee shall oversee the Community Trust. The committee shall require at least annual reports from the Community Trust.

(2) The Community Trust shall be a qualified organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code thereby enabling contributions to the Community Trust to be tax deductible for the donor if the donor itemizes deductions for income tax purposes and distributions to be tax-free to the extent allowed under applicable sections of the Internal Revenue Code.

(3) The Community Trust shall be governed by a board of directors. A director may be represented by the Attorney General in the same manner as a state officer or employee under sections 81-8,239.05 and 81-8,239.06 in any civil action that arises as a result of any alleged act or omission occurring in the course and scope of the director's duties. A director shall also be indemnified for liability in the same manner as a state officer or employee under section 81-8,239.05.

(4) The Community Trust shall create a separate fund for each tragedy and shall begin accepting contributions immediately after a tragedy. The Community Trust shall report the distributions made for each tragedy to the committee, and the Community Trust shall acknowledge all contributions as soon as reasonably possible after receipt.

(5) The Community Trust may use up to ten percent of the contributions received for administrative costs of the Community Trust.

(6) The board of directors of the Community Trust shall establish procedures for receiving contributions and making distributions from the Community Trust. The board of directors shall establish a distribution committee for the tragedy within one week after the tragedy, establish eligible recipient criteria and eligible uses of the fund, and complete all distributions as soon as reasonably possible after the tragedy.

(7) In the event that the Community Trust receives contributions for a tragedy and the volume and size of claims, along with the amount of contributions, make it impractical for the Community Trust to follow its normal procedures for the distribution of the funds, the board of directors, at its sole discretion, may elect to forward such funds, in their entirety, to another nonprofit organization that is also serving individuals who are affected by the tragedy. In such case, the Community Trust shall designate such contributions to be for the specific individuals who are affected by the tragedy.

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