Section 52-118 - Public building construction; bond required for benefit of laborers, mechanics, and suppliers; exception(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, it shall be the duty of the State of Nebraska or any department or agency thereof, the county boards, the contracting board of all cities, villages, and school districts, all public boards empowered by law to enter into a contract for the erecting, furnishing, or repairing of any public building, bridge, highway, or other public structure or improvement, and any officer or officers so empowered by law to enter into such contract, to which the general provisions of the mechanics' lien laws do not apply and when the mechanics and laborers have no lien to secure the payment of their wages and suppliers who furnish material and who lease equipment for such work have no lien to secure payment therefor, to take from the person as defined in section 49-801 to whom the contract is awarded a payment bond or bonds in a sum not less than the contract price with a corporate surety company and agent selected by such person, conditioned for the payment of all laborers and mechanics for labor that is performed and for the payment for material and equipment rental which is actually used or rented in the erecting, furnishing, or repairing of the public structure or improvement or in performing the contract.(2) The labor and material payment bond or bonds referred to in subsection (1) of this section shall not be required for (a) any project bid or proposed by the State of Nebraska or any department or agency thereof which has a total cost of fifteen thousand dollars or less or (b) any project bid or proposed by any county board, contracting board of any city, village, or school district, public board, or officer referred to in subsection (1) of this section which has a total cost of ten thousand dollars or less unless the state, department, agency, board, or officer includes a bond requirement in the specifications for the project.(3) The bond or bonds referred to in subsection (1) of this section shall be to, filed with, approved by, and safely kept by the State of Nebraska, department or agency thereof, officer or officers, or board awarding the contract. No contract referred to in subsection (1) of this section shall be entered into by the State of Nebraska, department or agency thereof, officer or officers, or board referred to in subsection (1) of this section until the bond or bonds referred to in subsection (1) of this section has been so made, filed, and approved.(4) The bond or bonds referred to in subsection (1) of this section may be taken from the person to whom the contract is awarded by the owner and owner's representative jointly as determined by the owner. The corporate surety company referred to in subsection (1) of this section shall have a rating acceptable to the owner as the owner may require.Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 52-118
Laws 1889, c. 28, § 1, p. 375; Laws 1913, c. 170, § 1, p. 522; R.S.1913, § 3840; C.S.1922, § 3224; C.S.1929, § 52-118; R.S.1943, § 52-118; Laws 1953, c. 179, § 4, p. 567; Laws 1955, c. 199, § 1, p. 565; Laws 1961, c. 257, § 4, p. 754; Laws 1990, LB 257, § 1; Laws 2001, LB 420, § 32; Laws 2007, LB208, § 1.