11-121 Bond or insurance; persons entrusted with public funds; penal sum; approval.
11-121. Bond or insurance; persons entrusted with public funds; penal sum; approval.Any officer or person who is entrusted with funds belonging to the State of Nebraska or any county thereof, which may come into his or her possession by any appropriation or otherwise, shall be responsible for the same upon his or her bond or equivalent commercial insurance policy. When any officer or person is entrusted with any such fund and there is no provision of law requiring him or her to give a bond or equivalent commercial insurance policy in a certain specified sum, he or she shall give bond or equivalent commercial insurance policy in double the amount of the sum so entrusted to him or her, which in the case of state funds shall be approved by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and deposited in the office of the Secretary of State. In the case of county funds, such bonds or equivalent commercial insurance policy shall be approved by the county board and deposited in the county clerk's office. No warrant shall be issued or money paid over to such officer or person until the bond is filed as provided in this section. This section shall not be construed to require any additional bond or insurance to be furnished by state officers or employees bonded or insured as specified in section 11-201. SourceLaws 1881, c. 13, § 21, p. 100; Laws 1905, c. 11, § 2, p. 64; R.S.1913, § 5727; C.S.1922, § 5057; C.S.1929, § 12-121; R.S.1943, § 11-121; Laws 1978, LB 653, § 7; Laws 2004, LB 884, § 9.AnnotationsElected county officials are required to give individual official bonds. Blanket bond is not sufficient. Foote v. County of Adams, 163 Neb. 406, 80 N.W.2d 179 (1956).It is the duty of board to effect a settlement with county treasurer and approve his bond, if on a settlement, all funds in his hands are accounted for. State ex rel. Clark v. Vinnedge, 79 Neb. 270, 112 N.W. 858 (1907).Bonds given by state or county officers are official bonds, and statutory provisions relative thereto enter into and become part of contract. United States F. & G. Co. v. McLaughlin, 76 Neb. 307, 107 N.W. 577 (1906), affirmed on rehearing 76 Neb. 310, 109 N.W. 390 (1906).Purpose of Legislature was to make the county treasurer an insurer. Thomssen v. Hall County, 63 Neb. 777, 89 N.W. 389, 57 L.R.A. 303 (1902).Sureties, executing county treasurer's bond with this section in view as forming part of their contract, are not released by board requiring and taking additional sureties. Holt County v. Scott, 53 Neb. 176, 73 N.W. 681 (1897).Treasurer is insurer of all money officially coming into his hands; bondsmen are liable for all money lost. Bush v. Johnson County, 48 Neb. 1, 66 N.W. 1023 (1896).This section does not impliedly prohibit the deposit for safekeeping of funds received by officer. State v. Hill, 47 Neb. 456, 66 N.W. 541 (1896).