Nebraska father Curt Safranek sued the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services on October 19, 2026, after the agency estimated his public records request would cost nearly $1 million and take 50 years to complete. Safranek sought communications with contractor Alvarez & Marsal regarding the InterRAI assessment tool after it cut Medicaid funding for his autistic son. The lawsuit alleges violations of state records laws.
Public records lawsuit against state agency
- ▪On October 19, 2026, Curt Safranek sued the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and records custodian Thomas Skutt, alleging violations of the Nebraska Public Records Act.
- ▪Curt Safranek's lawsuit asks a judge to order the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to provide an accurate estimate or release the requested public records immediately.
Cost estimates for records requests
- ▪The initial records request cost estimate by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services included $644,360 for an attorney search, $271,655 for a paralegal review, and $60,247 for document migration.
- ▪When Curt Safranek narrowed his request to emails from January 1 to September 29, 2026, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services revised the estimate to $474,383, a 25-year wait, and a $47,438 deposit.
- ▪The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services estimated it would cost $976,262 and take until September 29, 2076, to produce public records requested by Curt Safranek, requiring a $97,626 deposit.
Motivation for records request
- ▪Curt Safranek, co-founder of Disability Alliance of Nebraska, requested emails between Nebraska state health officials and contractor Alvarez & Marsal after the state's InterRAI tool cut Medicaid funding for his son.
- ▪Curt Safranek's 24-year-old son, Will Safranek, has an intellectual disability and autism and had his Medicaid funding reduced by Nebraska's InterRAI assessment tool.
- ▪Contractor Alvarez & Marsal was hired by Nebraska state health officials to review the rollout of the controversial InterRAI disability assessment tool.
Nebraska public records fee disputes
- ▪Curt Safranek's public records lawsuit follows years of disputes over public records fees in Nebraska.
- ▪In 2024, Nebraska lawmakers passed a law prohibiting state agencies from charging special service fees for attorney and non-attorney review of public records information eligible for withholding.
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