Revise the uniform unclaimed property act
HB 164 revises Montana's Unclaimed Property Act to clarify rules for businesses holding unclaimed funds or assets. It defines "payroll card" (referencing federal regulations), updates when property is considered abandoned, and allows holders to submit reports via email instead of traditional mail. The bill directly affects banks, employers, and other businesses that manage unclaimed property like unpaid wages or unused gift cards. Key changes streamline reporting for electronic transfers and ensure clearer definitions for property types like mineral proceeds. The law, now effective after Governor's signature, modernizes how unclaimed property is tracked and returned to owners.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
Signed into Law
Apr 2025
Introduced Jan 10, 2025
Signed Apr 7, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 9 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB0164_2(16).pdf
→
HB0164_X.pdf
·
4 edits
MODERATE
This bill revises Montana's unclaimed property laws by updating definitions and procedures for handling abandoned property. The main changes include adding a definition for 'payroll card' to clarify how electronic payment accounts are treated under unclaimed property rules, renumbering several existing definitions to accommodate the new term, and updating references to electronic mail delivery of property reports. These changes modernize the statute to address digital payment methods while maintaining the core framework for identifying and returning unclaimed property to rightful owners.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of covered property types by explicitly including payroll cards as unclaimed property, ensuring these electronic payment accounts are handled under the same unclaimed property rules as traditional financial instruments.
DEFINITION
Added a new definition for 'payroll card' to clarify that electronic payroll payment accounts are subject to unclaimed property laws
Renumbered existing definitions (13-14 became 13-14, 14-15 became 14-15, etc.) to accommodate the new payroll card definition
REQUIREMENT
Updated bill title and summary to reflect the addition of payroll card definition and electronic mail delivery provisions
TECHNICAL
Changed document version from 'HOUSE BILL' to 'ENROLLED BILL' indicating final passage
Floor votes · Senate Mar 26, 2025 · House Jan 29, 2025
How they voted
50–0
Passed
Total votes 50
Mar 26, 2025
D
Democratic18
100% Yea
R
Republican32
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
39
Key actions
9
Committee
6
Apr 7, 2025
Signed into law
(H) Signed by Governor
lower
Mar 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Signed by President
upper
Mar 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Signed by Speaker
lower
Mar 26, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (50-0)
senate
Mar 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Report - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs
upper
Mar 19, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs
upper
Feb 18, 2025
Committee
(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs
upper
Jan 29, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (100-0)
house
Jan 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Business and Labor
lower
Jan 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Business and Labor
lower
Jan 10, 2025
Committee
(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Business and Labor
lower
Jan 10, 2025
Introduced
(H) Introduced
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Ken Walsh
RRepublican
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about HB 164
Scope: MT
Hi! I can help you understand HB 164. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline