HB 471 Montana House · 2025 Regular Session

Revise education laws related to human sexuality and identity instruction

HB 471 revises education laws concerning human sexuality and identity instruction in public schools, impacting students, parents, and school districts. The bill requires written parental or guardian permission for a child to attend "identity instruction" and allows parents to withdraw their child from "human sexuality instruction" as an excused absence. It mandates that schools provide advance notice to parents about these instructions and make all related curriculum materials publicly available for inspection. Additionally, the bill prohibits entities that provide abortion services from offering or furnishing materials for human sexuality or sexually transmitted disease instruction to students or personnel.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Feb 12, 2025 Signed May 5, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 6 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB0471_X(5).pdf HB0471_X(6).pdf · 2 edits
MINOR
The bill title was updated to require trustees to report violations, and the definition of 'instruction' was expanded to include the provision of materials. This change broadens the scope of the law to cover not just spoken teaching but also the distribution of educational resources, ensuring that any materials used to discuss human sexuality or related topics are subject to the bill's regulations.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded to include the distribution of materials as a form of instruction, requiring these materials to be treated under the same rules as direct teaching activities.
DEFINITION

The definition of 'instruction' was changed to explicitly include the provision of materials, broadening what counts as instructional activity under the bill.

REQUIREMENT

The bill title was revised to clarify that trustees must report violations to the Board of Public Education.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 10, 2025 · House Mar 6, 2025

How they voted

2820
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 50
Apr 10, 2025
D Democratic18
18 Nay
100% Nay
R Republican32
28 Yea 2 Nay 2
87% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
39
Key actions
9
Committee
7
May 1, 2025
Signed into law
(H) Signed by Governor
lower
Apr 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Signed by President
upper
Apr 18, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Signed by Speaker
lower
Apr 10, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (28-20-2)
senate
Apr 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Report - (S) Education and Cultural Resources
upper
Apr 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Education and Cultural Resources
upper
Mar 20, 2025
Committee
(S) Rereferred to Committee - (S) Education and Cultural Resources
upper
Mar 14, 2025
Committee
(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Judiciary
upper
Mar 6, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (56-42-2)
house
Feb 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Judiciary
lower
Feb 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Judiciary
lower
Feb 13, 2025
Committee
(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Judiciary
lower
Feb 12, 2025
Introduced
(H) Introduced
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Jedediah Hinkle
Jedediah Hinkle
RRepublican
MT
67