Revise incumbent vacancy in office laws

HB 856 would change Montana law to define when a state or local office becomes vacant due to an incumbent's absence. Specifically, it extends the period an officeholder must be absent without permission before the office is considered vacant - from 3 months to 34 consecutive months (as written in the bill text). This affects state legislators, county officials, and other elected or appointed officeholders who miss duties. The bill also includes a $100 appropriation for legislative services to monitor vacancies and applies retroactively to vacancies starting January 1, 2025. (Note: The bill failed its third reading and died in process on May 22, 2025.)