SB 296 Montana Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Enhance penalty for crime against vulnerable person

SB 296, known as "Alan's Law," establishes an enhanced penalty for individuals who commit offenses against vulnerable persons while employed or volunteering in a caregiving facility. If found guilty of a misdemeanor or felony offense, offenders face an additional prison sentence of 1 to 10 years. This additional sentence runs consecutively to the original punishment and generally cannot be deferred or suspended. The bill defines "caregiving facilities" broadly to include various health, youth, and educational settings, and "vulnerable persons" as children, vulnerable adults, or incapacitated individuals.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Feb 11, 2025 Signed May 13, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 6 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB0296_X(2).pdf SB0296_X(3).pdf · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill text was updated to correct a grammatical error by removing the redundant word 'a' before 'misdemeanor offense'. Additionally, the definition of 'caregiving facility' was expanded to include community group homes for disabled persons that do not provide skilled nursing care, broadening the scope of facilities subject to these enhanced penalties. The list of protected vulnerable populations was shortened by removing references to incapacitated persons.
Scope change
The scope of the bill was expanded to include community group homes for developmentally, mentally, or severely disabled persons (excluding those providing skilled nursing) as facilities where additional sentencing applies.
TECHNICAL

Corrected a grammatical error in Section 2 by changing 'misdemeanor offense under' to 'a misdemeanor offense under' for clarity.

SCOPE

Added 'community group home for developmentally disabled, mentally disabled, or severely disabled persons that does not provide skilled or intermediate nursing care' to the definition of 'caregiving facility', extending the bill's reach to these specific living arrangements.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed 'an incapacitated person as provided in 72-5-101' from the list of vulnerable persons protected under this specific additional sentencing provision, narrowing the definition of eligible victims for this penalty.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 14, 2025 · House Apr 10, 2025

How they voted

426
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 50
Apr 14, 2025
D Democratic18
17 Yea 1
94% Yea
R Republican32
25 Yea 6 Nay 1
78% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
53
Key actions
11
Committee
9
Amendments
1
May 9, 2025
Signed into law
(S) Signed by Governor
upper
May 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Signed by Speaker
lower
Apr 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Signed by President
upper
Apr 14, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (42-6-2)
senate
Apr 10, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (98-0-2)
house
Apr 10, 2025
Introduced
(H) Returned to Senate with Amendments
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Appropriations
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Appropriations
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Committee
(H) Rereferred to Committee - (H) Appropriations
lower
Mar 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Human Services
lower
Mar 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Human Services
lower
Mar 3, 2025
Committee
(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Human Services
lower
Feb 24, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Report - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
upper
Feb 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Committee
(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
upper
Feb 11, 2025
Introduced
(S) Introduced
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Mike Yakawich
Mike Yakawich
RRepublican
MT
24