Require employers to use e-verify for employment eligibility
SB 329 requires Montana employers with more than 50 employees to use the federal e-Verify system to confirm new hires' work authorization within three business days of hiring. It mandates employers to register for e-Verify, submit employee data for verification, and maintain records for three years or the duration of employment. Employers who fail to verify or employ unauthorized workers face fines up to $5,000 per violation, enforced by the Attorney General through investigations and potential license suspension. The bill exempts employers who hired staff before October 1, 2025, and those already complying with federal verification laws, while prohibiting local governments from blocking enforcement.
Bill status
died
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
House Failed
Apr 2025
Governor
Introduced Feb 14, 2025
Last action May 23, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons
What changed between versions
SB0329_3(3).pdf
→
SB0329_3(4).pdf
·
1 edit
MINOR
The amendment reformat the text of the bill by removing unnecessary line breaks and extra indentation, making the sentence structure more standard and readable. This change does not alter the legal meaning or policy of the bill.
TECHNICAL
Removed extra line breaks and indentation to standardize the formatting of the sentence regarding the attorney general's investigation restrictions.
Floor votes · Senate Mar 4, 2025 · House Apr 10, 2025
How they voted
43–7
Passed
Total votes 50
Mar 4, 2025
D
Democratic18
66% Yea
R
Republican32
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
44
Key actions
5
Committee
6
Apr 10, 2025
Vote failed
House Vote: fail (49-50-1)
house
Apr 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Judiciary
lower
Apr 3, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Judiciary
lower
Mar 5, 2025
Committee
(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Judiciary
lower
Mar 4, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (43-7)
senate
Feb 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Report - (S) Judiciary
upper
Feb 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Judiciary
upper
Feb 15, 2025
Committee
(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Judiciary
upper
Feb 14, 2025
Introduced
(S) Introduced
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Forrest Mandeville
RRepublican
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