Montana Congressional Bills

passed · Montana · Senate Mar 26, 2025

SRES 142: A resolution recognizing the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States.

SRES 142 is a Senate resolution recognizing the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women. It highlights specific achievements, including over 4,400 women serving in the military as of 2025, more than 11,600 women owning businesses as of 2024, and historical roles in fields like science, medicine, and cultural preservation. As a symbolic resolution, it does not create new laws or allocate funds but publicly honors these women’s contributions to communities, tribal sovereignty, and U.S. history without mandating policy changes.

Lisa Murkowski (R) · 33 co-sponsors

in committee · Montana · Senate Mar 26, 2025

S 1147: Defining Male and Female Act of 2025

This bill defines biological sex for federal law by amending Title 1 of the U.S. Code. It specifies that "female" means a person biologically characterized by egg-producing systems at conception, "male" means sperm-producing systems at conception, and "gender identity" is not recognized as replacing biological sex in federal contexts. The law directly affects all federal agencies, departments, and laws requiring interpretation of terms like "sex," "female," or "male" by mandating these biological definitions. It does not create new programs or funding but changes how federal agencies must interpret existing laws and regulations.

Topics ✗ Education ✗ Healthcare

in committee · Montana · Senate Mar 26, 2025

S 1151: Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act

Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act This bill expands the E-Verify program by requiring all employers to use it and permanently reauthorizes the program. Currently, E-Verify use is voluntary for most employers, although some states mandate its use. All employers must use E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all recruited, referred, or hired individuals, including current employees who were never verified under the program. Failure to use E-Verify shall create a rebuttable presumption that the employer is violating immigration law. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services must generate weekly reports about individuals who have received a final nonconfirmation of employment eligibility. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must use the report to enforce immigration laws. The bill increases civil and criminal penalties for hiring non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) who are not authorized to work. DHS must bar repeat offenders and those criminally convicted from holding federal contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements. The Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, and DHS must jointly establish a program to share information to help identify non-U.S. nationals who are not authorized to work. The bill establishes the Employer Compliance Inspection Center within Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The center's duties include processing I-9 employment eligibility verification forms and ensuring compliance with employment eligibility laws. DHS must report to Congress on ways to simplify procedures relating to I-9 forms and on whether the I-9 process should be eliminated.

Topics ✗ Immigration

in committee · Montana · Senate Mar 26, 2025

S 1159: GAZA Act

S 1159, the GAZA Act, prohibits entry to the United States for individuals holding passports issued by the Palestinian Authority. The bill makes such individuals inadmissible, ineligible for visas or parole, and barred from receiving immigration benefits under U.S. law. It directly affects Palestinian Authority passport holders seeking to enter or reside in the U.S. The key provision is a blanket visa and admission ban based solely on passport issuance by the Palestinian Authority. This policy change alters immigration eligibility without requiring individual case reviews.

Topics ✗ Immigration

in committee · Montana · Senate Mar 25, 2025

S 1099: Nationwide Injunction Abuse Prevention Act of 2025

This bill (S 1099) would restrict federal district courts from issuing nationwide injunctions that block laws across the entire country. It requires any court order providing injunctive relief to apply only to the specific parties in the case or within the court’s local judicial district. The law directly affects federal courts, plaintiffs seeking injunctions, and government agencies enforcing laws nationwide. This change would prevent courts from halting federal policies for all states or citizens, limiting injunctions to more localized scope.

in committee · Montana · House Mar 21, 2025

HJRES 59: Disapproving the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Overdraft Lending: Very Large Financial Institutions".

This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau titled Overdraft Lending: Very Large Financial Institutions and published on December 30, 2024. The rule revises provisions regarding charges for insufficient funds in a customer’s bank account (i.e., overdrafts) at very large financial institutions. Under the rule, these institutions must (1) cap overdraft charges at $5; (2) with justification, cap charges at a higher amount; or (3) handle overdrafts as credit and comply with applicable Truth in Lending Act disclosure requirements.

J. French Hill (R) · 17 co-sponsors

in committee · Montana · House Mar 14, 2025

HRES 226: Commemorating the centennial of Delta Air Lines.

HRES 226 is a ceremonial resolution commemorating Delta Air Lines' 100th anniversary, marking the centennial of its founding on March 2, 1925. It recognizes Delta's history as the first U.S. airline to reach 100 years (originally as Huff Daland Dusters, an aerial crop-dusting company) and highlights its current scale, including 100,000 employees, 5,000 daily flights, and global connectivity. The resolution contains no policy changes or binding provisions - it simply expresses the House's recognition of Delta's milestone and its role in connecting people and supporting communities. As a commemorative resolution, it does not affect any individuals, businesses, or regulations.

Nikema Williams (D) · 22 co-sponsors

in committee · Montana · Senate Mar 14, 2025

S 1072: Stop CARB Act of 2025

This bill repeals federal waivers that allow California to set its own vehicle and engine emission standards under the Clean Air Act. It directly affects California's Air Resources Board (CARB), prohibiting the state from adopting or enforcing standards for nonroad engines (like construction equipment, farm vehicles, and locomotives) or new motor vehicles. Key provisions include removing federal authorization for California's vehicle standards (Section 177) and invalidating all existing waivers for state emission rules. The bill would eliminate California's ability to enforce its own emission requirements for these categories, shifting authority entirely to federal standards.

Topics ✗ Energy ✗ Environment ✗ Transportation

in committee · Montana · Senate Mar 14, 2025

S 1083: Land Manager Housing and Workforce Improvement Act of 2025

This bill would improve housing options for employees of federal land management agencies by expanding their authorities to develop housing near work sites. It allows agencies like the National Park Service and Forest Service to acquire land, build housing, and leverage rental income for housing programs. The bill also creates new recruitment pathways for workers who live near their job sites and requires agencies to report on housing needs and assess current housing policies. These changes aim to address workforce housing challenges that have made it difficult to recruit and retain employees at national parks and other public lands.

Topics ✓ Housing ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Montana · Senate Mar 14, 2025

S 1082: Safeguarding Medicaid Act

The Safeguarding Medicaid Act (S 1082) requires all Medicaid applicants and recipients in every state and territory to undergo an asset test, removing previous exemptions for people who are aged, blind, or disabled. It sets the resource limit for eligibility at the same level used for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, meaning individuals with assets above this threshold would be ineligible for Medicaid. The bill also mandates states to implement electronic asset verification systems within one year of enactment and report annually on the number of asset checks conducted during eligibility renewals and new applications. This affects all Medicaid applicants and recipients nationwide, with states required to track and report savings from these verification efforts to the federal government.

Topics ✗ Healthcare

in committee · Montana · House Mar 14, 2025

HR 2094: HELPER Act of 2025

Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder Act of 2025 or the HELPER Act of 2025 This bill establishes a program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide mortgage assistance to law enforcement officers, elementary and secondary school teachers, firefighters, or other first responders. Specifically, these individuals may be eligible for a first-time mortgage on a primary family residence with no down payment. Instead, the mortgage is subject to a one-time, up-front mortgage insurance premium.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Housing

in committee · Montana · Senate Mar 13, 2025

S 1017: Safe and Secure Transportation of American Energy Act

This bill amends Section 60123(b) of Title 49, U.S. Code, to expand criminal penalties for interfering with energy infrastructure. It broadens the prohibited actions from "damaging or destroying" to include vandalizing, tampering with, disrupting operations or construction, or preventing operations of energy facilities like pipelines. The change directly affects individuals who interfere with energy transportation infrastructure, increasing legal consequences for a wider range of disruptive acts. The bill focuses on strengthening existing penalties without creating new programs or funding.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✗ Environment ✓ Transportation

Montana Congressional Bills

Bill results