HB 743 establishes new reporting requirements for allegations of exploitation involving incapacitated persons or vulnerable adults. It mandates that the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) forward credible exploitation reports to the relevant county attorney. County attorneys must then annually report the status of these cases, including charges filed, convictions, or declinations, to the Attorney General. The Attorney General compiles this data and reports aggregated information by county to a legislative committee each year, enhancing oversight of elder exploitation cases. The bill also revises the content required in initial reports of exploitation.
HB 713 revises municipal zoning laws, outlining procedures for cities and towns to establish, amend, or repeal zoning regulations, restrictions, and boundaries. It requires public hearings with notice for most zoning changes, but allows for immediate adoption of zone map boundary changes by resolution. The bill also permits municipalities to conduct joint hearings for annexation and zoning under specific conditions, streamlining the process for newly annexed properties. Additionally, it repeals a previous method that allowed for citizen protest of zoning alterations.
HB 589 revises education standards for peace officers in Montana, affecting individuals seeking to become peace officers and the agencies that employ them. The bill expands where the mandatory peace officer basic course can be completed. In addition to the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, a qualified law enforcement academy administered by an accredited Montana college or university may now provide this training. These alternative academies must have their curriculum and training methods approved by both a Montana state or local law enforcement agency and the Public Safety Officer Standards and Training Council, ensuring they meet comparable standards.
Senate Bill 257 revises the permit laws for the Smith River waterway. It increases the cost for nonresidents to purchase a bonus point for the Smith River permit lottery from $50 to $125. This change directly affects nonresidents applying for permits to float and camp on the Smith River. The additional revenue generated from these bonus points will be deposited into the Smith River corridor enhancement account, which funds projects to protect and improve the river's natural beauty, recreational values, fisheries, and wildlife habitat.
HB 763 revises Montana's block management program, which helps landowners provide public access for hunting on private and public lands. The bill allows the Fish and Wildlife Commission to adopt simplified rules for agreements where landowners only provide access to adjacent public lands. For these specific agreements, the commission can use flat fee payments not based on hunting days and consider the public land access opportunity as a benefit. The bill also establishes a $25,000 annual payment cap for landowners participating in these public lands access-only agreements.
HB 427 requires the Department of Labor and Industry or local building departments to provide the specific text or citation of building code sections they are relying on to delay a permit application or stop a construction project. If requested by the permit applicant or builder, this information must be provided within seven calendar days. Failure to provide the requested code sections within this timeframe waives their application to that specific project. Individuals aggrieved by the failure to provide this information may file a civil action for relief, including compensatory damages, court costs, and attorney fees.
SB 74 generally revises existing marijuana laws, affecting licensed marijuana businesses, their owners, and the regulatory framework in the state. It updates definitions for terms such as "retail price" for tax purposes and "controlling beneficial owner." The bill removes probationary licensing options for marijuana testing laboratories and revises licensing fees for marijuana manufacturers. Additionally, it modifies requirements for property owner permissions on license renewals, adjusts marijuana hotline reporting, and permits a variance in the measurement of certain marijuana products like capsules and tinctures.
HB 699 revises the laws concerning the independent review panel responsible for evaluating metal mine tailings impoundment plans. The bill modifies the panel's membership requirements, qualifications, and duties, directly affecting metal mine operators and the experts involved in reviewing tailings storage facility designs. Key changes include broadening the qualifications for panel members to allow recognized subject matter experts who are not licensed engineers to serve, in addition to licensed professional engineers. It also mandates that the review panel provide a written report and grants new rulemaking authority to implement these changes.
HB 549 allows licensed Montana distilleries to sell interests in their aging liquor through what are called "warehouse receipts." These receipts represent liquor stored at the distillery's bonded premises and can be purchased by any person. The bill also permits the resale of these warehouse receipts and allows intermediary businesses to market or manage their sales. Importantly, owning a warehouse receipt does not grant an ownership interest in the distillery business or its license.
HB 568, known as the "Montana Hunters First Act," requires the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to conduct a comprehensive study. This study will examine the impacts of nonresident hunters on deer and elk hunting across Montana and its administrative regions. The department must utilize various data, including hunter days, harvest reports, and population trends, to inform its findings. Upon completion by December 1, 2026, a public report will be published, assessing the data, detailing study methods, and identifying issues for consideration by the legislature and the Fish and Wildlife Commission.
HB 566 revises the decennial study that assesses the long-term care needs of veterans in Montana. It transfers primary responsibility for conducting this study from the Department of Public Health and Human Services to the Montana Veterans' Affairs Division. The bill mandates the involvement of stakeholders, such as veterans' outreach organizations, and expands the study's scope to include various care needs and the necessity of additional state veterans' cemeteries. It also establishes new requirements for a study plan, budget estimate, and regular reporting to an interim committee.
HB 533 requires insurance companies that use wildfire risk scores to underwrite or rate real property insurance to provide specific information to insureds or applicants upon request. This bill directly affects admitted insurers in the state and individuals seeking or holding property insurance. Upon request, insurers must disclose the property's current wildfire risk score, the range of possible scores, the score's creator, its creation date, and the main factors that negatively influenced the score. Insurers are required to provide this information in writing within 15 days of receiving a request.
