SB 201 revises cleanup laws for properties contaminated with methamphetamine or fentanyl residues. It requires individuals and companies assessing or cleaning these properties to be certified by the state department, with penalties for non-compliance. The bill establishes decontamination standards for fentanyl and updates standards for methamphetamine, including contamination from drug use smoke. It also creates a process for property owners to voluntarily decontaminate properties, ensuring they are not publicly listed by the department.
Senate Bill 441 establishes the Montana Block Management Enforcement Network, which is designed to help landowners in the block management program enforce compliance by hunters with their rules and state law. Landowners can choose to opt-in or opt-out of this network. Hunters who access lands enrolled in the network and are convicted of violating rules or state law face escalating penalties. These penalties include prohibitions from accessing all network lands, ranging from the remainder of the current license year for a first offense to a lifetime ban for a third conviction. The bill also requires the Department to provide educational information about these rules and consequences.
HB 147 revises laws related to property covenants, directly affecting homeowners associations and parcel owners. It defines an "enforcement action" for a covenant as one that has been equally and consistently applied to all properties subject to the covenant for at least a two-year period. The bill allows a parcel owner to assert a covenant has been abandoned if no enforcement action has been undertaken for a prescribed period. Additionally, it prohibits associations that have not met for 15 years from enforcing covenants, with exceptions for essential matters like legal compliance or infrastructure maintenance.
This bill, known as the "Financial Freedom and Innovation Act," revises state cryptocurrency laws. It prohibits state governing authorities from using or testing central bank digital currency, while explicitly permitting individuals and businesses to accept digital assets for payments and engage with blockchain protocols, such as operating nodes or staking. The bill also establishes certification requirements and sales limits for network token issuers to qualify for exemptions from state securities laws.
HB 572 revises the Montana Correctional Enterprises (MCE) prison industries training program, which affects inmates and the operation of correctional facilities. The bill requires the program to include educational programming and allows MCE to offer vocational programs that support private market demand. It also increases the maximum value of construction projects inmates can perform to $1 million and removes the requirement for MCE to provide products and services through contracts and dealer networks.
HB 47 revises the State Building Energy Conservation Act, which affects state agencies, the university system, and community college districts concerning energy improvements in state-owned buildings. The bill removes the Department of Environmental Quality's authority to issue energy conservation program bonds. Instead, projects will be funded from the general fund or the energy conservation capital projects account. The Department of Environmental Quality is now authorized to set an annual interest rate, not exceeding 3%, for these projects.
HB 719 revises state election laws by requiring electors to provide their date of birth during the voter registration process. It also mandates that absentee voters include their date of birth on the signature envelope when returning their ballot. Election administrators are then required to verify this date of birth against registration records before counting an absentee ballot. This bill directly affects individuals registering to vote and those casting absentee ballots.
HB 573 revises laws related to "transformational learning" in Montana's public schools. The bill moves up the termination of the existing transformational learning grant program by one year and establishes a new Transformational Learning Phase II Grant Program. This new program offers incentives and flexibilities for school districts to implement personalized, proficiency-based learning systems. Districts must apply with strategic plans and proficiency definitions, with the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Board of Public Education overseeing the program's administration and qualification process, which includes a lottery system if funds are limited.
SB 214 revises zoning laws to clarify decisions regarding property use and prior nonconforming uses. The bill mandates that if zoning regulations are ambiguous about a property's use or a nonconforming use, the interpretation must favor the property's use. It also removes the ability of historic preservation boards to review applications for zoning permits and variances. This legislation primarily affects property owners and local zoning authorities by establishing clearer rules for interpreting and enforcing zoning regulations.
Senate Bill 511 revises the state's laws related to litigation financing. It amends the existing Litigation Financing Transparency and Consumer Protection Act and creates a new Foreign Investment in Litigation Financing Act. The bill prohibits certain foreign entities from providing litigation funding and requires foreign persons involved in such financing to register and comply with transparency rules. Additionally, it updates various definitions concerning consumers, legal claims, and litigation financing contracts.
HB 346 exempts various grant and loan programs from environmental review requirements under the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). This bill directly affects the Department of Commerce, Board of Housing, and other commissions by removing the need for environmental assessments when authorizing or administering these specific programs. The exemptions apply to programs supporting microbusiness development, historic preservation, workforce training, housing finance, and other economic development initiatives. This aims to streamline the process for providing financial assistance through these identified programs.
HB 365 revises the laws concerning the award of attorney fees and costs against government entities in civil lawsuits. The bill specifies that the legislative branch's conduct when passing legislation cannot be considered when determining if a government entity's defense was pursued in bad faith. This means that legislative conduct is inadmissible as evidence for awarding costs or attorney fees against a government entity defending an enacted law. These changes affect individuals or groups suing the state, political subdivisions, or agencies, and apply retroactively to legislation passed since the commencement of the 69th legislative session.
