HB 546 would require that only legislative study groups with a majority of legislators can request new legislation. This applies to entities like committees, task forces, or councils (including the Montana Criminal Justice Oversight Council) that currently have non-legislator members. The bill’s key provision mandates that such groups must have at least half their members be legislators to formally ask for law changes. It does not alter the council’s duties or criminal justice policies, only the process for requesting legislative action. The bill died in committee in May 2025 and never became law.
HB 303 amends Montana's civil procedure law to clarify how fault is assigned in negligence cases involving multiple parties. The bill allows any party in a lawsuit to argue that a non-party (someone not named in the case) caused all injuries, without needing to seek fault apportionment from that non-party. It also specifies how courts must consider settlements or releases with other parties when calculating each defendant's share of responsibility. This directly affects plaintiffs, defendants, and third parties involved in personal injury, property damage, or product liability lawsuits. The changes aim to simplify fault allocation while ensuring released parties' roles are properly evaluated.
HB 674 proposes to update the responsibilities of Montana's Code Commissioner. It would add a new duty requiring the commissioner to recommend legislation that eliminates laws from the Montana Code that courts have found to be unconstitutional and permanently blocked from being enforced. This change aims to ensure the published code reflects only valid, enforceable statutes. It directly affects the Code Commissioner's review process and the accuracy of the official state legal code.
HB 925, the "Social Media Youth Protection Act," requires social media companies operating in Montana to implement systems that accurately identify minors (with 95% accuracy) and provide parental consent for data privacy settings. It mandates supervisory tools for minor account holders and restricts algorithmically curated services that use engagement-driven features like autoplay or endless scrolling. The bill directly affects social media companies and minors under 18, aiming to reduce excessive use linked to mental health risks by giving parents control over data and content exposure. Key provisions include age-assurance systems, parental consent for data privacy, and penalties for non-compliance, with definitions clarifying terms like "excessive use" and "algorithmically curated services."
HB 71 revises Montana hunting rules by allowing hunters to obtain more than one mountain lion license in a single license year, removing a previous restriction that limited hunters to one lion license per year. It also eliminates mandatory reporting requirements for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks regarding harvests and tissue sampling from the Tendoy mountain sheep herd. These changes directly affect hunters seeking mountain lion licenses and the wildlife department’s reporting obligations. The bill amends Section 87-2-702 of Montana law to reflect these policy adjustments, focusing on simplifying licensing and reducing administrative reporting burdens.
HB 212 limits liability for agricultural vehicles operated on Montana highways, directly affecting farmers, ranchers, and operators of specific farm equipment. The bill sets a $750,000 cap on damages per claim and $1.5 million per incident for owners, lessees, or operators of qualifying vehicles. It defines "agricultural vehicles" to include farm tractors, implements of husbandry, self-propelled farm equipment, and vehicles hauling hay or straw. Insurers remain liable for excess damages only if they provide written coverage beyond these limits.
HB 220 would establish a refundable child tax credit for Montana resident taxpayers with children under age 5. It provides a $1,200 credit per qualifying child, phasing out for taxpayers with federal adjusted gross income over $56,000 (with a $50,000 phaseout threshold). The credit is refundable, meaning eligible families could receive it as a payment even if they owed no state income tax. The bill also adds the child tax credit to Montana’s required periodic review schedule for tax credits. The bill died in committee on May 22, 2025, and did not become law.
HB 919 is an act designed to implement provisions of House Bill No. 2. It amends state law regarding the Board of Investments, which is responsible for managing public funds. The bill requires the Board of Investments to perform its duties within a restricted fiduciary fund type, subject to specific state law restrictions. This change aims to ensure that the board manages investments under stricter guidelines for the responsible handling of funds.
This bill establishes official revenue estimates for Montana's state budget, setting specific figures for general fund revenue across fiscal years 2025-2027 ($3.27 billion, $3.53 billion, and $3.57 billion, respectively). It directly affects state budget planning by requiring the Governor's Office of Budget and Program Planning to use these estimates for fiscal year 2025-2027, as mandated by Montana law. The resolution also accepts a $1.03 billion preliminary unassigned general fund balance from fiscal year 2024. These estimates, developed with input from the Revenue Interim Committee and fiscal analysts, provide the baseline for all state budget decisions during this period.
HJ 65 is a joint resolution requesting Montana's legislature to conduct an interim study of current driving under the influence (DUI) laws. The study would examine Montana's DUI penalties, treatment options for offenders, and factors contributing to the state's high DUI rates (including cultural attitudes and transportation access), comparing Montana's approach to other states. It requires the committee to report findings to the 70th Legislature by September 2026. This resolution does not change existing laws but seeks to inform future policy decisions.
House Bill 258 (HB 258) aimed to revise laws concerning wolf hunting in Montana. The bill would have required the Fish and Wildlife Commission to authorize an annual wolf hunting season. Its main provision was to extend this wolf hunting season to conclude concurrently with the spring bear hunting season, allowing for specific regional adjustments by the commission. This legislation would have directly impacted wolf hunters and the state's wildlife management policies for wolves.
HB 766 revises the rules for disqualifying members of Montana's medical legal panel, which reviews medical malpractice cases. The bill adds specific grounds requiring disqualification, such as personal bias, financial interests in the case, or close relationships with involved parties (e.g., being a family member of a party or having a material witness role). It limits each party to three disqualification requests per panel member type (attorney or health care provider) and allows parties to waive disqualification after disclosure if they agree. This update clarifies when panel members must step aside to maintain impartiality in malpractice reviews.
