Montana Bills

HB 646 proposed to change the method of electing and appointing Supreme Court justices from statewide at-large elections to a district-based system. The bill would establish seven specific supreme court judicial districts across the state, with one justice to be selected from each district. It also included a transition plan, assigning current justices to specific districts for future re-election. This measure aimed to alter how voters elect and how candidates run for positions on the state's highest court.

HB 263 aimed to revise laws concerning electricity rates and reporting for digital asset mining and data centers in Montana. The bill would have prevented the state's utility commission from establishing "unduly discriminatory" electricity rates for digital asset mining operations, including home mining. It also would have required non-residential data centers and digital asset mining businesses to annually report their previous year's electricity consumption and their anticipated usage for the current year. Home digital asset mining, defined as consuming less than 1 megawatt annually in residential areas, would have been exempt from these reporting requirements.

HB 788 would have required attorneys of record in civil actions to disclose certain election contributions. Specifically, it mandated that attorneys file a statement identifying any campaign contributions or expenditures they made in the past six years to the presiding judge's campaign or to committees supporting the judge's campaign. This disclosure would be due with their initial court appearance, or a statement confirming no such contributions were made. The bill also provided for sanctions by the presiding judge for non-compliance and established a private right of action for parties or opposing attorneys.

HB 113 clarifies which personal items inside a towed or stored motor vehicle are exempt from being held as part of a towing and storage lien. The bill specifies that food and perishable goods are exempt only if they are consumer products not intended for resale. It also explicitly exempts prescription items, original identifying documents, financial instruments like cash or credit cards, certain personal and business records, and child safety items. This aims to provide clearer guidelines for tow truck operators and vehicle owners regarding property subject to or exempt from these liens.

House Bill 498 aimed to prohibit the addition of fluoride to public water supply systems across the state. The bill would have amended existing state law to make introducing fluoride into a public water supply system a prohibited act. This change would have directly affected public water providers and the communities they serve by ending the practice of water fluoridation. It also sought to align the department's rule-making authority with this new prohibition.

HB 389, titled "Provide for setbacks for wind turbine generators," aimed to establish specific minimum distances for the construction of new wind turbine generators in Montana. The bill would have required wind turbines to be set back at least 1,250 feet from property lines with a wind energy agreement, 3,000 feet from public roads, and 7,920 feet from property lines without a wind energy agreement. This legislation would have directly affected wind energy developers and landowners by regulating the placement of new wind energy infrastructure.

This bill, HB 540, aims to revise the powers of the Department of Corrections (DOC) by allowing it to contract with private corporations to establish and maintain certain facilities and programs. Specifically, it amends existing law regarding who the DOC can contract with for services like prerelease and treatment centers, residential methamphetamine treatment programs, and residential sexual offender treatment programs. While existing law already allows contracting with private,

HJ 14 is a joint resolution declaring that the Montana Legislature, Governor, and Judicial Branch all share equal responsibility for interpreting and upholding the state and federal constitutions. It asserts that no single branch has exclusive power to interpret the law or bind the decisions of the other branches. The resolution specifically states that the 1803 U.S. Supreme Court case *Marbury v. Madison* does not establish the courts as the sole or final authority on constitutional interpretation. It directs the Secretary of State to distribute copies of this resolution to various state and federal officials.

HB 933, the "Montana Railroad Crossing Clarity Act," would establish a framework for utilities to place infrastructure within railroad rights-of-way and adjacent railroad land. It outlines an application process requiring utilities to provide notice, project drawings, and a certificate of insurance to railroads. The bill sets limits on the one-time crossing fees and potential annual fees that utilities would pay for these crossings. Utilities could commence construction 30 days after a complete application, unless a railroad objects due to safety concerns, with provisions for dispute resolution.

House Bill 542 aims to revise the penalties for individuals convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) offenses. It increases the minimum imprisonment terms for first convictions from 24 to 72 consecutive hours, and for second convictions from 7 to 30 days. While the bill's title indicates an intent to reclassify a third DUI offense as a felony, the provided text

HB 508 aimed to establish media literacy as a legislative goal for Montana's public elementary and secondary schools. The bill proposed amending state law to include strengthening media literacy within the state's educational objectives. This would involve teaching students to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using various forms of communication. Additionally, it sought to help students reduce their susceptibility to disinformation, misinformation, propaganda, and indoctrination. The overall goal was to integrate these media literacy skills into the learning environment for all public school students.

HB 265 proposed changes to how Montana school districts manage their general fund budgets, primarily affecting school boards and local taxpayers. The bill would have allowed school boards to increase a previously voter-approved local property tax levy (an "over-BASE levy") by the same inflationary adjustment provided by the legislature for state school funding. This adjustment would not require a new vote from district electors, provided the increase was solely due to the legislative inflation adjustment and stayed within overall budget limits. The bill aimed to improve the alignment of school funding with the defined "basic system" and ensure annual inflationary adjustments are included in the funding formula.