HB 322 proposed to reduce the number of associate justices on the Montana Supreme Court from six to four. The bill aimed to eliminate two specific associate justice positions, seat numbers 5 and 6, whose terms conclude in January 2029. To achieve this reduction, there would be no elections held for these two seats in November 2028. The change in the number of justices would become effective on the first Monday of January 2029.
The provided bill text, identified as Senate Bill 382, focuses on revising laws related to immunization exemptions, which differs from the title "Establish the specie legal tender act" for HB 382.
Based on the provided text, this bill mandates that various entities, including state agencies, schools, child care facilities, and licensed health care providers, must accept religious or informed consent exemptions for required immunizations, injections, or medications for employment or attendance. It establishes that denying such an exemption is an unlawful discriminatory practice. Non-compliant entities could face a loss of state funding, and individuals denied an exemption may file complaints and seek compensatory damages. The bill also clarifies and strengthens the existing provisions for religious, medical, and informed consent exemptions for school attendance.
HB 657 would authorize cities and towns to review and approve the design and construction of public water and sewer systems, including extensions or alterations. To gain this authority, a city or town must employ or contract with a licensed professional engineer and establish specific review programs. This bill directly affects municipalities by giving them local oversight capabilities for these infrastructure projects within their jurisdictions. When conducting reviews, cities and towns must ensure compliance with existing state environmental and real property taking laws.
HB 148 proposes to exempt Social Security benefits from the state income tax in Montana. This bill would revise existing tax laws by amending specific sections of the Montana Code Annotated related to income tax definitions. If passed, it would directly affect individuals in Montana who receive Social Security income by eliminating their state tax liability on those benefits. The bill also specifies a delayed effective date and an applicability date for these changes.
HB 433 sought to protect an individual's right to keep and bear arms while awaiting trial. The bill proposed that a person could not be deprived of their Second Amendment or Montana constitutional firearm rights before a conviction. This protection would apply unless the individual was charged with a forcible felony or a crime of violence involving a weapon, as defined in statute 45-2-101. The bill aimed to preserve these rights during the pre-trial phase for most offenses.
HB 440 aimed to provide tax incentives for the sale of food produced in Montana. The bill proposed allowing both individuals and corporations to subtract income earned from selling Montana-produced food when calculating their state income taxes. This mechanism was intended to reduce the tax burden on those involved in the sale of local food products. The bill sought to amend current statutes governing individual and corporate income tax adjustments.
HB 309 clarifies the term of office for precinct committee representatives, who represent their political parties within a specific precinct. The bill specifies that a representative's 2-year term begins on the date their election is officially certified. This term then concludes on the date the subsequent election for that position is certified. For representatives appointed to fill a vacancy, their term concludes upon the certification of the next election.
HB 937 requires the Commissioner of Insurance to create and maintain a public website listing all admitted insurance carriers and producers in good standing. This website is intended to assist consumers in finding insurance coverage by allowing them to search for providers by type of insurance. The list will display information in a randomized order daily and include search functions, but it cannot feature advertising or charge fees to insurers or producers for inclusion. The bill appropriates $10,000 from the general fund to establish this website.
HB 870 proposed to allocate surplus state revenues. It aimed to provide a one-time-only appropriation of $120,000 from the general fund to the Department of Justice. This funding was intended to address recruitment and retention challenges at the Montana State Crime Lab. The appropriation was designated for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026, with any unexpended funds reverting to the general fund.
HB 675 aimed to establish a private right of action against individuals who promote, conduct, or perform in drag king or drag queen shows. This would allow minors, their parents or legal guardians, and adults who attend such performances to sue performers or promoters. If successful, plaintiffs could be awarded actual damages, attorney fees, and $5,000 in statutory damages. The bill also introduced and amended state law definitions for "drag king," "drag queen," and "drag story hour," characterizing these performances with an emphasis on sexual energy, eroticism, and provocative content.
HB 670 proposes that public utilities transfer unused kilowatt-hour credits, generated by customers who produce their own electricity, to low-income energy assistance programs. Currently, any remaining unused credits accumulated by customer-generators over a 12-month period are granted back to the public utility without compensation. This bill amends existing law to specifically direct that these uncompensated credits must be credited to a fund established for universal low-income energy assistance, administered by the Department of Public Health and Human Services. The public utility would receive credit for these kilowatt-hours that fund the assistance programs.
HB 139 aimed to revise laws related to mule deer buck hunting in Montana, directly affecting hunters and the state's Fish, Wildlife & Parks commission. The bill would have restricted the commission's ability to close mule deer buck hunting during the general rifle season in November. Specifically, it would have prohibited closures in more than 20% of hunting districts per season, for more than two years within a six-year period in any district, or prior to November 6 in any district. These new restrictions would not have applied to any district closures already in place before December 1, 2024.
