Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 13, 2025

HB 589: Generally revise peace officer education standards

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.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill expands approved training venues for peace officers with curriculum approval, strengthening law enforcement education standards within criminal justice system.80% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 13, 2025

HB 707: Require Corrections to consider inmate family connections during placement

HB 707 requires the Department of Corrections to consider an inmate's attachment to family when making placements or transfers to correctional institutions located outside of the state. This aims to allow inmates to maintain connections with their families, affecting those in state prisons who are moved out-of-state. The bill mandates the department to assess the inmate's ability to maintain these attachments during such placements. It also integrates this new requirement into existing law governing contracts for inmate confinement, particularly when dealing with excessive inmate populations or a lack of adequate state facilities.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires family connection consideration in inmate placement to promote rehabilitation and reduce recidivism, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 13, 2025

HB 718: Generally revise laws relating to incarceration

HB 718 establishes an Office of Reentry Services within the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. This office is tasked with coordinating supportive services for individuals preparing to exit or exiting incarceration and reentering communities. Its purpose is to facilitate access to programs like job training, job placement, education, housing assistance, transportation, food security, and behavioral health services. The office will collaborate with various state agencies, companies, and stakeholder organizations to achieve these goals. It also requires the department to submit regular reports to legislative committees detailing the services provided, their cost, and the number of individuals served.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEstablishes reentry services office to coordinate job training, housing, and health programs, directly reducing recidivism through rehabilitation support.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 296: Enhance penalty for crime against vulnerable person

SB 296, known as "Alan's Law," establishes an enhanced penalty for individuals who commit offenses against vulnerable persons while employed or volunteering in a caregiving facility. If found guilty of a misdemeanor or felony offense, offenders face an additional prison sentence of 1 to 10 years. This additional sentence runs consecutively to the original punishment and generally cannot be deferred or suspended. The bill defines "caregiving facilities" broadly to include various health, youth, and educational settings, and "vulnerable persons" as children, vulnerable adults, or incapacitated individuals.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill increases mandatory consecutive sentences for crimes against vulnerable persons, expanding criminal penalties without rehabilitation focus, aligning with 'increases mandatory sentences' indicator.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 300: Providing protections for service dogs and handlers

SB 300 provides new legal protections for service animals and their handlers. The bill establishes specific offenses for harassing, harming, or taking unauthorized control of a service animal. Individuals convicted of these offenses face misdemeanor penalties and are required to pay full restitution for all related damages and expenses incurred by the handler. Additionally, it amends existing state laws to include service animals in definitions related to vicious dogs and owner liability for dog bites.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates new criminal offenses for service animal harassment with penalties/restitution, directly strengthening legal protections within criminal justice framework.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 19: Revise sentencing laws related to theft

SB 19 revises sentencing laws for several offenses, including theft, failure to return rented or leased personal property, issuing bad checks, deceptive practices, forgery, and identity theft. The bill directly affects individuals charged with these crimes by modifying the legal framework for their penalties. A key provision of the bill is raising the monetary thresholds that determine the severity of penalties for these offenses. It also revises the definition of "common scheme" within the state's legal code.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRaising monetary thresholds for theft penalties reduces severity of charges, aligning with criminal justice reform goals of reducing non-violent incarceration.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 8, 2025

HB 572: Revise MCE prison industries training program 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.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAdds educational/vocational training to reduce recidivism and improve inmate rehabilitation within correctional facilities.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 8, 2025

HB 332: Generally revise youth court laws

HB 332 revises youth court laws by expanding the types of offenses for which youth may be tried directly in district court, rather than youth court. It specifies age thresholds for these offenses, which include serious crimes like homicide, sexual assault, and drug distribution. The bill allows a youth to waive the right to a transfer hearing, which determines if their case should move back to youth court. It also details the criteria for a district court to transfer a case back to youth court and outlines sentencing and detention procedures for youth prosecuted in the adult system.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMoves serious youth offenses to adult court, bypasses youth court protections, and eliminates transfer hearing waivers, reducing rehabilitative options for minors.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · Senate May 8, 2025

SB 217: Establish work time credit for probationers and parolees

SB 217 establishes a system for probationers and parolees to reduce their supervision period by earning "work time credit." Individuals can earn 1 day of credit for every 40-hour workweek of eligible employment, provided they comply with all supervision conditions and are current on court-ordered payments. Probationers and parolees must provide documentation of their employment for verification by their supervising officer. However, any awarded credit can be revoked if the individual violates a supervision condition or is charged with a new felony or serious misdemeanor offense. This credit system does not apply to individuals under lifetime supervision or those required to register as sexual or violent offenders.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeReduces supervision time via work credits, promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism - key criminal justice reform indicators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · Senate May 8, 2025

SB 282: Limit state government use of personal electronic data

SB 282 revises state and local government's ability to obtain and use electronic communications and data from electronic devices. The bill prohibits governmental entities from purchasing various types of electronic data, such as geolocation or sensitive data, without a search warrant or investigative subpoena. It generally requires a search warrant to obtain stored data from an electronic device or to compel disclosure of electronic communications from service providers, though exceptions exist for situations like owner consent or emergencies. Evidence obtained in violation of these provisions would be inadmissible, and collected communications must be deleted after the conclusion of criminal proceedings.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires warrants for government data access, protecting privacy rights and limiting law enforcement overreach in criminal investigations per Criminal Procedure subject.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRequires warrants for government access to electronic data, strengthening privacy protections per bill's core provisions on data collection limits.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice