Criminal Justice (Victims' Rights)

introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 24, 2025

LC 2636: Provide for restitution payments to children of certain homicide victims

This bill requires individuals convicted of vehicular homicide while under the influence to pay monthly restitution for the support of minor children whose parent or guardian was killed in the incident. The court will determine payment amounts based on the child's needs, the surviving family's financial situation, and the defendant's ability to pay, with payments continuing until the child turns 18 or graduates high school. The law includes exceptions if the surviving family has already received compensation through a civil lawsuit and specifies that payments must begin within a year of the defendant's release from prison. Additionally, the bill amends related Montana statutes to clarify sentencing guidelines and remove the possibility of sentence deferral for this specific offense.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens criminal justice by requiring restitution payments to children of homicide victims, ensuring victim support and accountability for offenders.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Sentencing Victims' Rights Violent Crime

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Dec 20, 2024

LC 962: Revise laws related to squatting

This bill creates two new criminal offenses in Montana: unlawful squatting and fraudulent sale or lease of property. The unlawful squatting offense applies to anyone who knowingly enters and stays on another person's property without permission, while the fraudulent sale offense targets those who advertise property they do not legally own or have authority to rent. Key provisions include mandatory restitution for squatting victims equal to fair market rent, a minimum six-month jail sentence for fraudulent property listings, and a process allowing property owners to request immediate law enforcement removal of unauthorized occupants. The bill also establishes a fee structure for law enforcement services during removals and creates a civil remedy for wrongful removals, while requiring property owners to indemnify law enforcement if they knowingly provide false information in removal requests.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill creates new criminal offenses for squatting and fraudulent property sales, strengthening law enforcement tools and protecting property rights within the criminal justice system.85% confidence ✗ HousingOpposes HousingBill criminalizes squatting and fraudulent property sales, which restricts housing access for homeless individuals and limits housing availability by increasing legal barriers to occupying vacant properties.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights Renters

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 18, 2025

LC 2470: Revise MCE prison industries training program laws

This bill revises Montana's prison industries training program to expand vocational opportunities for inmates and increase the scope of work they can perform. It requires the program to include educational programming and allows inmates to work on construction projects up to $1 million, exempting these projects from standard bidding and contracting requirements. The legislation also permits the program to offer vocational training that meets private market demand and removes restrictions on selling products through contracts and dealer networks. Additionally, it authorizes the sale of prison-made goods on the open market and allows inmates to earn wages to pay restitution, fines, and save for release.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill expands vocational training and rehabilitation programs for inmates, which aligns with reducing recidivism and improving correctional systems.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Victims' Rights

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Nov 18, 2024

LC 298: Revise change-of-name laws

This bill updates Montana's change-of-name laws to enhance public safety when incarcerated individuals or those under correctional supervision request name changes. It requires the Department of Corrections to be served with petitions from incarcerated persons and allows the department to contact victims to gather information relevant to their response. Additionally, if a name change petition is granted for someone under correctional supervision, the court must ensure the department and justice system can maintain and share records as needed for offender registration, testing, and victim notification. These changes aim to balance an individual's right to change their name with the need to inform victims and maintain accurate criminal justice records.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill enhances public safety by improving name change procedures for incarcerated individuals, allowing victim input and department oversight, which strengthens corrections and justice system integrity.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 9, 2025

LC 1502: Revise definition of victim in youth court act

This bill amends the Montana Youth Court Act to expand the legal definition of "victim" to include corporations and other entities, allowing these organizations to seek justice when harmed by youth offenses. The change directly affects how cases are handled in Montana's youth court system by broadening who can be recognized as a victim under the law. The amendment modifies Section 41-5-103 of the Montana Code Annotated to update the definitions used throughout the youth court framework. This revision ensures that business entities and organizations can participate in youth court proceedings when they are harmed by delinquent youth behavior.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill expands victim definition to include corporations, strengthening victim protections and broadening access to justice within youth court system.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice Victims' Rights

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 10, 2025

LC 3366: Providing protections for service dogs and handlers

This bill strengthens legal protections for service animals and their handlers in Montana by establishing new criminal offenses for harassment, harm, or unauthorized control of service animals. It creates misdemeanor charges for individuals who continue to interfere with a service animal after receiving a warning, negligently cause injury to a service animal, or allow their own pets to harm one, with penalties including fines up to $1,000. The legislation also mandates restitution for handlers covering expenses such as veterinary care, training for replacement animals, medical bills, and lost wages, while amending existing laws to explicitly include service animals in definitions of vicious dogs and liability rules for dog bites.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens legal protections and creates criminal offenses for harming service animals, advancing criminal justice through enhanced accountability and victim protection.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill strengthens legal protections for service animals and handlers, directly supporting veterans who rely on service dogs for disability-related assistance and daily functioning.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 6, 2025

LC 1491: Generally revise victim damages when apprehending perpetrators

This bill establishes liability for peace officers and their agencies when property damage or injuries occur due to improper searches or illegal entries into buildings. It specifically covers situations where officers enter the wrong address based on a warrant, chase suspects into homes they do not live in, or when suspects take occupants hostage during apprehension attempts. The law requires officers to compensate affected individuals for damages and injuries resulting from these specific incidents. This change creates a clear financial responsibility for law enforcement agencies in cases of mistaken or unlawful entry during suspect pursuit. The provisions aim to provide recourse for victims of police actions that result in property damage or personal injury.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill enhances police accountability by requiring compensation for damages from improper searches, protecting civil rights and promoting criminal justice reform.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing Victims' Rights

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 4, 2025

LC 3054: Revise laws related to charges of assault

This bill amends Montana's assault laws to give victims the sole authority to decide whether criminal charges are filed, except in cases involving developmentally disabled, physically disabled, or mentally ill victims. Under the new provisions, most assault victims would control the decision to press charges rather than law enforcement or prosecutors. The bill does not change the definition of assault or the penalties for conviction, but it shifts the responsibility for initiating prosecution to the victim in most situations. This change directly affects individuals who experience assault and the legal process surrounding those cases.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill shifts prosecution authority from state to victims, weakening law enforcement and prosecutorial discretion in criminal justice system.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights Violent Crime

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 11, 2025

LC 131: Generally revise laws for crime victims

This bill revises Montana laws to extend the time limits for filing lawsuits related to childhood sexual abuse. It directly affects victims of sexual abuse who occurred before they turned 18, allowing them to file claims against the individual who committed the abuse at any time before they turn 27 or within three years of discovering the injury. For claims against organizations like schools or churches, victims have until age 27 or three years after discovery to file, with specific rules for when the organization knew or should have known about the abuse. The bill also allows certain expired claims to be filed within one year of May 7, 2019, if the perpetrator admitted to the abuse or was convicted of the offense.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill extends statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse victims, strengthening access to justice and victim rights within criminal justice framework90% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 18, 2025

LC 3439: Generally revise laws related to restitution

This bill revises Montana laws related to restitution, primarily affecting courts, probation officers, and offenders who have been ordered to pay restitution to victims. It removes an offender's financial resources from consideration when sentencing restitution amounts, ensures that information about a victim's pecuniary loss or property loss can be shared with a probation officer outside of a court order, and modifies when a court may grant a petition to revise restitution orders. The legislation aims to clarify legislative intent from 2003 by ensuring restitution amounts are determined based on victim losses rather than an offender's ability to pay, and it updates related statutes to reflect these changes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens restitution laws to better compensate victims, improving victim support and accountability in criminal justice system.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Probation & Parole Sentencing Victims' Rights

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