Environment

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 857: Establishing a surcharge for hunters and anglers who lease land

HB 857 proposes to establish a surcharge for hunters and anglers who lease private land for hunting or fishing. Individuals who lease land would be required to declare their lease and pay an additional 10% of their annual lease payment to the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks when purchasing a conservation license. The revenues generated from this surcharge would be specifically used to fund the state's block management program. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in the revocation of hunting and fishing privileges for at least five years.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill funds block management program for fish/wildlife/parks via surcharge, directly supporting conservation of natural resources as stated in summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 630: Require legislative approval of greenhouse gas rules

HB 630 requires that certain rules established by state departments, commissions, boards, or local authorities are not effective unless approved by the legislature. Specifically, any rules related to the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions or the calculation and application of the social cost of carbon must receive legislative approval at the next legislative session. This mechanism affects agencies that issue such environmental regulations, including those pertaining to the operation of motor vehicles. The bill ensures that the legislature has final say over these specific types of administrative rules.

Topics ✗ EnergyOpposes EnergyRequires legislative approval for greenhouse gas regulations, delaying or blocking environmental rules that advance clean energy standards and emissions reduction efforts.85% confidence ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRequires legislative approval for greenhouse gas rules, adding barriers to environmental regulation implementation and weakening agency authority on emissions standards.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Environment

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 256: Creation of Montana water trust and special revenue accounts

HB 256 proposed creating the Montana Water Development State Special Revenue Account to fund water-related projects and infrastructure. This new account would be established with gifts, legislative transfers, and $100 million transferred from the state's general fund over two years. The earnings from this account would be distributed, with 90% allocated to the water storage state special revenue account for state-owned water storage projects. The remaining 10% would go to the natural resources projects state special revenue account to support water storage pilot projects and dam inspections, ultimately affecting water infrastructure and safety across Montana.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentAllocates $100M from general fund to water storage projects and natural resources, directly funding environmental conservation infrastructure.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 661: Generally revise laws related to the unlawful harassment or harm of game animals, birds, fur-bearers, and predators

HB 661 sought to revise and expand laws related to the unlawful harassment or harm of certain wildlife using vehicles or devices. The bill extended protections to include game animals, game birds, fur-bearing animals, and predatory animals. It distinguished between harassing these animals, which remained a misdemeanor, and a new, more severe offense of harming, tormenting, torturing, or killing them from a vehicle or device without legal justification. This new offense was classified as a felony, carrying higher fines, potential state prison time, and longer suspensions of hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges. Exemptions were included for landowners protecting their property, lawful hunting, and wildlife management practices.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentExtends wildlife protections by criminalizing harming animals from vehicles/devices, strengthening conservation measures under Fish and Wildlife subjects.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 829: Generally revise laws related to aquatic invasive species.

HB 829 aimed to update laws concerning aquatic invasive species management. It would have required individuals to complete a state-provided online awareness training course and pass a test before obtaining an aquatic invasive species prevention pass. The bill clarified that all vessel operators, including non-resident non-motorized vessels, must possess this pass to launch on state waters. Additionally, it would have increased the maximum civil penalty for certain violations related to aquatic invasive species from $2,500 to $25,000.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRequires vessel operator training/prevention passes to protect aquatic ecosystems from invasive species, directly advancing environmental protection through regulatory measures.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 101: Reclassify wolves as furbearers and align existing wolf tagging and furbearer hunting restrictions

HB 101 reclassifies gray wolves as furbearers, integrating them into existing furbearer hunting and trapping regulations. The bill establishes specific wolf hunting licenses for residents and nonresidents, outlining associated fees and tagging requirements for harvested wolves. It introduces new management provisions, allowing for more liberal harvest opportunities such as multiple licenses per individual, the use of bait for trapping, and night hunting on private lands. Additionally, the bill permits landowners to take wolves threatening human safety, livestock, or dogs on their property without a license under specific reporting requirements and a quota.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentReclassifies wolves as furbearers, enabling increased hunting/trapping (multiple licenses, baiting, night hunting), weakening conservation protections for a species often requiring protection.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Environment

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 229: Generally revise Montana environmental policy act to Implement court decision

HB 229 aimed to revise the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) to implement a Montana Supreme Court decision. The bill would have removed the prohibition on state agencies evaluating greenhouse gas emissions during environmental reviews for projects. It also sought to clarify MEPA's purpose, focusing on public information and considering environmental impacts, while setting criteria for analyzing project alternatives and potential impacts on private property rights. This would have affected how state agencies conduct environmental assessments and the scope of information considered for state-sponsored projects in Montana.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRemoves prohibition on evaluating greenhouse gas emissions in environmental reviews, enabling consideration of climate impacts per court decision, strengthening MEPA's environmental review process.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 564: Require mandatory reporting of deer and elk hunting activity

HB 564 would have required individuals holding deer or elk hunting licenses to report their hunting activity to the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks for each animal during the license year. Hunters who reported by February 15 could choose to receive one bonus point for either a deer or elk. Conversely, those who failed to report by the end of the license year would be assessed an administrative fee ranging from $5 to $50, payable before purchasing a new base hunting license. The bill also directed the department to develop a system for collecting these mandatory reports and defined "hunting activity" to include harvest success, locations, and dates.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates wildlife activity reporting for sustainable management, aligning with conservation and natural resource protection under Fish and Wildlife subjects.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 935: Limits to Fox Hills-Hell Creek aquifer withdrawals

HB 935 allows the department to temporarily suspend or close new permit applications for large groundwater appropriations (3,000 gallons per minute or more) from specific areas within the Fox Hills-Hell Creek aquifer. This action aims to balance water development with the protection of existing water rights. The bill also mandates the Bureau of Mines and Geology to conduct a feasibility study on groundwater availability in these areas. It appropriates $5,000 for this study, and the act's provisions are set to terminate on June 30, 2027.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRestricts large groundwater withdrawals to protect aquifer (natural resource) and mandates study for sustainable management, aligning with conservation goals.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

signed · Montana · House May 16, 2025

HB 31: Revise wind and solar facility decommissioning

HB 31 clarifies and revises the bonding requirements for wind and solar generation facility owners in Montana to ensure proper decommissioning. It mandates that facility owners submit a decommissioning plan and provide a bond to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) within specific timeframes after commencing commercial operation. The DEQ determines the bond amount based on factors like site characteristics and salvage value. The bill also outlines various exemptions for facilities already bonded elsewhere or meeting certain size and operation criteria, and establishes penalties for non-compliance.

Topics ✓ EnergySupports EnergyMandates decommissioning plans and bonds for wind/solar facilities, ensuring environmental protection and long-term renewable energy infrastructure viability.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates decommissioning plans and bonds to prevent environmental damage from abandoned renewable energy facilities, ensuring post-operation site restoration.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment