Environment

signed · Montana · House Sep 29, 2025

HB 259: Revise fish and wildlife commission techniques for gray wolf management

HB 259 revises Montana's gray wolf management rules to give the Fish and Wildlife Commission more flexibility in controlling wolf populations. It allows landowners to kill wolves threatening livestock or safety without a hunting license (subject to reporting and annual quotas), expands hunting/trapping on private land at night using thermal/infrared scopes, and permits unlimited wolf harvest in high-population areas. The bill directly affects landowners, hunters, and the Fish and Wildlife Commission, which must implement these changes. Key provisions include new landowner take rules, modified hunting seasons based on regional wolf numbers, and immediate implementation upon enactment.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentAllows unrestricted wolf killing and weakens conservation protections, prioritizing livestock over ecosystem health and biodiversity conservation.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 176: Require unlimited wolf hunting quota when population is at or above 450 wolves

House Bill 176 (HB 176) revises Montana's wolf hunting laws, primarily affecting the Fish and Wildlife Commission, wolf hunters, trappers, and landowners. The bill mandates an unlimited statewide gray wolf hunting quota when the state's wolf population reaches or exceeds 450 wolves. Under this quota, the Commission must authorize multiple hunting licenses per applicant, allow an individual to harvest an unlimited number of wolves, permit the use of bait for hunting or trapping, and allow night hunting on private lands with artificial light or night vision scopes. It also requires consistent data modeling for wolf population estimates.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill removes population limits on wolf hunting, weakening conservation protections for an ecosystem keystone species per Fish and Wildlife subjects.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

Track

died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 71: Revise special license requirements allowing second lion license and removing Tendoy sheep reporting

HB 71 revises Montana hunting rules by allowing hunters to obtain more than one mountain lion license in a single license year, removing a previous restriction that limited hunters to one lion license per year. It also eliminates mandatory reporting requirements for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks regarding harvests and tissue sampling from the Tendoy mountain sheep herd. These changes directly affect hunters seeking mountain lion licenses and the wildlife department’s reporting obligations. The bill amends Section 87-2-702 of Montana law to reflect these policy adjustments, focusing on simplifying licensing and reducing administrative reporting burdens.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRemoves mandatory wildlife harvest reporting, weakening data-driven conservation for mountain lions and Tendoy sheep populations.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 258: Requiring the extension of wolf hunting season

House Bill 258 (HB 258) aimed to revise laws concerning wolf hunting in Montana. The bill would have required the Fish and Wildlife Commission to authorize an annual wolf hunting season. Its main provision was to extend this wolf hunting season to conclude concurrently with the spring bear hunting season, allowing for specific regional adjustments by the commission. This legislation would have directly impacted wolf hunters and the state's wildlife management policies for wolves.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentExtends wolf hunting season, potentially reducing wolf populations and weakening conservation efforts for a protected species under environmental protection policies.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 222: Creating open wolf hunting season until the population is 600 or fewer

HB 222 proposed creating a year-round open wolf hunting season in Montana. This season would have an unlimited quota, meaning there would be no limit on the number of wolves that could be hunted. The hunting season would continue until the statewide wolf population reached 600 or fewer, at which point it could be closed. The bill aimed to amend existing state law to mandate that the Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission authorize this specific wolf hunting season.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill mandates unrestricted wolf hunting to reduce population below conservation levels, directly opposing wildlife protection efforts and conservation requirements.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

Track

signed · Montana · House May 8, 2025

HB 26: Repeal mercury thermostat collection act

HB 26, titled "Repeal mercury thermostat collection act," eliminates the existing Mercury-Added Thermostat Collection Act. This bill removes state requirements that prohibited the sale and installation of mercury-added thermostats. It also discontinues mandates for manufacturers to operate collection and recycling programs, for wholesalers to provide collection sites, and for related education, outreach, and annual reporting. The repeal of these specific sections of the Montana Code Annotated removes these environmental regulations concerning mercury thermostats.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRepeals mercury thermostat collection requirements, removing mandates for recycling, disposal, and reporting that protected against mercury pollution.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

signed · Montana · House May 8, 2025

HB 346: Exempt Commerce grants and loans from MEPA

HB 346 exempts various grant and loan programs from environmental review requirements under the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). This bill directly affects the Department of Commerce, Board of Housing, and other commissions by removing the need for environmental assessments when authorizing or administering these specific programs. The exemptions apply to programs supporting microbusiness development, historic preservation, workforce training, housing finance, and other economic development initiatives. This aims to streamline the process for providing financial assistance through these identified programs.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentExempts Commerce programs from MEPA environmental reviews, weakening oversight and protections by removing required assessments for projects.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingExempts housing finance programs from MEPA, facilitating implementation and supporting housing development as explicitly listed in bill summary.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill exempts workforce training programs from MEPA reviews, facilitating faster implementation of employment-focused initiatives under Department of Commerce programs.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

signed · Montana · House May 6, 2025

HB 270: Revise remedies to MEPA

HB 270 revises the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) by modifying requirements for environmental reviews conducted by state agencies. The bill clarifies that MEPA is procedural and not intended to provide regulatory authority beyond existing statutes. It updates the criteria for analyzing alternatives in environmental impact statements, requiring them to be technologically achievable and economically feasible for similar projects. Furthermore, the bill mandates that agencies consider regulatory impacts on private property rights and analyze alternatives that reduce or eliminate such regulations. For non-state-sponsored projects, alternative recommendations are not binding on the project sponsor.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRequiring alternatives to be economically feasible weakens MEPA's environmental review standards, reducing regulatory barriers for projects.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 285: Generally revise Montana environmental policy act

HB 285 revises the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), clarifying its purpose and impact on state agency actions and permitting decisions. The bill specifies that MEPA is a procedural law designed to provide information to the public and decision-makers, not to grant additional regulatory authority to state agencies. It also shifts the burden of proof for those challenging licensing or permitting decisions, requiring them to establish the unconstitutionality of the underlying statute. Furthermore, legal challenges must now be filed in the county where the proposed activity is located.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill clarifies MEPA as procedural only (not regulatory), removes agency regulatory authority, and shifts burden of proof to challengers, weakening environmental review and permitting challenges.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 291: Revise laws related to air quality standards

HB 291 limits the ability of Montana's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and local air pollution control programs to set air quality standards stricter than federal requirements. The bill prohibits the DEQ from establishing emission levels or rules more stringent than federal Clean Air Act standards, with exceptions for existing requirements and areas that do not meet national ambient air quality standards. It also revises the process for the DEQ to adopt any rules more stringent than federal guidelines, now only allowing it through emergency rulemaking. Local air pollution control programs are similarly restricted from adopting more stringent rules without specific department approval.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill prohibits Montana DEQ from setting air quality standards stricter than federal Clean Air Act, weakening state environmental protections by restricting regulatory authority.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment