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

vetoed · Montana · House Jun 27, 2025

HB 283: Revise laws for hunting licenses lotteries

HB 283 would allow Montana's wildlife commission to issue one male mountain sheep and one male Shiras moose hunting license annually through a lottery or auction, instead of traditional methods. Hunters seeking these licenses would enter the lottery, and any proceeds from sales would fund conservation efforts for these species, with wildlife groups allowed to retain up to 10% of proceeds to cover lottery costs. The bill specifies that all remaining funds must directly benefit mountain sheep and moose management, supplementing existing department budgets. Note: This bill was vetoed by the governor and the legislature failed to override the veto, so it is not currently law.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill allocates hunting license proceeds to fund mountain sheep/moose conservation, directly advancing species protection through dedicated funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Environment

Track

died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 427: Provide trapping setback distances for certain roads and trails

SB 427 establishes minimum distance requirements for trapping on Montana's public lands near developed areas. It requires trappers to set traps at least 50 feet from roads/trails, 1,000 feet from campgrounds/recreation sites (including boat ramps), and 300 feet from trailheads (with 1,000 feet for lethal traps). The bill directly affects trappers operating on public lands, particularly those near popular recreation areas, and gives the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission authority to adjust these distances in high-use zones. The provisions aim to reduce conflicts between trapping activities and public recreation by creating physical buffers around developed sites.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentEstablishes setback distances to protect wildlife near recreation areas, aligning with conservation goals by reducing human-wildlife conflict in sensitive zones.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Environment

Track

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 658: Revise local board of health sanitation powers and rules

HB 658 would have limited local health boards' authority to create sanitation rules stricter than state standards, affecting communities that previously could enforce tougher local requirements. It specifically protected existing subsurface wastewater systems (like septic systems) from being subject to new local rule changes. The bill amended Montana law (sections 50-2-116 and 50-2-130) to remove local boards' ability to adopt more stringent sanitation regulations and to ensure current systems remain exempt from future rule updates. This change would have shifted regulatory authority toward state standards for wastewater and sanitation compliance.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill restricts local health boards' ability to create stricter sanitation rules than state standards, weakening local environmental protections for water/pollution control.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

Track

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

Track

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 932: Generally revise conservation financing laws

House Bill 932 revises laws related to funding for conservation efforts, primarily by reallocating a portion of the state's marijuana tax revenue. The bill establishes a new Habitat Legacy Account, which receives 20% of the net balance from the Marijuana State Special Revenue Account after an initial transfer. Funds from this Habitat Legacy Account are then distributed into three other new accounts. These accounts are dedicated to securing wildlife habitat, funding wildlife improvement projects, and supporting the design and construction of big game and wildlife highway crossings to enhance animal movement and safety. The Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks is responsible for administering these new accounts.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill creates Habitat Legacy Account using marijuana tax revenue to fund wildlife habitat conservation and improvement projects, directly advancing environmental protection through dedicated funding streams.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Environment

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 685: Feasibility allowance for nondegradation policy

HB 685 establishes a "feasibility allowance" as part of the state's water quality nondegradation policy. This allows individuals or entities seeking to degrade high-quality state waters to request this allowance when working to meet water quality standards. The bill revises certain definitions, including expanding who is considered an "interested person" to include those requesting such an allowance. It also amends administrative rules and grants rulemaking authority to the Department of Environmental Quality to implement these new provisions, directly affecting industries and projects that impact state waters.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentAllows degradation of high-quality waters via 'feasibility allowance,' weakening nondegradation policy protections for water quality.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 923: Revise categorical exclusions from nondegradation authorization

HB 923 directs the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to amend its administrative rules by January 1, 2026. This amendment will create a new categorical exclusion from nondegradation authorization requirements. This exclusion applies to areas where a county commission demonstrates it has prohibited drinking water wells and ensures absorption trenches are at least 1,000 feet from downstream high-quality surface waters. The bill also appropriates $10,000 to the DEQ to implement these rule changes and provide guidance.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentCreates categorical exclusion from nondegradation rules, reducing regulatory requirements for water protection near development sites.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 684: Eliminate deadline for water quality data review

HB 684 eliminates a specific deadline that previously required the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to review data used for water quality assessments. This bill amends Section 75-5-702, MCA, removing the requirement for the DEQ to complete these data reviews within a set timeframe. This change primarily affects the DEQ's operational procedures for monitoring state waters and assessing their quality, as well as individuals and entities who submit water quality data for review.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentEliminates mandatory deadline for DEQ water quality data reviews, weakening oversight and environmental accountability procedures.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment