Rep. Courtenay Sprunger

Maddy summaryHB 351 clarifies the point of taxation for gasoline and special fuels within the state. The bill specifies that the tax liability for these fuels is placed on the first licensed distributor who owns the fuel. This taxation occurs when the fuel is withdrawn from a refinery or terminal in the state, or when it is imported into the state. Additionally, the legislation revises various definitions related to fuel taxation and will have a delayed effective date.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 226, titled the "Legal Employment and Government Accountability Law," requires employers to verify the legal work authorization of all employees before they start working. Employers must use either the federal E-Verify program or a completed Form I-9 with supporting documents to confirm eligibility. The Department of Labor and Industry is authorized to enforce this law through investigations, audits, and rulemaking. Non-compliance can lead to civil penalties, including fines for each individual employed in violation and potential suspension of business licenses for repeat offenses. A dedicated state special revenue fund will collect these penalties to support the law's implementation and administration.

Maddy summaryHB 180 revises sanitation laws for subdivisions, focusing on "mixing zones" associated with subsurface wastewater treatment systems. The bill prohibits local boards of health from adopting regulations that would allow these mixing zones, which are areas where treated wastewater mixes with groundwater, to extend onto adjacent properties. This measure restricts the regulatory authority of local health boards and aims to protect adjacent property owners from encroachment by neighboring septic systems. It ensures that the environmental impact of such systems remains within the boundaries of the property where they are installed.

Maddy summaryHB 333 revises local law enforcement regulations for cities and towns in Montana. It requires every city and town to maintain a police department, allowing third-class cities or towns to instead contract with another local law enforcement agency. If a city or town does not have its own department or a contract, the county sheriff is required to provide law enforcement services, and the city or town must pay for these services. The bill establishes a dispute resolution process for pricing disagreements between cities/towns and sheriffs, involving moderation and potential binding arbitration.

Maddy summaryHB 417, the Montana Hunters First Act, would have required the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to study how nonresident hunters impact deer and elk hunting in Montana, including analyzing hunting pressure on public lands, license sales, and population trends. It would have mandated that all hunters report their game harvests before purchasing next year's license, with rules developed by the department. The study and report were to be completed by December 1, 2026, with the reporting requirement taking effect March 1, 2026. However, the bill was withdrawn on February 27, 2025, and never became law.