Rep. Katie Sullivan

Maddy summaryThis bill would update Montana's hunting license regulations by adjusting application fees and modifying how nonresident hunters compete for big game licenses. It sets specific fees for drawing licenses for species like moose, mountain goat, and wild buffalo, and introduces a new preference point system where nonresidents can pay to increase their chances of getting elk or deer licenses. The bill also creates a special option for nonresident landowners who own at least 640 acres and participate in private land hunting access programs to buy an additional bonus point. These changes would take effect on March 1, 2026, and the bill currently has no further action as it died in committee.

Maddy summaryHB 945 aimed to establish the Early Childhood Education and Child Care Infrastructure Grant Program in Montana. This program would have provided up to $10 million in grants to licensed child care facilities and school districts across the state. The grants were intended to fund capital expenses, such as property acquisition, construction, renovation, and equipment purchases, to create new or expand existing child care programs. Recipients of grants $50,000 or more would have been required to provide matching funds or in-kind contributions. The bill also set limits on the maximum funding per county and per individual project.

Maddy summaryHB 263 aimed to revise laws concerning electricity rates and reporting for digital asset mining and data centers in Montana. The bill would have prevented the state's utility commission from establishing "unduly discriminatory" electricity rates for digital asset mining operations, including home mining. It also would have required non-residential data centers and digital asset mining businesses to annually report their previous year's electricity consumption and their anticipated usage for the current year. Home digital asset mining, defined as consuming less than 1 megawatt annually in residential areas, would have been exempt from these reporting requirements.

Maddy summaryHouse Joint Resolution 40 (HJ 40) is a legislative measure requesting an interim study in Montana. This study will explore the benefits and drawbacks of transferring the responsibility for producing fiscal notes - which estimate the financial impact of proposed bills - from the executive branch to the legislative branch. The Legislative Council will designate a committee to conduct this study, with support from legislative divisions. The committee is required to complete its work by September 15, 2026, and report its findings to the 70th Legislature.

Maddy summaryHB 397 establishes confidentiality standards for mental health digital services. It defines these services as mobile applications or websites that collect, use, or access information related to an individual's mental health or substance use disorder, market themselves as facilitating such services, and use the information for diagnosis, treatment, or management. The bill subjects these services to existing health care information disclosure and confidentiality provisions. It also provides for enforcement and remedies for individuals whose information is disclosed in violation of these standards.