Maddy summaryThis bill, titled "Montana Family Legacy Home Act" (SB 500), clarifies administrative rules for selling Montana state-owned cabin and home site properties, directly affecting current lessees of these properties. It reduces the required deposit (bid bond) for prospective buyers from 20% to 5% of the sale price and allows current lessees to cancel a sale with 10 days' notice (unless another bid is placed), while requiring lessees to pay upfront for sale preparation costs (like appraisals or surveys). If the lessee doesn’t buy the property, they get their costs refunded; if someone else buys it, the new owner pays the actual costs at closing. The bill also exempts cabin/home site sales from standard environmental review requirements and makes the state cover survey costs upfront.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySB 527, the "Building Families Act," would require most health insurance plans in Montana to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), up to a $25,000 lifetime limit. It directly affects insured Montanans seeking infertility care by mandating coverage for these services without extra deductibles, copays, or restrictions that differ from standard medical coverage. The bill defines infertility based on medical guidelines and prohibits insurers from imposing unique limitations on fertility treatments compared to other prescription drugs or services. It applies to all small group, large group, and individual health plans sold in Montana that cover medical expenses.
Maddy summarySB 566 (Montana) would regulate private companies that transport children, requiring them to register annually with the Department of Public Health and Human Services and pay a fee. Companies must notify the department 48 hours before transporting a child, providing details like the child’s name, parent contact, and driver information, while prohibiting physical/chemical restraints or visual impairment (e.g., blindfolds). The department would maintain transport records for 10 years, share them with law enforcement for human trafficking investigations, and publish a public list of registered providers. This bill directly affects secure youth transportation companies, aiming to enhance child safety and support trafficking prevention through transparency and record-keeping.
Maddy summarySB 501, the "Keep Montanans Housed Act," would require Montana landlords to offer tenants the first opportunity to purchase their rental property before selling to a third party. Landlords must provide tenants with a written offer at a price comparable to market value or appraised value within 45 days, allowing tenants to challenge the offer using their own appraiser at their expense. The bill would directly affect tenants in qualifying rental units and landlords seeking to sell or vacate properties for demolition, repurposing, or sale. However, the bill died in committee on May 23, 2025, and never became law, so these provisions remain inactive.
Maddy summarySB 84 revises Montana's rules for presentence investigations, which are reports courts use to inform sentencing decisions. It requires courts to order these investigations after guilty pleas or convictions for most felonies (unless a recent report exists), sets a 30-day deadline for reports, and adds specific requirements: mental health evaluations for defendants claiming mental impairment at the time of offense, and psychosexual evaluations for certain sex offense convictions. The bill directly affects courts, probation officers, and defendants, particularly those with mental health considerations or sex offense convictions. It clarifies when investigations are mandatory, streamlines reporting timelines, and ensures key evaluations are included in sentencing considerations.
Maddy summarySB 502 would have prohibited investment firms (defined as corporations or trusts investing pooled capital) from entering contracts to purchase single-family homes listed for sale within the first 45 days of listing. Sellers could void such contracts at any time before full execution. The bill directly affected investment firms seeking to buy homes and homeowners listing properties. However, the bill died in committee in May 2025 and never became law.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a formal process for appointing a "benefits custodian" to manage workers' compensation payments for minors under 18 or adults legally declared unable to manage their own affairs. It allows any party (like a claimant or insurer) to petition a workers' compensation judge directly for this appointment, without needing to first resolve other payment disputes. The judge would then oversee how benefits are received and distributed on behalf of these vulnerable individuals. This amendment clarifies and expands existing Montana law to ensure proper handling of payments for those who cannot manage them themselves.
Maddy summarySB 565 creates a permanent Montana Endowment for Early Childhood, funded by quarterly state transfers and fees from renewed childcare facility licenses. It establishes a 7-member board (including state agency staff and community representatives) to manage the endowment and allocate funds from the Montana Early Childhood Account. The bill directs funds toward grants for childcare workforce development, quality improvements (like safety upgrades), affordability programs (including subsidies), and emergency assistance for childcare providers. These funds directly support early childhood programs, providers, and families accessing childcare services across Montana.
Maddy summarySB 89 establishes a dedicated "Sexual and Violent Offender Presentence Investigation and Reporting Unit" within Montana's Department of Corrections to handle investigations for specific offenses. The unit, staffed by probation and parole officers, must complete presentence reports within 30 business days for defendants convicted of sexual offenses (as defined in §46-23-502) or violent offenses (as defined in §46-23-502). This ensures courts receive timely, thorough reports to consider during sentencing for these cases, replacing the previous system where general probation officers handled such investigations. The bill also updates existing law to mandate these investigations and includes related provisions for psychosexual evaluations, with costs typically paid by the defendant.
Maddy summarySenate Bill 413 creates the crime of "disclosing explicit synthetic media," also known as deepfakes, directly affecting individuals who create or share AI-generated content and protecting those falsely depicted. The bill makes it an offense to knowingly share synthetic media portraying an identifiable person engaged in sexual conduct or depicting intimate body parts without their consent, if it would cause substantial emotional distress. It also criminalizes disclosing such media with intent to harass or threaten, or possessing and threatening to disclose it for extortion. Penalties include fines and jail time, with increased penalties for repeat offenses or if the depicted person is under 18, though exceptions exist for reporting crimes, research, or legal proceedings.