HB 363 Montana House · 2025 Regular Session

Generally revise laws relating to selection of public service commissioners

HB 363 aimed to revise the selection process for the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC). It proposed changing the PSC's composition from five entirely elected members to two elected members and three members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate. The bill outlined specific districts for the elected commissioners and established 6-year terms with term limits for all commissioners. Additionally, it introduced new qualifications for appointed commissioners, requiring industry expertise and prohibiting recent professional or financial ties to entities regulated by the commission.

Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 31, 2025 Last action May 20, 2025

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What changed between versions

LC1474.pdf → HB0363_1.pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates the Montana Public Service Commission by clarifying that two members are elected on a partisan basis from specific districts and three are appointed by the governor. It corrects a typo in the term length for elected commissioners from '4 years 6 years' to '4 years' and adjusts the term limit calculation to apply an 8-year limit over 16 years instead of 12 years over 24 years. The bill also reorganizes the vacancy appointment process to ensure appointees match the political party of the former incumbent.

Scope change

The bill maintains the scope of regulating the Public Service Commission but clarifies the selection method and corrects numerical errors in term limits.

ELIGIBILITY

Clarified that two commission members must be elected on a partisan basis from specific geographic districts.

REQUIREMENT

Corrected the term length for elected commissioners from an ambiguous '4 years 6 years' to '4 years'.

Changed the term limit for elected commissioners from 12 years in a 24-year period to 8 years in a 16-year period.

Reorganized vacancy appointment rules to explicitly require the governor to appoint a replacement from the same political party as the former incumbent.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 19, 2025

Amended

(H) Tabled in Committee - (H) Energy, Technology and Federal Relations

lower

Jan 31, 2025

Committee

(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Energy, Technology and Federal Relations

lower

Jan 31, 2025

Introduced

(H) Introduced

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors