HB 645: Require ballot issue signature gatherers to be Montana citizens and registered voters - Montana

HB0645 Legal Review Note.pdf → HB0645_1(2).pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was reformatted from a legal review note into an official act, but the substantive policy remains the same: it requires all signature gatherers for ballot initiatives to be Montana residents and registered voters. This change re-imposes a residency requirement that was previously struck down by a federal court for being too burdensome on free speech rights.

Scope change

The bill applies to all individuals gathering signatures for statewide ballot initiatives, referendums, or constitutional conventions in Montana.

REQUIREMENT

New eligibility criteria requiring signature gatherers to be both Montana residents and registered Montana voters.

Mandatory inclusion of residency and voter registration status in the signature gatherer's affidavit.

TECHNICAL

Converted the document from a legal review note to an enacted bill format with specific section amendments.

HB0645_1(1).pdf → HB0645 Legal Review Note.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The document changed from a draft legislative bill requiring signature gatherers to be Montana residents and voters to a legal review note analyzing the bill's constitutionality. The review warns that the bill likely violates the U.S. Constitution because a federal court recently struck down similar residency requirements as an unconstitutional burden on free speech.

Scope change

The document scope changed from a proposed law to a legal advisory note; the policy content of the bill remains the same but is now flagged as legally risky.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the actual text of the bill that would have required signature gatherers to be Montana residents and registered voters.

Added a legal review warning stating the bill likely violates the First Amendment based on a recent federal court ruling that struck down similar laws.

TIMELINE

Added a legal review date of February 21, 2025, indicating when the constitutionality analysis was performed.

LC1635.pdf → HB0645_1.pdf · 1 edit

MINOR

The document has been updated from a legislative committee version (LC 1635) to the official House Bill number (HB 645). This change reflects the bill's progression through the legislative process, where it was assigned a specific number and introduced by sponsors L. Schubert and B. Mitchell. These are administrative updates that formalize the bill's identity for public record and tracking.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was changed from LC 1635 to HB 645, and the bill was formally introduced by sponsors L. Schubert and B. Mitchell.

Require ballot issue signature gatherers to be Montana citizens and registered voters

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