Audit State Bar of Montana

Changed the audit description from a general 'performance audit' to a 'performance FINANCIAL audit'.

Added a prohibition preventing the audit from examining confidential or sensitive files, including attorney trust accounts, character and fitness reports, disciplinary files, assistance program files, and mandatory continuing legal education files.

Updated the bill number from HB 65.1 to HB0065.2 and adjusted the header formatting.

Removed a specific clause prohibiting the audit from examining confidential files, including attorney disciplinary files, character and fitness reports, and mandatory continuing legal education files.

Retained a prohibition on auditing law firm trust accounts and tax information, ensuring financial privacy remains protected despite the expanded scope.

Changed the bill number from HB 65.2 to HB 65.1 and adjusted line numbering and formatting throughout the document.

Added 'Attorney Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Files' as a new category of files subject to the audit.

Renumbered internal sections and subsections to accommodate the new text insertion.

Added 'Attorney Assistance Program Files' as a specific subject of the audit.

Removed 'Character and Fitness Reports' from the list of audit subjects.

Reordered the list of audit subjects from (D) and (E) to (C) and (D), shifting the numbering of subsequent sections.

The audit type was changed from a general performance audit to a specific financial audit.

A new restriction was added prohibiting the examination of confidential files, including trust accounts, character reports, and disciplinary records.

The bill number was updated from HB 65 to HB0065.2.

The bill title and number were changed from LC 0619 to HB 65.1, and the primary sponsor was identified as L. Deming.

The audit language was refined to explicitly state that the report must track how much money is received from each source and how each specific dollar from that source is spent.

The deadline for completing the audit was slightly rephrased to 'no later than December 15, 2026' instead of 'by and no later than December 15, 2026', though the final date remains the same.