Interim study on the property insurance market in Montana

Added formal certification language and signature blocks for the Chief Clerk, Speaker of the House, and President of the Senate to indicate the bill has been officially enrolled and passed.

Reorganized the text structure by removing PDF-specific page headers, footers, and line numbers to create a clean, standard legislative document format.

Corrected the bill number formatting from 'HJ 61.1' to 'HJ 61' to match the final enrolled version.

Added a new clause stating that 7% of U.S. homeowners lack insurance, noting that rates are higher in Montana than in many other states.

Added a clause highlighting that Montana's Indian and other minority populations face disproportionately high wildfire risks and struggle to afford rising premiums.

Added specific statistics on wildfire frequency, noting 2,388 wildfires in 2024 and that 70% of recorded acres burned have occurred since 2000.

Added a clause stating that the number of homes in high wildfire risk areas has doubled since 1990 due to development rates of 450 homes per year.

Added a clause citing U.S. International Trade Commission data that reinsurance costs increased by up to 50% in January 2024, making it difficult for carriers to find coverage.

Changed the bill identifier from LC 3987 to HJ 61 and updated the sponsor list to include additional representatives.