SB 175 Montana Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Allowing for streamlined public hearing notice process when revising zoning

SB 175 revises the procedures for a Board of County Commissioners to adopt or amend zoning regulations. The bill establishes a separate, streamlined process for amending existing zoning regulations, distinct from the procedure for creating new zoning districts or initial regulations. For amendments, a public hearing notice must be posted at least 15 days beforehand and published weekly for two weeks in a local newspaper. This notice must describe the proposed changes and where to inspect the relevant documents. The bill requires a public meeting and notice before a board can adopt a resolution to amend a zoning regulation.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
Apr 2025
Introduced Jan 20, 2025 Signed Apr 17, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB0175_2(9).pdf SB0175_X.pdf · 4 edits
MODERATE
This bill updates the legal procedures for county commissioners to change zoning rules, ensuring public notice and hearings are held before any amendments are adopted. It clarifies the specific content required in public notices and standardizes the timeline for public comments, making the process more transparent and consistent for all zoning changes.
Scope change
The bill applies to all county commissioners in Montana when they adopt or amend zoning regulations or district boundaries.
REQUIREMENT

Changed the notice requirement for amending zoning regulations from 15 days to 45 days, matching the timeline used for creating new zoning districts.

Updated the description of changes in the public notice to require a 'general description' instead of 'specific' changes, allowing for broader public understanding.

Reordered and renumbered the procedural steps to align the amendment process with the procedure for establishing new zoning districts.

TECHNICAL

Removed redundant text and corrected formatting inconsistencies between the original draft and the enrolled version.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 7, 2025 · House Apr 1, 2025

How they voted

490
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 50
Feb 7, 2025
D Democratic18
17 Yea 1
94% Yea
R Republican32
32 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
37
Key actions
9
Committee
6
Apr 16, 2025
Signed into law
(S) Signed by Governor
upper
Apr 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Signed by Speaker
lower
Apr 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Signed by President
upper
Apr 1, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (97-2-1)
house
Mar 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Local Government
lower
Mar 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Local Government
lower
Feb 10, 2025
Committee
(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Local Government
lower
Feb 7, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (49-0-1)
senate
Feb 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Report - (S) Local Government
upper
Feb 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Local Government
upper
Jan 21, 2025
Committee
(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Local Government
upper
Jan 20, 2025
Introduced
(S) Introduced
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Forrest Mandeville
Forrest Mandeville
RRepublican
MT
28