SB 61 Montana Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Revise laws related to considerations for measuring of streamflow

SB 61 updates Montana's water policy to require accurate, real-time streamflow measurement for determining water availability. It affects water rights holders and state water managers by ensuring new water uses can only be approved when legally and physically available, protecting existing rights. The bill integrates these measurement standards into Montana's existing water law framework under Title 85. This policy change aims to improve the accuracy of water distribution decisions.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Dec 2024
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Feb 2025
House Passage
Feb 2025
Signed into Law
Feb 2025
Introduced Dec 16, 2024 Signed Feb 27, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB0061_2(3).pdf SB0061_2(4).pdf · 2 edits
MINOR
The bill text shows minor formatting and punctuation adjustments rather than substantive policy changes. The title line was slightly modified by removing a period at the end, and the document was restructured with the committee request moved to a different location. These appear to be administrative edits for consistency in the final version.
TECHNICAL

Minor punctuation adjustment removed a period at the end of the act title line.

Document structure was reorganized with the Water Policy Interim Committee request moved to a different position in the text.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 20, 2025 · House Feb 18, 2025

How they voted

2821
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 50
Jan 20, 2025
D Democratic18
18 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican32
10 Yea 21 Nay 1
65% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
37
Key actions
9
Committee
6
Feb 27, 2025
Signed into law
(S) Signed by Governor
upper
Feb 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Signed by Speaker
lower
Feb 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Signed by President
upper
Feb 18, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (88-11-1)
house
Feb 3, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Natural Resources
lower
Feb 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Natural Resources
lower
Jan 21, 2025
Committee
(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Natural Resources
lower
Jan 20, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (28-21-1)
senate
Jan 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Report - (S) Natural Resources
upper
Jan 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Natural Resources
upper
Jan 7, 2025
Committee
(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Natural Resources
upper
Dec 16, 2024
Introduced
(S) Introduced
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Butch Gillespie
Butch Gillespie
RRepublican
MT
9