SB 69: Revise county attorney reporting requirements for child sexual abuse - Montana

SB0069_X(3).pdf → SB0069_X(4).pdf · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text was updated to include the full chapter number (41-) in the list of sections being amended, ensuring the legislative citation is complete and accurate. This change clarifies that the new reporting requirements for childhood sexual abuse apply to the specific statutes within Chapter 41 of the Montana Code Annotated.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's applicability remains unchanged; the amendment still targets the same three sections regarding county attorney reporting.

TECHNICAL

The title of the act was corrected to explicitly state 'AMENDING SECTIONS 41-' instead of just 'AMENDING SECTIONS 41', ensuring the full chapter number is referenced in the bill's description.

SB0069_2(15).pdf → SB0069_X.pdf · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Montana's child sexual abuse reporting laws to require county attorneys to collect and retain case records for 25 years, certify receipt of reports to initial reporters, and submit detailed annual reports to the Attorney General. It expands the scope of reporting to include cases where the alleged perpetrator is 12 or older and mandates specific data points like case outcomes and prosecution decisions.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of county attorney duties to include a broader range of cases (specifically those involving alleged perpetrators aged 12 or older) and adds new mandatory reporting requirements to the Attorney General and the Law and Justice Interim Committee.

REQUIREMENT

County attorneys must now certify in writing to the initial reporter that they received a report, including the date, victim age, and gender (unless anonymous or reported by law enforcement).

The duty to provide records to the county attorney now explicitly remains active throughout the prosecution of a case involving sexual abuse or exploitation of a child.

County attorneys must retain all case notes, correspondence, evaluations, videotapes, and interviews for 25 years.

County attorneys must submit annual reports to the Attorney General by January 1 and June 1, including unique case identifiers, filing dates, charge dates, declination decisions, conviction/sentence details, and prosecution statistics.

The Attorney General must create a standardized form for these reports and submit aggregated annual summaries to the Law and Justice Interim Committee by August 15, including data on declined charges and defendant initials.

ELIGIBILITY

The requirement for county attorneys to gather and retain investigative materials now applies to reports where the alleged perpetrator is 12 years of age or older.

ENFORCEMENT

The Attorney General is authorized to take action under existing authority against county attorneys who fail to provide complete reports as required.

SB0069_2(5).pdf → SB0069_2(6).pdf · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill includes a minor formatting change to the section header, capitalizing the words 'SECTION' and 'IS' to match standard legislative style. There are no substantive policy changes, such as new requirements, funding adjustments, or eligibility criteria, as the core text of the department report requirement remains identical.

TECHNICAL

Capitalization in the section header was changed from 'section 41-3-211, MCA, is' to 'SECTION 41-3-211, MCA, IS' for consistency with legislative formatting standards.

SB0069_2(4).pdf → SB0069_2(5).pdf · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill includes minor formatting adjustments to the Attorney General's annual reporting requirements, removing unnecessary line breaks and renumbering subsections. These changes do not alter the substantive policy, scope, or legal obligations of the bill.

REQUIREMENT

Removed extra line breaks and renumbered subsection labels within the Attorney General's reporting requirements to improve document formatting.

SB0069_1(10).pdf → SB0069_2.pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill expands the scope of mandatory reporting and record-keeping for county attorneys to include cases where the alleged perpetrator is 12 or older, rather than younger. It adds new requirements for the Attorney General to track specific defendant details (like initials and sentences) and to report on cases that were not prosecuted within two years. The effective date was also changed from immediate upon passage to a specific future date.

Scope change

The bill broadens the applicability of reporting requirements to include a wider age range of alleged perpetrators (12 years or older) and introduces new tracking metrics for unprosecuted cases.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded the age threshold for mandatory reporting and record retention to include cases where the alleged perpetrator is 12 years of age or older.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement for the Attorney General to track and report the initials of defendants charged or convicted, as well as sentences imposed, based on specific reports.

Introduced a new reporting metric requiring the Attorney General to identify cases where a decision on prosecution was not made within two years of the initial report.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date of the act from immediate upon passage to a specific future date.

LC0238.pdf → SB0069_1.pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from LC 0238 to SB 69.1, indicating a transition from a committee-level legislative concept to a formal Senate bill. The text also changed from a draft format to an 'Authorized Print Version,' suggesting the bill is now ready for official printing and public distribution.

TECHNICAL

The bill identifier was updated from LC 0238 to SB 69.1, reflecting its official introduction in the Senate.

The document header was updated to include the sponsor's name, G. Lammers, and the official title 'Authorized Print Version.'

Revise county attorney reporting requirements for child sexual abuse

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors