SB 73 Montana Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Generally revise laws relating to protective care

SB 73 amends Montana's child protective services law to improve communication and process for children placed in protective care. It requires agencies placing a child in protective care to notify prehearing conference facilitators within 24 hours (new requirement) and mandates a prehearing conference before emergency protective services hearings. The bill also strengthens parent notifications, detailing hearing timelines, contact information, and rights - including the right to request kinship foster care - while adding specific provisions for cases involving domestic violence. These changes directly affect child protection agencies, parents, courts, and children in emergency removal situations under Montana law.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Dec 2024
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Signed into Law
Apr 2025
Introduced Dec 27, 2024 Signed Apr 4, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB0073_X(3).pdf SB0073_X(4).pdf · 1 edit
MINOR
The bill text shows a minor formatting adjustment where a line break was removed from the summary description, merging the prehearing conference provision with the amendment sections into a single continuous line. This change does not alter the substantive legal content, scope, or policy of the bill.
TECHNICAL

A line break was removed in the bill title/summary, changing the text from two separate lines to one continuous line.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 30, 2025 · House Mar 19, 2025

How they voted

490
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 50
Jan 30, 2025
D Democratic18
18 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican32
31 Yea 1
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
41
Key actions
9
Committee
6
Apr 3, 2025
Signed into law
(S) Signed by Governor
upper
Mar 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Signed by Speaker
lower
Mar 24, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Signed by President
upper
Mar 19, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (98-0-2)
house
Feb 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Human Services
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Human Services
lower
Jan 31, 2025
Committee
(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Human Services
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (49-0-1)
senate
Jan 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Report - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
upper
Jan 25, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
upper
Jan 7, 2025
Committee
(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
upper
Dec 27, 2024
Introduced
(S) Introduced
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Mike Yakawich
Mike Yakawich
RRepublican
MT
24