SB 473 prohibits most weather modification activities in Montana, specifically banning large-scale "geoengineering" projects like spraying particles into the atmosphere to alter climate (e.g., stratospheric aerosol injection or marine cloud brightening). It exempts established cloud seeding practices used for agriculture and snowmaking under existing law (85-3-101 through 85-3-424). The bill directly affects researchers, companies, or entities conducting weather-altering experiments within Montana’s borders. Key provisions ban intentionally releasing chemicals or devices for weather control, temperature modification, or sunlight intensity changes, except for permitted cloud seeding. The law takes immediate effect upon enactment.
SB 522 aimed to reduce or eliminate waiting lists for Medicaid-covered services in Montana by requiring the Department of Health to implement funding changes, apply for federal waivers, and prioritize services like senior care, behavioral health, and dental care. It mandated annual reports tracking waiting list sizes, ongoing efforts to address them, and projected elimination dates. The bill died in committee on May 23, 2025, without becoming law. It did not alter existing Medicaid eligibility but focused on administrative and programmatic solutions to service access delays.
SB 285 updates Montana's administrative rules for child care licensing to align with current state statutes. It changes terminology (e.g., "child care center" becomes "day-care center") and removes references to school-age care from the rules. The bill directs the Department of Public Health and Human Services to revise specific rule sections to match statutory definitions in Montana law. These changes primarily affect child care providers, licensing staff, and the department managing day-care facility regulations.
SB 269, a proposed Montana bill, would have revised regulations for family day-care homes (caring for 3-8 children) and group day-care homes (caring for 9-15 children). It would have required providers to maintain liability insurance, submit annual safety inspections, follow strict vaccination and medication policies, prohibit corporal punishment, ensure smoke-free environments, and implement emergency plans. The bill also mandated visible child abuse hotline displays, background checks, and prohibited the Department of Public Health from creating stricter rules than the law. The bill died in process on May 23, 2025, and never became law.
SB 274 expands Montana's disabled veteran property tax assistance program to include veterans rated 60% to 90% disabled (previously limited to 100% disabled), directly affecting eligible veterans and surviving spouses. It revises eligibility definitions in Sections 15-6-301 and 15-6-311, MCA, to clarify qualifying income levels and requires annual adjustments using the PCE inflation factor to maintain benefit value. The bill also specifies that surviving spouses must provide VA documentation showing the veteran was rated 60%+ disabled at death. The changes would apply to property tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, with the bill taking effect immediately upon enactment.
SB 268 renews and modifies Montana's Task Force on Dependency and Neglect Court Systems, extending its work until September 15, 2026 (previously ending in 2025). The bill increases the task force from 12 to 15 members, including legislative appointees, judges, tribal representatives, child welfare specialists, and others with direct experience in child protection systems. The task force must study whether a separate dependency and neglect court system would better serve children and families than enhancements to the existing court system, examining factors like funding, court structure, and interactions with family law cases. Its final report, including recommendations for legislative action, must be submitted to the governor and legislature by September 2026.
SB 460 would have required Montana's Department of Environmental Quality to ensure protection of surface and groundwater from open-cut mining operations. The bill amended state law to specifically mandate the department adopt rules for permits, records, and inspections, and to enforce water quality and quantity standards during mining activities. This would directly affect open-cut mining operations statewide by imposing new regulatory requirements on their water protection measures. The bill did not advance beyond committee and died in the 2025 legislative session.
SB 548 would have required individuals or groups acting on behalf of foreign governments (e.g., advocating on U.S. policy, elections, or state-foreign relations) to register with Montana’s Secretary of State, pay a fee, and submit monthly reports. It also barred certain foreign corporations from receiving state economic development incentives. The bill defined key terms like "foreign agent," "foreign government," and "public policy matter" to clarify scope. However, the bill was withdrawn in March 2025 and ultimately died in process, so these requirements never took effect.
SB 507 would revise Montana's school and public library standards by prohibiting the exclusion of books from school libraries based on the creator's background, views, or partisan/ideological disapproval. It requires school districts to adopt policies for handling book objections (ensuring materials remain available during review) and mandates public libraries to ban viewpoint-based removals of materials. The bill also establishes reporting requirements for both school and public library challenges to the state superintendent or librarian. These changes directly affect school districts, public libraries, and their governing boards in Montana, aiming to protect access to diverse library resources.
SB 506 would have allowed Montana legislators to use a personal email address of their choice instead of the official legislative branch email for official communications and public contact. It required legislators who chose a personal email to manage all legislative-related communications in compliance with Montana's public records laws and the legislative branch's records management plan. The bill was procedural in nature, focusing solely on email account management, and did not involve substantive policy changes. It died in committee during the 2025 legislative session and never became law.
SB 509, the "Agricultural Embedded Software Act," requires manufacturers to treat embedded software in farm equipment (like tractors and harvesters) as sold - not licensed - to prevent restrictions on equipment use, repair, or resale. It mandates that manufacturers provide owners and independent repair shops with free access to necessary software updates, repair documentation, tools, and parts without requiring contracts or imposing unreasonable conditions. The law specifically prohibits manufacturers from using "parts pairing" or "secure release systems" to block independent repairs or restrict how farmers operate their equipment. This bill directly affects Montana farmers and repair businesses by ensuring they can maintain and repair equipment without manufacturer-imposed barriers. The bill died in process in May 2025 and was never enacted.
SB 465 clarifies funding rules for court-appointed special advocates (CASAs) who support children in custody cases. It specifically prohibits using money from the Court-Appointed Special Advocate Account to pay attorneys serving as paid special advocates, ensuring funds are reserved exclusively for CASA services. The bill amends Montana law to define "special advocate" and updates account management procedures, directly affecting CASAs, the state’s child welfare funding system, and courts managing child custody cases. These changes aim to prevent misallocation of funds while maintaining clear accountability for resources supporting child advocacy.
