SB 277 would have prohibited Montana public employers from deducting union dues, fees, or political contributions from public employees' paychecks or assisting in collecting these payments. It directly affects public employees, labor organizations, and political committees by eliminating payroll deduction as a method for these payments. The bill would have made it an "unfair labor practice" for public employers to handle such deductions or for labor organizations to request them. This policy change would have shifted responsibility for collecting dues and contributions entirely to employees and organizations, removing public employers from the process.
This Montana bill revises rules for issuing antlerless elk hunting licenses. It sets a $20 fee for resident antlerless elk tags (Class A-9) and $270 for nonresident tags (Class B-12), allowing residents to purchase up to four such tags annually. The bill maintains the existing limit of one antlered elk per hunter per year while clarifying fee structures and administrative procedures for these licenses. These changes directly affect Montana hunters purchasing antlerless elk tags under the state's hunting regulations.
SB 229 (Montana) revises rules for Montana's Department of Public Health and Human Services during child abuse and neglect investigations. It prohibits the department from removing a child using temporary investigative authority, requiring separate court petitions for removal under emergency procedures instead. The bill specifies that temporary investigations cannot exceed 90 days and must follow standard court service rules. This directly affects child welfare investigations, courts, and families involved in abuse/neglect cases by clarifying when removal can legally occur. The bill amended Section 41-3-433, MCA, to explicitly separate investigative authority from child removal powers.
This bill would have repealed a 2023 law (Section 7, Chapter 187) that was set to terminate Montana's chemical dependency treatment voucher program. It aimed to prevent the program's end by removing the termination provision, ensuring continued funding for individuals seeking substance use disorder treatment. The bill specified immediate effectiveness upon approval but did not become law. It died in the legislative process in May 2025, so the voucher program's termination date remains in effect as originally scheduled under the 2023 law.
This bill (SJ 30) is a joint resolution requesting an interim study of Montana's child abuse and neglect registry system. It does not change current law but directs a legislative committee to examine key issues, including the lack of an expungement process for individuals with substantiated reports (violating federal law), the duration records remain on the registry, and due process protections like notice, hearings, and access to counsel. The study would also review the implementation of a new expungement process from SB 468 (2025) and recommend changes to better balance child safety with individuals' rights to employment and community participation. The resolution was referred to committee but died in May 2025 without moving forward.
SB 494 would require Montana election administrators to test new voting systems for functionality before use and after major changes like upgrades or hardware transfers. It mandates that administrators print, examine, and retain voting system audit logs and vote records for 22 months, with certain logs required to be kept permanently as public records. The bill also specifies that counties using vote-counting machines must retain these audit logs in perpetuity for public access. These changes aim to improve election transparency and verification by standardizing how voting system data is documented and preserved.
SB 557 would have required Montana's Commissioner of Political Practices to create and maintain a public website allowing voters to opt out of receiving political campaign mailings. Political committees and party organizations would have been required to pay a fee to cover the website's costs, and the list of opt-outs would have been shared with these groups. The bill aimed to streamline the opt-out process while funding the system through fees paid by political entities. This bill died in committee on May 23, 2025, and was never enacted.
SB 371 would create a tax incentive by allowing Montana taxpayers to subtract income from Montana-produced goods from their individual and corporate income tax calculations. It directly affects businesses and individuals selling goods manufactured or grown within Montana, reducing their taxable income for those specific sales. The bill amends Montana's tax code to define "Montana-produced goods" and establish this subtraction as a specific adjustment to federal taxable income. This policy change aims to support local producers by lowering their state tax burden on sales of locally made products.
SB 272 proposes rules for child protection specialists in Montana, directly affecting these professionals and the parents, foster parents, and guardians they interact with. The bill prohibits specialists from threatening people with criminal charges to stop them from contesting child abuse cases or blocking foster placements/guardianship based on protected actions like offering legal advice or testifying. It also requires specialists to use unbiased professionals when coordinating services and creates a complaint process through the Child and Family Ombudsman for alleged violations. The bill further restricts public access to certain complaint investigation documents and hearings. (Note: The bill died in committee and did not become law.)
SB 367 would have revised Montana's child welfare system by strengthening citizen review boards for neglect (DN) cases. It required courts to notify families of their right to a review board if a child isn't returned home after a show-cause hearing, mandated at least one board per county, and required boards to meet quarterly. The bill also required the court administrator to establish minimum board staffing and added a process where courts must hold hearings if the Department of Public Health and Human Services ignores board recommendations. This bill died in committee in May 2025 and did not become law.
SB 189 lowers property tax rates for specific categories in Montana. It reduces the tax rate for Class Three agricultural land from 2.16% to 1.85% of its agricultural value, and cuts the standard residential tax rate from 1.35% to 0.76% of market value (with a reduced rate for homes over $1.5 million). Commercial property tax rates also decrease, from a previous 1.4x multiplier to 1.35% of market value. The bill applies retroactively to 2025 tax years, meaning affected property owners may receive refunds for past taxes paid under the higher rates. It directly impacts Montana landowners with agricultural properties, residential homes (especially higher-value ones), and commercial properties.
SB 421 would require landlords to refund residential lease application fees within 20 days if a tenant does not sign a rental agreement. It directly affects tenants who pay application fees and landlords/managers who collect them. Key provisions include allowing landlords to deduct only verified out-of-pocket costs (like credit checks, capped at $25) for services actually performed, mandating written fee breakdowns at collection, and permitting tenants to sue for wrongful withholding with attorney fees. The bill aims to prevent landlords from keeping fees for unperformed services or vague charges. (Note: This bill died in process on May 23, 2025, per recent actions.)
