HB 557 would revise Montana education laws to limit how schools can use teacher professional development days. Specifically, it prohibits using "pupil-instruction-related days" (PIR days) for attending state teacher organization meetings, removes the requirement for school boards to close schools for these annual meetings, and changes attendance policies so teachers who skip these meetings may not be paid. The bill directly affects public school teachers, school districts, and the state's education funding structure by altering how professional development time is structured and compensated. These changes would have taken effect July 1, 2025, but the bill died in committee on May 22, 2025.
This resolution (HJ 69) requests a study of how potential federal funding changes could impact Montana's Department of Military Affairs. It directs the Legislative Finance Committee to examine effects on the department's operations, staffing (including 252+ positions funded by federal dollars), and programs like the National Guard and disaster services. The study must report findings to the 70th Legislature by September 2026. As a procedural resolution, it does not change laws or funding but prepares for potential future decisions.
This joint resolution (HJ 73) requests an interim study to examine the long-term funding, expansion, and stability of Montana’s Block Management Program, which provides public hunting access on enrolled private lands. The study will assess current funding sustainability, landowner compensation caps, and strategies to retain landowners and expand acreage, involving stakeholders like hunters, landowners, and the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. It does not change the program directly but will inform future legislative action. The resolution was passed by the House in 2025 but died in process before moving to the Senate.
HB 36 prohibits district court judges from serving as chair (presiding officer) of Montana's Judicial Standards Commission. The bill amends Section 3-1-1101, MCA, to explicitly state that a district court judge may not hold this leadership role on the commission. The commission, composed of two judges, one attorney, and two citizen members, is responsible for overseeing judicial conduct. This change directly affects judges who might otherwise serve as commission chair, ensuring the role is held by a non-judge member.
HB 851 proposes to create a new state agency called the Department of Health Services. This new department would take over specific human services functions currently managed by the Department of Public Health and Human Services. These transferred responsibilities include the administration of developmental disabilities services, mental health services (like the Montana State Hospital), chemical dependency services, and veterans' long-term care facilities. The bill also provides an appropriation for the new department, grants it rulemaking authority, and requires its contracts to include dispute resolution clauses.
HB 223 would require Montana motor vehicle insurance policies to cover costs for recovery and debris cleanup services provided by commercial tow truck operators at accident scenes. This change directly affects commercial tow truck operators by ensuring their service costs are included in standard auto insurance coverage, rather than being paid separately by accident victims or property owners. The bill amends Montana’s insurance law (Section 61-6-103) to explicitly include these costs under existing liability policy minimums, effective October 1, 2025. The policy change applies to all auto insurance policies issued or renewed on or after that date. (Note: The bill died in process on May 22, 2025, and did not become law.)
HJ 36 is a non-binding resolution encouraging Montana's public school districts to provide cursive writing instruction to students, primarily affecting K-12 students and school administrators. It urges schools to introduce cursive as early as developmentally appropriate and maintain exposure throughout a student's education, citing cognitive benefits and the importance of reading historical documents like the Declaration of Independence. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to share it with education officials but does not mandate or fund cursive instruction. It died in committee in May 2025 and remains a symbolic gesture, not a law.
HB 247 repealed Montana Code Annotated section 27-1-223, which previously allowed lawsuits for damages related to injuries or deaths occurring during duels. The bill eliminated the legal remedy for duel-related harm, addressing an obsolete provision as dueling has been illegal for centuries. This procedural bill died in committee (died in process) after failing second reading in May 2025, with no current effect on Montana law.
HB 691 clarifies the purpose and requirements for Montana's existing criminal justice data warehouse, which collects and stores information from state and local agencies. The bill specifies that the warehouse must include detailed offender data - such as complete criminal histories, sentencing timelines, drug involvement in offenses, and pretrial release outcomes - to help officials make data-driven decisions about the justice system. State agencies, courts, and other entities are required to contribute data to the warehouse while retaining ownership of their information, with strict confidentiality protections outlined. This bill directly affects law enforcement, courts, and correctional agencies by standardizing how they share and use criminal justice data.
This bill revises laws concerning the reporting and tracking of child sexual abuse and exploitation cases. It requires county attorneys to gather all investigative materials, request assistance from the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) to identify alleged perpetrators when needed, and certify receipt of reports. County attorneys must also report detailed case statuses, including the number of reports not prosecuted, to the Attorney General twice yearly. The Attorney General is then mandated to aggregate this information and report it to specific legislative committees, while DPHHS must advise the Attorney General on uncharged cases it believes warrant prosecution.
HB 816, titled "Generally revise DUI penalties," aims to update laws related to Driving Under the Influence. The bill proposes to increase penalties for DUI offenses, directly affecting individuals convicted of these crimes. It also includes amendments to the definition of "misdemeanor" and other general definitions within the Montana Code Annotated.
HB 658 would have limited local health boards' authority to create sanitation rules stricter than state standards, affecting communities that previously could enforce tougher local requirements. It specifically protected existing subsurface wastewater systems (like septic systems) from being subject to new local rule changes. The bill amended Montana law (sections 50-2-116 and 50-2-130) to remove local boards' ability to adopt more stringent sanitation regulations and to ensure current systems remain exempt from future rule updates. This change would have shifted regulatory authority toward state standards for wastewater and sanitation compliance.
