Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 521: Generally revise civil liability laws

HB 521 revises civil liability laws by establishing that a person convicted of a crime has no legal right to sue for injuries or other damages they sustained during the commission of that crime. This means individuals cannot recover damages through a civil lawsuit if their injuries occurred while they were actively committing a crime for which they were later convicted. The bill specifies that this new provision will be codified as part of Title 27, chapter 1, part 5 of the state's legal code.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticePrevents convicted criminals from suing for crime-related injuries, directly reducing defendant rights per bill's explicit language.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 710: Generally revise laws related to the judiciary

HB 710 revises laws related to the judiciary. It allows Supreme Court justices or District Court judges to issue subpoenas at the request of Internet Crimes Against Children task force officers for investigations into the sexual exploitation of a minor, enabling access to specific digital information. The bill also allocates the Judicial Standards Commission to the Department of Justice for administrative purposes and prohibits a judge on the commission from serving as its presiding officer. Furthermore, it establishes that a legislative act challenged as unconstitutional must be upheld by courts unless the challenger demonstrates its unconstitutionality "beyond a reasonable doubt."

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill enables law enforcement access to digital evidence via judicial subpoenas for child exploitation cases, strengthening investigations. Reorganizes judicial oversight to enhance court integrity within criminal justice system.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 493: Establish the crime of possession of stolen firearm or ammunition

HB 493 establishes a new criminal offense for the purposeful and knowing possession, receipt, concealment, storage, sale, or disposal of a stolen firearm or stolen ammunition. Individuals convicted of possessing a stolen firearm may face imprisonment in state prison for up to 10 years. The bill also amends existing law to allow youths aged 16 or older accused of this new offense to be tried in adult court. Additionally, it includes possession of a stolen firearm or ammunition in the definition of offenses that can constitute a "pattern of criminal street gang activity."

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new felony with 10-year prison term for stolen firearm possession, expands criminalization, and allows 16+ youth to be tried as adults, increasing penalties and restricting defendant rights.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 102: Revise laws related to public defenders for clarity

HB 102 revises the laws governing the Office of State Public Defender, affecting its organizational structure and operations. It establishes a distinction between "conflict" and "nonconflict" regional public defender offices and updates the duties of various division administrators. Key provisions include new responsibilities for administrators in developing strategic plans, managing caseloads, and establishing policies for assigning cases based on experience and complexity, including capital cases. The bill also modifies the Central Services Division's role to include managing contracted services and agency training efforts. These changes aim to clarify how public defense services are delivered to indigent clients.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens public defender system by clarifying roles, improving case assignment, and enhancing defendant representation, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 475: Regulate restraints on women while giving childbirth

House Bill 475 restricts the use of physical restraints on inmates known to be pregnant during labor and delivery. It generally prohibits restraints unless there are extraordinary circumstances, such as an individualized determination that the inmate is a flight risk or poses a clear threat to themselves or others. Even in these cases, leg or waist restraints are strictly prohibited. The bill also requires that any applied restraints be the least restrictive necessary and removed when the risk is mitigated or at the request of a healthcare professional.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestricts physical restraints on pregnant inmates during childbirth, advancing humane corrections practices and protecting civil rights in custody.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRestricts unnecessary restraints on pregnant inmates during labor, protecting maternal health access and safety during childbirth, aligning with healthcare patient rights.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 415: Revise laws on a judge's ability to provide bail to certain defendants

HB 415 revises the laws concerning a judge's ability to admit defendants to bail. The bill specifically limits a judge's authority to grant or continue bail for individuals who have an active warrant from another jurisdiction. This means defendants with outstanding warrants from other jurisdictions will not be eligible for bail in the current proceeding.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRestricts bail eligibility for defendants with active warrants, reducing defendant rights without reform intent.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 612: Generally revise criminal procedure laws

HB 612 revises criminal procedure laws concerning the revocation of suspended or deferred sentences, impacting offenders who violate their probation terms. The bill mandates that if a suspended or deferred sentence is revoked, any new sentence imposed will run consecutively to an existing sentence, unless the original sentence was already running concurrently. It also outlines procedures for revocation hearings, including offender rights and the prosecution's burden of proof. Additionally, the bill defines specific types of violations, such as "absconding" and "compliance violations," and applies these provisions to all offenders facing sentence revocation.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill mandates consecutive sentencing for probation violations, increasing punishment severity. Opposes reform by making sentences harsher and reducing leniency for offenders.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 344: Revise criminal laws.

HB 344 establishes a new type of driving under the influence (DUI) offense. This offense applies to both noncommercial and commercial drivers found to have a specified amount of prohibited substances, other than alcohol or marijuana, in their blood or other bodily fluids while operating a vehicle. The bill amends existing laws regarding drug concentration standards, driver rehabilitation program eligibility, and penalties for driving with a suspended or revoked license to incorporate this new offense.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill creates new DUI offense for drugs (non-alcohol/marijuana), expanding criminalization. This aligns with 'oppose' indicator of expanding criminalization.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · Senate May 5, 2025

SB 487: Revising laws related to the Montana end of watch trust

SB 487 revises the laws governing the Montana End of Watch Trust, which provides support to eligible law enforcement officers and their immediate families in cases of death or catastrophic injury in the line of duty. The bill requires applications for catastrophic injury payments to include a workers' compensation determination of permanent and total disability. It also allows legal children of an officer to receive payments from the trust after turning 18 under certain circumstances. Additionally, the Department of Justice is granted rulemaking authority to administer the trust, including processes for payment distribution, application approval, and appeals.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill revises trust to fund support for officers' families, strengthening law enforcement component of criminal justice.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House Apr 18, 2025

HB 186: Increase size of parole board

HB 186 increases the size of the Montana Board of Pardons and Parole from five to six members. This bill directly affects the composition and operations of the board, which is responsible for decisions regarding parole and executive clemency. It outlines qualifications for board members, such as a college degree in a relevant field, extensive work experience in criminal justice, or a law degree. The bill also includes a transition plan for appointing the new sixth member, who will serve an initial term ending in January 2029, with subsequent full 6-year terms.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeIncreases parole board size and mandates criminal justice expertise for members, improving decision-making in parole/clemency - aligns with reform goals like expert oversight and fairer sentencing.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice