SB 136 amends Montana's criminal code (Section 45-2-211, MCA) to state that a patient's consent to physician aid in dying is not a defense to a homicide charge against the physician. The bill defines "physician aid in dying" as a physician prescribing a lethal medication for the patient to self-administer, excluding standard comfort care or withholding life-sustaining treatment. This directly affects physicians who provide such aid, making their actions prosecutable as homicide if consent is claimed as a defense. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not impact existing practices of comfort care or end-of-life treatment under Montana law.
SB 164 amends Montana's endangering the welfare of children law to prohibit specific medical treatments for children under 16. The bill bans surgical procedures, puberty blockers, and hormone therapies (like estrogen or testosterone) when used to alter a child's appearance or affirm a gender identity inconsistent with their biological sex. Violating this prohibition is classified as a felony, carrying up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, with harsher penalties if the child suffers serious injury. The law would take effect on January 1, 2026, directly affecting medical providers, caregivers, and children under 16 who might receive these treatments.
SB 324 revises vehicle registration fees for high-end vehicles, adding a 1% fee based on the vehicle's manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the first year of registration after January 1, 2026, for cars over $150,000 and motorhomes over $300,000. It directly affects owners of these high-value vehicles, replacing a flat annual add-on fee with the percentage-based assessment. Revenue from these fees will fund two specific programs: grants for bridge projects through the Department of Transportation and services for crime victims via the Board of Crime Control. The bill also updates related sections of Montana law governing registration fees and special revenue accounts.
HB 674 proposes to update the responsibilities of Montana's Code Commissioner. It would add a new duty requiring the commissioner to recommend legislation that eliminates laws from the Montana Code that courts have found to be unconstitutional and permanently blocked from being enforced. This change aims to ensure the published code reflects only valid, enforceable statutes. It directly affects the Code Commissioner's review process and the accuracy of the official state legal code.
HB 514 revises Montana's privacy in communications laws, specifically targeting the non-consensual use of sexually explicit images. The bill makes it an offense to publish, distribute, or disclose real or "digitally fabricated" sexually explicit images of an identifiable person without their consent, especially with intent to harm or extort. It also criminalizes possessing and threatening to disclose such images to obtain money or valuables. "Digitally fabricated" is defined as media created using technical means, like artificial intelligence, to falsely depict an individual engaging in sexual conduct. Penalties for these offenses range from a misdemeanor for a first conviction to a felony for subsequent convictions.
HB 621 allows local first responder entities, including police departments, sheriff's offices, fire departments, and emergency medical service providers, to establish peer support programs. These programs must have a written policy that outlines qualifications for peer supporters, defines peer support sessions, and ensures confidentiality for participants. The bill prohibits qualified peer supporters from testifying about the content of peer support sessions, with exceptions if an employee has committed or plans a crime, or indicates intent to harm themselves or others.
HB 575 revises the circumstances under which a public defender may be assigned in court proceedings. It specifically authorizes courts to assign a public defender to a parent facing involuntary termination of their parental rights. The bill also allows courts to order a public defender to serve as a member of a treatment court team. These changes expand the scope of public defender services to include these specific situations.
SB 348 revises laws related to sexual assault, primarily by increasing penalties for offenders. The bill raises the maximum fines and imprisonment terms for first, second, and third or subsequent convictions of sexual assault. A key provision mandates that individuals convicted of a second sexual assault offense must register as a sexual offender. These changes directly affect individuals convicted of sexual assault by strengthening legal consequences for the crime.
Senate Bill 413 creates the crime of "disclosing explicit synthetic media," also known as deepfakes, directly affecting individuals who create or share AI-generated content and protecting those falsely depicted. The bill makes it an offense to knowingly share synthetic media portraying an identifiable person engaged in sexual conduct or depicting intimate body parts without their consent, if it would cause substantial emotional distress. It also criminalizes disclosing such media with intent to harass or threaten, or possessing and threatening to disclose it for extortion. Penalties include fines and jail time, with increased penalties for repeat offenses or if the depicted person is under 18, though exceptions exist for reporting crimes, research, or legal proceedings.
HB 396 revises existing laws concerning bail for arrested individuals. It requires that a person must appear before a judge in a court of record before being admitted to bail, and it clarifies that interstate agreements apply in certain situations. The bill expands the criteria courts must consider when deciding whether to release or detain a defendant, adding factors like the defendant's history of absconding and the costs incurred by a government to transport them. Furthermore, it revises the factors for determining the amount of bail, including ensuring protection from bodily injury and considering a defendant's prior abscondence history.
