Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · House May 13, 2025

HB 718: Generally revise laws relating to incarceration

HB 718 establishes an Office of Reentry Services within the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. This office is tasked with coordinating supportive services for individuals preparing to exit or exiting incarceration and reentering communities. Its purpose is to facilitate access to programs like job training, job placement, education, housing assistance, transportation, food security, and behavioral health services. The office will collaborate with various state agencies, companies, and stakeholder organizations to achieve these goals. It also requires the department to submit regular reports to legislative committees detailing the services provided, their cost, and the number of individuals served.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEstablishes reentry services office to coordinate job training, housing, and health programs, directly reducing recidivism through rehabilitation support.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 300: Providing protections for service dogs and handlers

SB 300 provides new legal protections for service animals and their handlers. The bill establishes specific offenses for harassing, harming, or taking unauthorized control of a service animal. Individuals convicted of these offenses face misdemeanor penalties and are required to pay full restitution for all related damages and expenses incurred by the handler. Additionally, it amends existing state laws to include service animals in definitions related to vicious dogs and owner liability for dog bites.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates new criminal offenses for service animal harassment with penalties/restitution, directly strengthening legal protections within criminal justice framework.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 19: Revise sentencing laws related to theft

SB 19 revises sentencing laws for several offenses, including theft, failure to return rented or leased personal property, issuing bad checks, deceptive practices, forgery, and identity theft. The bill directly affects individuals charged with these crimes by modifying the legal framework for their penalties. A key provision of the bill is raising the monetary thresholds that determine the severity of penalties for these offenses. It also revises the definition of "common scheme" within the state's legal code.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRaising monetary thresholds for theft penalties reduces severity of charges, aligning with criminal justice reform goals of reducing non-violent incarceration.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · Senate May 8, 2025

SB 217: Establish work time credit for probationers and parolees

SB 217 establishes a system for probationers and parolees to reduce their supervision period by earning "work time credit." Individuals can earn 1 day of credit for every 40-hour workweek of eligible employment, provided they comply with all supervision conditions and are current on court-ordered payments. Probationers and parolees must provide documentation of their employment for verification by their supervising officer. However, any awarded credit can be revoked if the individual violates a supervision condition or is charged with a new felony or serious misdemeanor offense. This credit system does not apply to individuals under lifetime supervision or those required to register as sexual or violent offenders.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeReduces supervision time via work credits, promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism - key criminal justice reform indicators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · Senate May 8, 2025

SB 282: Limit state government use of personal electronic data

SB 282 revises state and local government's ability to obtain and use electronic communications and data from electronic devices. The bill prohibits governmental entities from purchasing various types of electronic data, such as geolocation or sensitive data, without a search warrant or investigative subpoena. It generally requires a search warrant to obtain stored data from an electronic device or to compel disclosure of electronic communications from service providers, though exceptions exist for situations like owner consent or emergencies. Evidence obtained in violation of these provisions would be inadmissible, and collected communications must be deleted after the conclusion of criminal proceedings.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires warrants for government data access, protecting privacy rights and limiting law enforcement overreach in criminal investigations per Criminal Procedure subject.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRequires warrants for government access to electronic data, strengthening privacy protections per bill's core provisions on data collection limits.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · Senate May 8, 2025

SB 30: Revise laws related to Judiciary and rule of necessity

SB 30 revises laws concerning judicial conflicts of interest and recusal for judicial officers in legal proceedings. The bill specifies that the legal doctrine of the rule of necessity cannot be used by a judicial officer to avoid recusal due to a conflict of interest if other judicial officers with less significant conflicts are available to serve as substitutes. This change aims to ensure that cases are heard by judges with minimal potential conflicts, building upon existing rules for recusal based on campaign contributions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill ensures judicial impartiality by mandating recusal when conflicts exist, promoting fair court proceedings in criminal cases per criminal justice reform indicators.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · Senate May 8, 2025

SB 444: Generally revise criminal procedure laws

SB 444 revises criminal procedure laws related to search warrants. It amends existing law to require law enforcement officers to show a search warrant to a known lawful occupant of a property when a search is being conducted. This change ensures that occupants present during a search are directly presented with the warrant. The bill maintains the requirement for officers to provide a copy of the warrant and a receipt for any seized property.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires officers to show warrant to lawful occupant, protecting civil rights and enhancing police accountability during searches.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Montana · Senate May 8, 2025

SB 70: Generally revise laws related to supervision on probation

SB 70 revises laws related to conditions of probation and parole supervision. The bill allows a probation and parole officer to remove a condition of supervision without a formal court hearing if the sentencing court, probationer, or county attorney does not object. This change requires the Department of Corrections to notify victims when such a condition is removed. It streamlines the process for adjusting probation conditions, directly affecting individuals under supervision, probation officers, and victims.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeStreamlines probation condition adjustments without court hearings, reducing bureaucratic delays and supporting rehabilitation-focused supervision.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

passed both · Montana · House May 6, 2025

HJ 1: Resolution urging Congress to fully fund law enforcement in Indian Country

House Joint Resolution 1 (HJ 1) is a resolution from the Montana Legislature urging the United States Congress to fully fund public safety and law enforcement agencies and programs within Montana's Indian reservations. It also calls on the U.S. Department of Justice to collaborate with the Department of the Interior and consult with tribal governments to improve the administration and funding of tribal justice systems, including courts and victim services. The resolution further invites Montana's tribal governments and requests the Governor to send supporting communications to Congress, which the Montana Secretary of State will then compile and forward.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly urges full federal funding for law enforcement and tribal justice systems, directly advocating for increased government spending on essential public safety programs.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill explicitly urges full funding for tribal law enforcement and justice systems (courts, victim services), directly strengthening criminal justice infrastructure per resolution language.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed both · Montana · Senate May 6, 2025

SJ 36: Study dependent neglect standards for prosecutors

Senate Joint Resolution 36 (SJ 36) requests an interim study on standardizing the prosecution of dependent neglect and child abuse cases in Montana. The study will evaluate the feasibility of expanding the Department of Justice's Child Protection Unit to handle these cases statewide. This aims to address inconsistencies in how these cases are currently handled across different judicial districts. The goal is to improve outcomes for children, ensure due process for all parties, and enhance the overall effectiveness and fairness of Montana's child welfare system. The final results of this study will be reported to the 70th Legislature.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill proposes study to standardize prosecution of child neglect/abuse cases, aiming to improve consistency, due process, and outcomes - aligning with criminal justice reform goals.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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