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 93 sought to establish a system for compensating individuals who were wrongly convicted of felony crimes and later exonerated. It would allow eligible claimants, defined as those imprisoned for felonies they did not commit, to file a civil action against the state or county of conviction. To receive compensation, claimants would need to prove their actual innocence by a preponderance of the evidence and waive other legal remedies against the state. The bill also provided for a $5,000 transition assistance grant, expungement of the conviction, and outlined how damages and legal costs would be paid, excluding compensation for crimes that are now legal.
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 393 appropriates $6 million from the state's general fund for the biennium starting July 1, 2025, to reimburse expenditures related to felony criminal jurisdiction on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The funding is distributed to Lake County and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Initial funds are contingent upon Lake County rescinding its resolution to withdraw from Public Law 280. Further distributions require an agreement between the state, Lake County, and the Tribes addressing cost-sharing for Public Law 280 implementation within Lake County, and Lake County's ability to withdraw consent for jurisdiction is restricted until at least June 2027.
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.
