Environment

died · Montana · Legislature May 22, 2025

LC 520: Eliminate the donation of paddlefish eggs for commercial caviar sale

This bill prohibits the donation of paddlefish eggs for use in commercial caviar production. It directly affects businesses that rely on paddlefish eggs to make and sell caviar. The key provision eliminates a specific practice - donating eggs - to prevent their commercial use. The bill aimed to protect paddlefish by ending this pathway for caviar sales, though it died in the legislative process before becoming law.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill prohibits donation of paddlefish eggs for caviar to protect paddlefish population, conserving natural resources and wildlife as a direct environmental conservation measure.90% confidence

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died · Montana · Legislature May 23, 2025

LC 3762: Generally revise electric transportation laws

Bill LC 3762, titled "Generally revise electric transportation laws," aimed to update state regulations governing electric vehicle infrastructure and incentives. The bill was drafted in December 2024 but was placed on hold and ultimately died in the legislative process on May 23, 2025. As a result, no specific policy changes were enacted, and the proposed revisions to electric transportation rules were never implemented. The available context does not include the bill's full text or detailed provisions.

Topics ✓ EnergySupports EnergyBill aimed to update electric vehicle infrastructure regulations, directly promoting renewable transportation infrastructure and clean energy adoption per its title and summary.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill aimed to update electric vehicle infrastructure and incentives, promoting clean transportation to reduce emissions, directly advancing environmental goals.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill aimed to update EV infrastructure regulations and incentives, promoting sustainable transportation policies per its title and summary.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Electric Vehicles Driver Licensing Electric Vehicles Vehicle Registration

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died · Montana · Legislature May 27, 2025

LC 3191: Expanding opportunities for multifamily financing under commercial property assessed capital enhancements

LC 3191 aimed to expand financing options for multifamily property owners (like apartment buildings) to fund energy efficiency upgrades through property tax-based programs. The bill would have broadened eligibility for commercial property assessed capital enhancements (PACE), allowing more buildings to access low-cost loans repaid via property taxes. However, the bill died in the drafting process on May 27, 2025, and never advanced to a committee vote or floor debate. It remains a proposed measure with no legislative action taken.

Topics ✓ EnergySupports EnergyBill explicitly funds energy efficiency upgrades for multifamily properties through PACE financing, directly advancing energy efficiency standards per its summary.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill funds energy efficiency upgrades for multifamily properties, directly reducing energy consumption and emissions, aligning with environmental protection goals.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Energy Efficiency

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 340: Generally revise laws relating to challenges brought under MEPA

SB 340, introduced by Senator D. Zolnikov, would have revised Montana’s environmental law by adding a $240 fee for filing lawsuits challenging agency decisions under the Montana Environmental Protection Act (MEPA). It would have required plaintiffs to cover agency costs for preparing records, limited follow-up lawsuits to new issues only, and prohibited courts from awarding attorney fees or costs to winning plaintiffs. The bill directed the $240 fee to the state’s environmental rehabilitation account, which funds mine reclamation and hazardous waste cleanup. However, the bill died in committee in May 2025 and never became law.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentAdds $240 fee and barriers to MEPA lawsuits, reducing legal challenges to environmental agency decisions and weakening enforcement.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hazardous Materials

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signed · Montana · House May 8, 2025

HB 808: Creating the Montana brownfields program

House Bill 808 establishes the Montana Brownfields Revitalization Act, creating a program to encourage the cleanup and redevelopment of "brownfield sites" across the state. These are properties where hazardous substances or petroleum contamination may hinder their reuse or expansion. The bill outlines eligibility criteria for brownfield funding, allowing entities like local governments and non-profits to use federal funds for environmental assessment and remediation when no viable responsible party for the contamination exists. This aims to prepare properties for redevelopment, reduce environmental threats, and return them to productive use. The act also eliminates and replaces previous Montana Petroleum Brownfields Revitalization Act provisions.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentCreates program for cleanup/remediation of contaminated brownfield sites, directly advancing environmental protection through remediation funding and site redevelopment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hazardous Materials

died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 176: Require unlimited wolf hunting quota when population is at or above 450 wolves

House Bill 176 (HB 176) revises Montana's wolf hunting laws, primarily affecting the Fish and Wildlife Commission, wolf hunters, trappers, and landowners. The bill mandates an unlimited statewide gray wolf hunting quota when the state's wolf population reaches or exceeds 450 wolves. Under this quota, the Commission must authorize multiple hunting licenses per applicant, allow an individual to harvest an unlimited number of wolves, permit the use of bait for hunting or trapping, and allow night hunting on private lands with artificial light or night vision scopes. It also requires consistent data modeling for wolf population estimates.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill removes population limits on wolf hunting, weakening conservation protections for an ecosystem keystone species per Fish and Wildlife subjects.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 658: Revise local board of health sanitation powers and rules

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.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill restricts local health boards' ability to create stricter sanitation rules than state standards, weakening local environmental protections for water/pollution control.92% confidence

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signed · Montana · House May 8, 2025

HB 554: Remove FWP requirement to regulate wolves as furbearers or game animals

HB 554 changes how the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) manages wolves after they are removed from endangered species lists. It removes a previous requirement that mandated FWP to classify and regulate wolves as either game animals or furbearers. Under the amended law, the Fish and Wildlife Commission now has the discretion to declare wolves as game animals or furbearers, allowing for regulated hunting or trapping, but it is no longer a mandatory classification. The bill also retains provisions for controlling wolves to protect livestock, consistent with an approved wolf management plan.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRemoves mandatory wolf classification, allowing potential unrestricted hunting, weakening conservation requirements for a protected species post-endangered status.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 160: Revise alternative energy project laws to require a bond prior to construction

SB 160 requires owners of qualifying wind and solar energy facilities in Montana (solar: 2+ megawatts, wind: 25+ megawatts) to provide a decommissioning bond before construction begins. The bond amount, determined by the Department of Environmental Quality based on the owner's decommissioning plan, ensures funds are available to dismantle facilities and restore land within 24 months after a facility's end of life or abandonment. This applies to new projects and modifies existing requirements for facility owners to submit plans and bonds prior to commercial operation.

Topics ✓ EnergySupports EnergyRequires decommissioning bonds for wind/solar projects, ensuring environmental responsibility and long-term sustainability of renewable energy infrastructure.85% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRequires decommissioning bonds for wind/solar projects to ensure land restoration after facility end-of-life, directly protecting environmental resources through financial accountability.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Solar

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 389: Provide for setbacks for wind turbine generators

HB 389, titled "Provide for setbacks for wind turbine generators," aimed to establish specific minimum distances for the construction of new wind turbine generators in Montana. The bill would have required wind turbines to be set back at least 1,250 feet from property lines with a wind energy agreement, 3,000 feet from public roads, and 7,920 feet from property lines without a wind energy agreement. This legislation would have directly affected wind energy developers and landowners by regulating the placement of new wind energy infrastructure.

Topics ✗ EnergyOpposes EnergyBill imposes strict physical restrictions (1,250-7,920 ft setbacks) on wind turbine placement, directly limiting renewable energy development infrastructure.90% confidence ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill imposes strict setbacks (up to 7,920 ft) for wind turbines, restricting renewable energy development and limiting clean energy expansion per environmental policy indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Wind

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