2025 MTLeg Weekly Debrief: 2/24-2/28

The Frontier Institute has identified 9 new Key Bills and 23 Key Bill updates for the week of February 24-28

HB 614: Allow for the termination of certain county zoning districts
Sponsor: Representative Greg Overstreet (R) HD 88
Status: Hearing scheduled 2/25 @3pm in House Local Government Committee

HB 630: Require legislative approval of greenhouse gas rules
Sponsor: Representative Curtis Schomer (R) HD 48
Status: Hearing scheduled 2/26 @3pm in House Natural Resources Committee

HB 650: Revise bonding laws to include broadband projects
Sponsor: Representative Caleb Hinkle (R) HD 68
Status: Hearing scheduled 2/28 @3pm in House Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee
Note: HB 650 generally follows the Frontier Institute’s recommendation to address problematic aspects of local government-backed internet networks.

SB 355: Generally revise energy laws
Sponsor: Representative Wylie Galt (R) SD 39
Status: Hearing scheduled 2/27 @3pm in Senate Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee
Note: SB 355 follows the Frontier Institute’s recommendations to reform Right of First Refusal (ROFR) policies which stifle energy market competition and increase costs for ratepayers.

HB 534: Allow county water and/or sewer districts to connect to a system beyond capacity
Sponsor: Representative Courtenay Sprunger (R) HD 7
Status: Hearing scheduled 2/25 @3pm in House Local Government Committee

SB 456: Revise professions and occupations laws regarding dispensing of drugs
Sponsor: Senator Tom McGillvray (R) SD 26
Status: Hearing scheduled 2/27 @7am in Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee
Note: SB 456 follows Frontier Institute’s past recommendations to expand the scope of practice for medical practitioners, allowing practitioners to dispense non-opioid medications they’ve prescribed directly to a patient from their office.

SB 418: Generally revise laws relating to home based businesses
Sponsor: Senator Ellie Boldman (D) SD 47
Status: Hearing scheduled in Senate Local Government Committee 2/28 at 3pm
Note: Follows Frontier Institute’s recommendation to limit the extent of local zoning and land use regulation in order to protect Montanans’ fundamental right to use property.

SB 438: Revise telehealth and telemedicine laws
Sponsor: Representative Daniel Zolnikov (R) SD 22
Status: Introduced
Note: SB 438 follows Frontier Institute’s recommendation to allow patients to receive care from physicians licensed in other states via telehealth without requiring Montana licensure.

SB 385: Create a General Claims Court
Sponsor: Senator Tom McGillvray (R) SD 26
Status: Hearing scheduled 2/28 @7am in Senate Judiciary Committee

Key Bill Updates:

HB 462: Passed unanimously in House Education Committee.
HB 507: Hearing scheduled 2/26 @9am in House Taxation Committee.
SB 330: Hearing scheduled 2/25 @3pm in Senate Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee.
SB 262: Passed Senate floor.
SB 265: Passed unanimously in Senate Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee.
HB 320: Failed third reading on House floor.
SB 252: Passed unanimously in Senate Local Government Committee.
SB 213: Passed Senate floor.
SB 215: Passed Senate floor.
HB 252: Passed House floor.
SB 45: Tabled in Senate Finance and Claims Committee.
HB 414: Passed House floor unanimously.
SB 266: Passed in Senate Local Government Committee.
HB 336: Passed unanimously in House Business and Labor Committee.
SB 253: Passed in Senate Taxation Committee.
HB 20: Passed Senate Taxation Committee.
HB 231: Passed House Appropriations Committee.
HB 252: Passed House floor.
HB 336: Passed unanimously in House Business and Labor Committee.
SB 243: Passed in Senate Local Government Committee.
SB 252: Passed unanimously in Senate Local Government Committee.
HB 363: Passed in House Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee.
SB 214: Passed in Senate Local Government Committee.

Note: Our MTLeg Weekly Debrief series is meant only to help our subscribers follow along with key legislation related to these 3 issue areas that we feel deserve extra focus. The legislation listed in each weekly update will NOT necessarily represent legislation we support or oppose. Each week’s key bill analysis represents new legislation introduced up to midnight Monday of the current week.