2025 Legislative Session - Friends of the Third Branch

2025 Legislative Session: Up this week

Monday (4/7)	Tuesday (4/8)	Wednesday (4/9)	Thursday (4/10)	Friday (4/11)
HOUSE FLOOR 1:00 pm Watch Floor Session Here HB 838: Allow supreme court justices to use partisan affiliation House Judiciary 8:00 am SB 92 : Generally revise eligibility requirements to practice law in Montana SB 48 : Generally revise laws relating to Judicial Standards Commission complaints SB 41 : Requiring substitution of district court judges by random selection SB 97 : Revise venue laws for cases challenging constitutionality of recent laws		House Judiciary 8:00 am SB 20 : Prohibit retired judges from hearing constitutional cases

Monday (3/31)	Tuesday (4/1)	Wednesday (4/2)	Thursday (4/3)	Friday (4/4)
			House Judiciary 8:00 am SB 39: Generally revise attorney fee awards SB 38: Generally revise laws relating to attorney fees and prevailing parties for veto overrides SB 40: Revise supreme court public records laws by opening deliberations and files to the public Senate Judiciary 8:00 am SB 543: Revise judiciary laws (Senate companion bill to HB 838)	Senate Floor Session 1:00 pm Second Reading: SB 543: Revise judiciary laws (Senate companion bill to HB 838)

Bills We’re Watching

Senate Bills

*Legislation proposed by the Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform

Bill	Short Title	Sponsor	Bill Status
SB13*	Remove Supreme Court original jurisdiction for ballot review	Emrich	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (08:06) + Senate Floor Passed Senate Watch House Judiciary Hearing (3/20)
SB 14*	Audit Office of Disciplinary Council See Fiscal Note	Usher	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (11:12) + Senate Floor (14:33) Passed Senate Watch House Judiciary Hearing (3/19) Watch House Floor Second Reading (3/27) Failed 2nd Reading
SB15*	Revising grounds for impeachment	McGillvray	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (1/16) + Senate Floor (( Passed Senate Watch House Floor Second Reading (3/27) Watch House Floor Third Reading (3/28)
SB16*	~~Allowing legislative committees to find contempt for violation of legislative subpoena~~	Noland	See Bill Status Here Bill Withdrawn
SB 20*	Prohibit retired judges from hearing constitutional cases	Ellsworth	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (8:03) + Senate Floor (2nd) 2/14 (13:35) Passed Senate (2/15) Watch House Judiciary Hearing (3/17)
SB 21*	Allowing legislative and executive leadership to vacate a writ of mandamus See Legal Note Here	Usher	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (8:03) + Watch Senate Floor Second Reading (2/28) Passed Senate (3/1) Watch House Judiciary (3/20) Watch House Floor Second Reading (3/28)
SB 30*	Revise laws related to Judiciary and rule of necessity	McGillvray	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (8:40) + Senate Floor (13:13) Passed Senate Watch House Judiciary (3/25)
SB 31*	IOLTA Bill providing Interest back to client	Usher	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (8:48)
SB 38*	Generally revise laws relating to attorney fees and prevailing parties for veto overrides See Fiscal Note	Hertz	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (8:06) + Senate Floor (13:22) Passed Senate Referred to House Judiciary
SB 39*	Generally revise attorney fee awards	Hertz	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (8:16) + Senate Floor (14:29) Passed Senate Referred to House Judiciary
SB 40*	Revise supreme court public records laws by opening deliberations and files to the public	Hertz	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (8:33) + Senate Floor (13:45) Passed Senate Watch House Judiciary Hearing (4/3)
SB 41*	Requiring substitution of district court judges by random selection	Emrich	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (8:42) + Senate Floor (13:45) Passed Senate Referred to House Judiciary
SB 42*	Provide for the partisan election of judges and justices See passed ammendment	Emrich	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (1/15) Senate Floor Second Reading (2/26) Passed Senate + Watch House Judiciary (3/26) Passed committee 3/28 as amended
SB 43*	Generally revise injunctive powers of the judiciary Amendments	Emrich	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (9:38) Senate Floor 2nd (2/15) Failed 2nd Reading – Indefinitely postponed
SB 44*	Generally revise laws regarding the separation of powers doctrine	Emrich	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (10:14) + Senate Floor (13:50) Failed 3rd Reading
SB 45*	Create a judicial performance evaluation commission and system See Fiscal Note	McGillvray	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (11:19) + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing + Senate Floor (13:42) + Senate Finance and Claims 2:00 pm (2/20) Table 22-Y, 0-N Blast motion to Senate floor + Watch Senate Floor Session 2/27 Passed Senate + Watch House Judiciary (3/25)
SB 47*	Enhance committee review of statewide ballot issues	McKamey	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing + Senate Floor (13:45) Failed 3rd Reading
SB 48*	Generally revise laws relating to Judicial Standards Commission complaints	Glimm	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing + Senate Floor (14:15) Passed Senate Referred to House
SB 49*	Exempt lawyers serving in certain public offices from professional disciplinary measure and proceedings for actions taken while in office	Usher	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing Passed out of committee 2/14 +Senate Floor 2nd reading (2/19) +Senate Floor 1:00 pm 3rd reading, (2/20) Watch House Judiciary (3/24) Passed committee 3/27 as amended (3/27)
SB 52*	Create Montana Court of Chancery See Fiscal Note See SB 385 below	McGillvray	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing Bill Withdrawn
SB 66*	Generally revise definitions relating to the judiciary	Noland	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (11:00) + Senate Floor (13:21) 2nd Reading Indefinitely Postposed
SB 92	Generally revise eligibility requirements to practice law in Montana	Fuller	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (10:03) + Senate Floor (13:29) Passed Senate Referred to House Judiciary
SB 97	Revise venue laws for cases challenging constitutionality of recent laws See Fiscal Note	Fuller	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (10:54) + Senate Floor (13:37) Passed Senate Referred to House Judiciary
SB 385	SB 385: Create a general claims court	McGillvray	See Bill Status Here + Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (2/28) Watch Senate Finance and Claims Hearing (3/18) Tabled Senate Finance and Claims (3/21)
SB 543	Generally revise laws relating to attorney fees and prevailing parties for veto overrides		+ Watch Senate Judiciary Hearing (4/3) + Senate Floor (4/4) -rescheduled

*Legislation proposed by the Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform

House Bills

*Legislation proposed by the Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform

Bill	Short Title	Sponsor	Bill Status
HB 30*	Requiring the Supreme Court to apply a burden of proof for challenge to constitutionality of legislative act	Deming	See Bill Status Here + Watch House Judiciary Hearing (1/6) + House Floor (initially failed, then was reconsidered)(1/23) + House Floor (1/24) Passed House Watch Senate Judiciary (2/13) Senate Floor 2nd (2/15) Second Reading Indefinitely Postposed(2/15)
HB 35*	Allocating judicial standards commission to the department of justice See Fiscal Note	Nave	See Bill Status Here + Watch House Judiciary Hearing (1/6) + House Floor Second Reading (1/23) Passed House Referred to Senate Judiciary (2/5) Senate Floor (2nd) 2/14 (13:52) Second Reading Indefinitely Postposed(2/14)
HB 36*	Disallowing judge to serve as chair of judicial standards commission	Nave	See Bill Status Here + Watch House Judiciary Hearing (08:37) + House Floor (13:57) Passed House +Senate Judiciary (2/4) Senate Floor Second Reading 2/14 Second Reading Indefinitely Postposed(2/14)

HB 39	Repeal law disallowing parties from contributing to judicial candidates	Millett	See Bill Status Here + Watch House Administration Hearing (1/6) + House Floor Second Reading (1/14) Passed House +Senate Judiciary Hearing 2/5 +Senate Floor (2nd) 2/14 (13:45) Senate Floor 3rd (2/15) Passed Senate Has been transmitted to Governor for signature (2/26)
HB 65*	Audit State Bar of Montana See Fiscal Note	Deming	See Bill Status Here + Watch House Judiciary Hearing (1/6) + House Floor Second Reading (1/23) (was reconsidered for second reading) + House Floor ( 1/27) Passed House +Watch Senate Judiciary (1/23) + Senate Floor (2nd) 2/14 (14:01) Watch Senate Finance and Claims (3/17) Tabled Senate Finance and Claims (3/21)
HB 169	Revise judicial conduct laws	Millett	See Bill Status Here House Judiciary (1/16) House Floor – Second Reading (1/23) Passed House Senate Judiciary (2/5) Senate Floor Second Reading (3/15)
HB 506	Constitutional amendment revising selection of supreme court justices	Barker	See Bill Status Here Watch House Judiciary Hearing (2/20)
HB 646	Elect supreme court by districts Legal Note	Ler	See Bill Status Here Watch House Judiciary (2/27) Watch House Floor Second Reading (3/5) Failed Second Reading (3/5)
HB 751	Partisan election of supreme court candidates	Schubert	See Bill Status Here Watch House Judiciary Hearing (3/3) Watch House Floor Second Reading (3/6) Failed Second Reading (3/6)
HB 772	Revise writ of mandamus laws	Overstreet	See Bill Status Here Watch House Judiciary Hearing (3/3) Watch House Floor Second Reading (3/6) Failed Second Reading (3/6)
HB 838	Allow supreme court justices to use partisan affiliation		See Bill Status Here Watch House Judiciary (3/28) Watch House Floor Second Reading (4/7)

Other
SJ 2	Resolution disapproving of Montana Supreme Court rules	Usher	See Resolution Status Here Hearing CancelledTabled in Committee (2/18)