Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB31: Revise wind and solar facility decommissioning
Status: Signed into law, May 16, 2025
What the bill says
An act clarifying certain bonding requirements for wind and solar generation facilities; providing for a decommissioning lien; amending sections 75-26-304 and 75-26308, mca; and providing an immediate effective date.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT CLARIFYING CERTAIN BONDING REQUIREMENTS FOR WIND AND SOLAR GENERATION FACILITIES; PROVIDING FOR A DECOMMISSIONING LIEN; AMENDING SECTIONS 75-26-304 AND 75-26308, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE. Section 1. Section 75-26-304, MCA, is amended to read: "75-26-304. Bond -- penalty for failure to submit. (1) (a) Within 12 months of a wind generation facility or solar facility commencing commercial operation, the owner of a wind generation facility or solar facility operating in Montana (ii) subject to subsection (2), submit a plan for decommissioning the facility to the department, including the scope of work to be completed and cost estimates for completion; and (iii) submit to the department an abstract of any leasing agreement between a facility owner and a landowner on whose property the facility is sited; and (iii)(iv) provide the department with any other necessary information in accordance with this part and rules adopted pursuant to this part in order for the department to determine bond requirements in accordance with this section. (b) Except as provided in subsection (1)(c), if a wind generation facility or solar facility commenced commercial operation before May 7, 2019, the owner of the facility shall submit to the department the information required in subsection (1)(a) on or before July 1, 2020. (c) If a wind generation facility commenced commercial operation before May …
Sponsors
- Duram, Neil (R, 1) · primary sponsor
- Zolnikov, Daniel (R, 22)
Latest actions
- : Chapter Number Assigned
- : (H) Signed by Governor
- : (H) Transmitted to Governor
- : (S) Signed by President
- : (H) Signed by Speaker
- : (H) Returned from Enrolling
- : (H) Sent to Enrolling
- : (H) 3rd Reading Senate Amendments
- : (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- : (H) 2nd Reading Senate Amendments
Votes
- Do Concur (April 17, 2025): 99 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 16, 2025): 98 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 11, 2025): 46 yea, 2 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 10, 2025): 42 yea, 6 nay, passed
- AMD-HB0031.002.002 Phalen D/PASS (April 10, 2025): 14 yea, 34 nay, failed
- Do Pass (January 21, 2025): 99 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Energy, Environmental Protection
Common questions
- What is HB31?
- HB31 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Revise wind and solar facility decommissioning.
- What does HB31 do?
- In its own words: An act clarifying certain bonding requirements for wind and solar generation facilities; providing for a decommissioning lien; amending sections 75-26-304 and 75-26308, mca; and providing an immediate effective date.
- What is the status of HB31?
- Signed into law as of May 16, 2025. Latest action: Chapter Number Assigned (May 16, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB31?
- Duram, Neil (R, 1), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for HB31?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC0546
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.