Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB169: Revise judicial conduct laws
Status: Chaptered, May 22, 2025
What the bill says
A bill for an act entitled: "an act providing standards of conduct regarding political activity for judges and judicial candidates.".
From the engrossed text:
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT PROVIDING STANDARDS OF CONDUCT REGARDING POLITICAL ACTIVITY FOR JUDGES AND JUDICIAL CANDIDATES." BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA: NEW SECTION. Section 1. Conduct of judges and judicial candidates. (1) A judge or a judicial candidate may: (a) attend or purchase tickets for dinners or other events sponsored by a partisan or independent candidate for nonjudicial public office; and (b) seek, accept, or use endorsements from a political organization or a partisan or independent nonjudicial officeholder or candidate. (2) If allowed by law to campaign with a party designation, a judge or a judicial candidate (b)(A) make speeches on behalf of a political organization or any partisan or independent nonjudicial officeholder or candidate for public office; (c)(B) publicly endorse or oppose a partisan or independent candidate for any nonjudicial public office; (d)(C) solicit funds for, pay an assessment to, or make a contribution to a political organization or to or on behalf of any partisan or independent officeholder or candidate for public office; and (e)(D) publicly self-identify as a candidate of a political organization. NEW SECTION. Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 3, chapter 1, and the provisions of Title 3, chapter 1, apply to [section 1]. …
Sponsors
- Millett, Tom (R, 2) · primary sponsor
- Emrich, Daniel (R, 11)
Latest actions
- : (H) Died in Process
- : 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 Passed as Amended by Senate
- : (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
Votes
- ReconsAction -Usher (March 17, 2025): 22 yea, 27 nay, failed
- Indefinitely Postpone HB 169-McGillvray (March 15, 2025): 29 yea, 20 nay, passed
- Do Concur (March 15, 2025): 22 yea, 27 nay, failed
- Do Pass (January 24, 2025): 56 yea, 42 nay, passed
- Do Pass (January 23, 2025): 56 yea, 44 nay, passed
Subjects: Judges and Justices
Common questions
- What is HB169?
- HB169 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Revise judicial conduct laws.
- What does HB169 do?
- In its own words: A bill for an act entitled: "an act providing standards of conduct regarding political activity for judges and judicial candidates.".
- What is the status of HB169?
- Chaptered as of May 22, 2025. Latest action: (H) Died in Process (May 22, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB169?
- Millett, Tom (R, 2), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for HB169?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2033
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.