Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB940: Prohibit overnight camping on state highway right-of-way
Status: Signed into law, May 16, 2025
What the bill says
An act prohibiting overnight camping and storage of personal property on a state highway right-of-way; providing penalties; providing an appropriation; providing rulemaking authority; providing definitions; and providing effective dates.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT PROHIBITING OVERNIGHT CAMPING AND STORAGE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY ON A STATE HIGHWAY RIGHT-OF-WAY; PROVIDING PENALTIES; PROVIDING AN APPROPRIATION; PROVIDING RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; PROVIDING DEFINITIONS; AND PROVIDING EFFECTIVE DATES. Section 1. Definitions. As used in [sections 1 through 4], the following definitions apply: (1) "Camping" means the use of outdoor property for the purpose of habitation, including sleeping, sitting, or lying. (2) "Campsite" means an area being used for camping that may contain but is not limited to tents, huts, temporary shelters, tarps, cots, sleeping bags, mattresses, hammocks, cooking equipment, or any other personal property. (3) "Overnight camping" means camping or maintaining any form of campsite between dusk and dawn. (4) "State highway right-of-way" means the entire width of land acquired, dedicated, or reserved for public road purposes, including but not limited to a roadway, shoulder, median, ditch, embankment, retaining wall, culvert, sluice, bridge, tunnel, or an adjacent public space maintained by the department. (5) "Storage" means the act of leaving personal property unattended for any period of time. Section 2. Overnight camping and storage of personal property on state highway right-of-way prohibited. (1) Overnight camping and the storage of personal property are prohibited on a state highway rightof-way. (2) The prohibition provided in subsection (1) does not apply to: (a) emergency situations in which camping is necessary for safety …
Sponsors
- Nicastro, Anthony (R, 50) · primary sponsor
- Tempel, Russ (R, 14)
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
- : (S) 3rd Reading
- : (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- : (S) 2nd Reading
Votes
- Do Concur (April 23, 2025): 37 yea, 13 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 22, 2025): 38 yea, 12 nay, passed
- Do Pass (April 8, 2025): 88 yea, 9 nay, passed
- Do Pass (April 7, 2025): 87 yea, 9 nay, passed
Subjects: Rule Making, Appropriations, Transportation, Motor Vehicles, Civil Procedure
Common questions
- What is HB940?
- HB940 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Prohibit overnight camping on state highway right-of-way.
- What does HB940 do?
- In its own words: An act prohibiting overnight camping and storage of personal property on a state highway right-of-way; providing penalties; providing an appropriation; providing rulemaking authority; providing definitions; and providing effective dates.
- What is the status of HB940?
- Signed into law as of May 16, 2025. Latest action: Chapter Number Assigned (May 16, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB940?
- Nicastro, Anthony (R, 50), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for HB940?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2474
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.