Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HJ35: Joint resolution urging changes to federal wildfire policy
Status: Passed one chamber, May 6, 2025
What the bill says
A joint resolution of the senate and the house of representatives of the state of montana urging the immediate modification of ineffective and dangerous federal land management and wildfire policies in order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of montana's communities.
From the engrossed text:
A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA URGING THE IMMEDIATE MODIFICATION OF INEFFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AND WILDFIRE POLICIES IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF MONTANA'S COMMUNITIES. WHEREAS, over the last 2 decades, the United States Forest Service has increasingly adopted a more relaxed approach to wildfire suppression, often referred to as a "let it burn" policy, rather than pursuing aggressive initial attacks on wildfires; and WHEREAS, the contributing factors of drought, extensive tree mortality due to insect infestation, the United States Forest Service's relaxed approach to the suppression of wildfire, and the ineffective federal forest management policies that allow for extensive accumulation of biomass make Montana's forest lands highly susceptible to catastrophic and environmentally destructive wildfires that put Montana's air quality at hazardous levels and its communities in imminent danger; and WHEREAS, wildfire in areas labeled as full suppression areas have had delayed initial attack from days to weeks. A loophole has been exploited through which, by letting a wildfire burn forest land, the United States Forest Service can avoid going through the process of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental assessments required for controlled burns. Using wildfire as a loophole has created a reverse in fire suppression tactics whereby control lines meant …
Sponsors
- Hinkle, Jedediah (R, 67) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : (H) Filed with Secretary of State
- : (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
- : (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- : (S) Committee Report
Votes
- Do Concur (April 22, 2025): 32 yea, 18 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 18, 2025): 32 yea, 17 nay, passed
- Do Pass (April 5, 2025): 56 yea, 42 nay, passed
- Do Pass (April 3, 2025): 57 yea, 42 nay, passed
- Cloture-Duram (April 3, 2025): 92 yea, 5 nay, passed
Subjects: General Joint Resolution, Federal Government, Fires and Fire Protection
Common questions
- What is HJ35?
- HJ35 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Joint resolution urging changes to federal wildfire policy.
- What does HJ35 do?
- In its own words: A joint resolution of the senate and the house of representatives of the state of montana urging the immediate modification of ineffective and dangerous federal land management and wildfire policies in order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of montana's communities.
- What is the status of HJ35?
- Passed one chamber as of May 6, 2025. Latest action: (H) Filed with Secretary of State (May 6, 2025).
- Who sponsored HJ35?
- Hinkle, Jedediah (R, 67).
- Where is the official record for HJ35?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2199
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.