Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana SB114: Provide for display of Ten Commandments in public schools
Status: Failed, May 23, 2025
What the bill says
A bill for an act entitled: "an act requiring the display of the ten commandments in each public school building and classroom; providing specifications for the text and the display of the ten commandments; authorizing a district to spend its own funds or donated funds to provide the displays or to accept donated displays; excluding the display of the ten commandments from the prohibition against distribution of sectarian or denominational publications in a public school; amending section 20-7-112, mca; and providing an effective date.".
From the engrossed text:
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REQUIRING THE DISPLAY OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING AND CLASSROOM; PROVIDING SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE TEXT AND THE DISPLAY OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS; AUTHORIZING A DISTRICT TO SPEND ITS OWN FUNDS OR DONATED FUNDS TO PROVIDE THE DISPLAYS OR TO ACCEPT DONATED DISPLAYS; EXCLUDING THE DISPLAY OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FROM THE PROHIBITION AGAINST DISTRIBUTION OF SECTARIAN OR DENOMINATIONAL PUBLICATIONS IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL; AMENDING SECTION 20-7-112, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE." BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA: NEW SECTION. Section 1. Required display of ten commandments. (1) The trustees of a district shall display the ten commandments in each school building and in each classroom of each school in the district. (2) The ten commandments must be displayed on a poster or framed document that is a minimum size of 11 inches by 14 inches. The text of the ten commandments must be the central focus of the poster or framed document and must be printed in a large, easily readable font. (3) The text of the display must read as follows: "THE TEN COMMANDMENTS I AM the LORD thy God, thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images. Thou shalt not take …
Sponsors
- Phalen, Bob (R, 17) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : (S) Died in Process
- : (S) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal
- : (S) 2nd Reading Indefinitely Postponed
- : (S) 2nd Reading
- : (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- : (S) Committee Report
- : (S) Committee Executive Action
- : (S) Rereferred to Committee
- : (S) 2nd Reading Indefinitely Postponed
- : (S) 2nd Reading
Votes
- Indefinitely Postpone - (February 15, 2025): 29 yea, 17 nay, passed
- Do Pass (February 15, 2025): 23 yea, 25 nay, failed
- Rerefer - SB 114 back to Judicaray Usher (February 6, 2025): 26 yea, 23 nay, passed
- SB0114.001.002 (February 5, 2025): 16 yea, 32 nay, failed
- SB0114.001.001 (February 5, 2025): 19 yea, 29 nay, failed
- Indefinitely Postpone -SB 114McGillvray (February 5, 2025): 24 yea, 24 nay, failed
Subjects: Religion, Education - K-12
Common questions
- What is SB114?
- SB114 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Provide for display of Ten Commandments in public schools.
- What does SB114 do?
- In its own words: A bill for an act entitled: "an act requiring the display of the ten commandments in each public school building and classroom; providing specifications for the text and the display of the ten commandments; authorizing a district to spend its own funds or donated funds to provide the displays or to accept donated displays; excluding the display of the ten commandments from the prohibition against distribution of sectarian or denominational publications in a public school; amending section 20-7-112, mca; and providing an effective date.".
- What is the status of SB114?
- Failed as of May 23, 2025. Latest action: (S) Died in Process (May 23, 2025).
- Who sponsored SB114?
- Phalen, Bob (R, 17).
- Where is the official record for SB114?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC0046
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.