Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana SB473: Prohibit weather modification.
Status: Failed, May 23, 2025
What the bill says
A bill for an act entitled: "an act generally revising laws related to weather modification; prohibiting weather modification geoengineering; providing definitions; and providing an exception; and providing an immediate effective date.".
From the engrossed text:
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING LAWS RELATED TO WEATHER MODIFICATION; PROHIBITING WEATHER MODIFICATION GEOENGINEERING; PROVIDING DEFINITIONS; AND PROVIDING AN EXCEPTION; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE." BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA: NEW SECTION. Section 1. Prohibiting weather modification BY GEOENGINEERING. (1) THE LEGISLATURE FINDS THAT GEOENGINEERING POSES RISKS TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH DUE TO ITS EXPERIMENTAL NATURE AND POTENTIAL FOR UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. (2) Except as FOR WEATHER MODIFICATION BY CLOUD SEEDING AS prescribed in 85-3-101 through 853- 424 TITLE 85, CHAPTER 3, a person may not intentionally inject, release, or disperse chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatuses within the borders of Montana expressly for: GEOENGINEERING. (a) engaging in weather modification and control; (b) affecting temperature; or (c) affecting the intensity of the sunlight. (2)(3) As used in this (b) "chemicals" means industrial substances, whether simple, compound, or obtained through the process of the science and art of chemistry, whether of organic or inorganic origin; and (c) "weather modification and control" means changing or controlling or attempting to change or control, by artificial methods, the natural development of atmospheric cloud forms or precipitation forms that occur in the troposphere. (A) "CLOUD SEEDING" MEANS A PROVEN METHOD OF INCREASING PRECIPITATION WITHIN EXISTING CLOUD SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT …
Sponsors
- Phalen, Bob (R, 17) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : (S) Died in Process
- : (H) 2nd Reading
- : (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- : (H) Committee Report
- : (H) Committee Executive Action
- : (H) Hearing
- : (H) 1st Reading
- : (H) Referred to Committee
- : (S) Transmitted to House
- : (S) 3rd Reading
Votes
- Do Concur (April 10, 2025): 45 yea, 54 nay, failed
- Do Pass (March 6, 2025): 34 yea, 15 nay, passed
- Do Pass (March 6, 2025): 33 yea, 16 nay, passed
- ReconsAction and place on Second Reading on 3/6/2025 -Hertz (March 5, 2025): 29 yea, 21 nay, passed
- Indefinitely Postpone -McGillvray (March 5, 2025): 27 yea, 23 nay, passed
- Do Pass As Amended (March 5, 2025): 24 yea, 26 nay, failed
Subjects: Transportation
Common questions
- What is SB473?
- SB473 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Prohibit weather modification.
- What does SB473 do?
- In its own words: A bill for an act entitled: "an act generally revising laws related to weather modification; prohibiting weather modification geoengineering; providing definitions; and providing an exception; and providing an immediate effective date.".
- What is the status of SB473?
- Failed as of May 23, 2025. Latest action: (S) Died in Process (May 23, 2025).
- Who sponsored SB473?
- Phalen, Bob (R, 17).
- Where is the official record for SB473?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1601
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.