Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana SJ47: Study resolution on the creation or alteration of local government entities
Status: Failed, May 23, 2025
What the bill says
A joint resolution of the senate and the house of representatives of the state of montana requesting an interim study of the processes to create new incorporated municipalities and counties; and requiring that the results of the study be reported to the 70th legislature.
From the engrossed text:
A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA REQUESTING AN INTERIM STUDY OF THE PROCESSES TO CREATE NEW INCORPORATED MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES; AND REQUIRING THAT THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY BE REPORTED TO THE 70TH LEGISLATURE. WHEREAS, Title 7, chapter 2, of the Montana Code Annotated provides for the creation, alteration, and abandonment of local governments, including the creation of new counties by petition and the organization and incorporation of new municipalities; and WHEREAS, section 7-2-4101, MCA, allows for a petition to create a city or town and requires that a proposed ward must contain 50 or more registered electors and have at least 200 inhabitants for each square mile of land area, which requires more density than reasonable to incorporate; and WHEREAS, pursuant to section 7-2-2215, MCA, all registered electors of a county are entitled to vote on the election to create a new county out of a portion of the original county, but the electors of the area proposed to be a new county are the citizens who should have the right to vote on the question; and WHEREAS, some processes may be ineffective or cumbersome to implement, which warrants review; and WHEREAS, areas of the state may benefit from more reasonable methods to incorporate into a city or town …
Sponsors
- Mandeville, Forrest (R, 28) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : (H) Died in Committee
- : (H) Hearing Canceled
- : (H) Hearing
- : (H) 1st Reading
- : (H) Referred to Committee
- : (S) Transmitted to House
- : (S) 3rd Reading
- : (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- : (S) 2nd Reading
- : (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
Votes
- Do Pass (April 29, 2025): 43 yea, 7 nay, passed
- Do Pass (April 28, 2025): 44 yea, 5 nay, passed
Subjects: Interim Study Resolutions, Cities and Towns, Counties, Local Government
Common questions
- What is SJ47?
- SJ47 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Study resolution on the creation or alteration of local government entities.
- What does SJ47 do?
- In its own words: A joint resolution of the senate and the house of representatives of the state of montana requesting an interim study of the processes to create new incorporated municipalities and counties; and requiring that the results of the study be reported to the 70th legislature.
- What is the status of SJ47?
- Failed as of May 23, 2025. Latest action: (H) Died in Committee (May 23, 2025).
- Who sponsored SJ47?
- Mandeville, Forrest (R, 28).
- Where is the official record for SJ47?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC4138
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.