Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB490: Revise civil liability laws
Status: Signed into law, May 19, 2025
What the bill says
An act generally revising laws relating to wildfires and utilities; requiring certain entities to prepare a wildfire mitigation plan; providing definitions; providing requirements for the wildfire mitigation plan; providing for approval of the wildfire mitigation plan; requiring updated reports relating to the wildfire mitigation plan and submission of an updated wildfire mitigation plan; providing that certain entities that have substantially followed an approved wildfire mitigation plan are afforded certain civil liability protections for injury or damages caused by wildfire…
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING LAWS RELATING TO WILDFIRES AND UTILITIES; REQUIRING CERTAIN ENTITIES TO PREPARE A WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN; PROVIDING DEFINITIONS; PROVIDING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN; PROVIDING FOR APPROVAL OF THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN; REQUIRING UPDATED REPORTS RELATING TO THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN AND SUBMISSION OF AN UPDATED WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN; PROVIDING THAT CERTAIN ENTITIES THAT HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY FOLLOWED AN APPROVED WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN ARE AFFORDED CERTAIN CIVIL LIABILITY PROTECTIONS FOR INJURY OR DAMAGES CAUSED BY WILDFIRE; REVISING THE STANDARD OF CARE RELATING TO CERTAIN ENTITIES AND WILDFIRE; PROVIDING RULEMAKING AUTHORITY TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION RELATING TO WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLANS; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that electric facilities providers of Montana have an obligation to serve customers and extend services, which is different from typical businesses, and that they provide a necessary and beneficial public service for the supply, transmission, and delivery of electricity to the people of Montana as well as a fundamental basis of economic growth and development of all sectors of Montana's economy; and WHEREAS, there is a growing threat of wildfires in the United States and within the state of Montana; and WHEREAS, in recognition of electric facilities providers' obligation to serve their customers and in order to secure and sustain Montana's reliable provision of electricity and services …