Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB593: Generally revise sexual abuse reporting laws
Status: Failed, May 22, 2025
What the bill says
A bill for an act entitled: "an act revising sexual abuse and exploitation reporting laws; requiring the county attorney to request assistance from the department of public health and human services regarding identification and include in the report to the attorney general the number of reports that were not prosecuted; providing reporting requirements for the attorney general to report to the interim budget committees; modifying reporting requirements for reports on additional information to the law and justice interim committee; and amending sections 41-3-210, 41-3-211, and 41-3-212, mca.".
From the engrossed text:
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REVISING SEXUAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION REPORTING LAWS; REQUIRING THE COUNTY ATTORNEY TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REGARDING IDENTIFICATION AND INCLUDE IN THE REPORT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THE NUMBER OF REPORTS THAT WERE NOT PROSECUTED; PROVIDING REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO REPORT TO THE INTERIM BUDGET COMMITTEES; MODIFYING REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR REPORTS ON ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO THE LAW AND JUSTICE INTERIM COMMITTEE; AND AMENDING SECTIONS 41-3-210, 41-3-211, AND 41-3-212, MCA." BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA: Section 1. Section 41-3-210, MCA, is amended to read: "41-3-210. County attorney duties -- certification -- retention of records -- reports to attorney general and legislature -- attorney general report. (1) (a) The county attorney shall gather all case notes, correspondence, evaluations, interviews, and other investigative materials pertaining to each report from the department or investigation by law enforcement of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation of a child made within the county when the alleged perpetrator of the sexual abuse or sexual exploitation is 12 years of age or older. If the alleged perpetrator of the sexual abuse or sexual exploitation is not identified, the county attorney shall request the department to provide the name or other available information to assist in …