Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB663: Revise education laws related to diversity, equity, and inclusion
Status: Failed, May 22, 2025
What the bill says
A bill for an act prohibiting the consideration of race, color, ethnicity, or national origin by institutions of higher education in hiring, admissions, participation, benefits, scholarships, and financial aid; providing a private cause of action and compensatory damages, punitive damages, statutory damages, and injunctive and declaratory relief; waiving the state's claim to sovereign immunity; and providing a delayed effective date.".
From the engrossed text:
A BILL FOR AN ACT PROHIBITING THE CONSIDERATION OF RACE, COLOR, ETHNICITY, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN BY INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN HIRING, ADMISSIONS, PARTICIPATION, BENEFITS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND FINANCIAL AID; PROVIDING A PRIVATE CAUSE OF ACTION AND COMPENSATORY DAMAGES, PUNITIVE DAMAGES, STATUTORY DAMAGES, AND INJUNCTIVE AND DECLARATORY RELIEF; WAIVING THE STATE'S CLAIM TO SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY; AND PROVIDING A DELAYED EFFECTIVE DATE." BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA: NEW SECTION. Section 1. Consideration of race, color, ethnicity, or national origin by institution of higher education prohibited -- fair admissions, hiring, and funding -- cause of action. (1) A person may not be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination by an institution of higher education or by any program or activity in the institution, including affirmative action, on the grounds of race, color, ethnicity, or national origin. (2) An officer, employee, agent, or program or activity of an institution of higher education may not perform actions to further or to facilitate a decision to exclude a person from participation in, deny a person the benefits of, or subject a person to discrimination by the institution on the grounds of race, color, ethnicity, or national origin. (3) An institution of higher education may not use in any way an applicant's race, …
Sponsors
- Seekins-Crowe, Kerri (R, 39) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : (S) Died in Committee
- : (S) Tabled in Committee
- : (S) Hearing
- : (S) Hearing
- : (S) Referred to Committee
- : (S) 1st Reading
- : (H) Transmitted to Senate
- : (H) 3rd Reading
- : (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- : (H) 2nd Reading
Votes
- Do Pass (March 7, 2025): 58 yea, 41 nay, passed
- Do Pass (March 5, 2025): 56 yea, 42 nay, passed
Subjects: Education - Post-Secondary, Discrimination, State Government, Local Government, Education - K-12
Common questions
- What is HB663?
- HB663 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Revise education laws related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- What does HB663 do?
- In its own words: A bill for an act prohibiting the consideration of race, color, ethnicity, or national origin by institutions of higher education in hiring, admissions, participation, benefits, scholarships, and financial aid; providing a private cause of action and compensatory damages, punitive damages, statutory damages, and injunctive and declaratory relief; waiving the state's claim to sovereign immunity; and providing a delayed effective date.".
- What is the status of HB663?
- Failed as of May 22, 2025. Latest action: (S) Died in Committee (May 22, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB663?
- Seekins-Crowe, Kerri (R, 39).
- Where is the official record for HB663?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1320
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.