Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB676: Generally revise state land and water laws
Status: Vetoed, May 13, 2025
What the bill says
An act revising laws related to state lands and water rights; prohibiting the board of land commissioners from obtaining ownership of a private water right used on state lands; amending sections 77-6-301 and 77-6-302, mca; and providing an immediate effective date.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT REVISING LAWS RELATED TO STATE LANDS AND WATER RIGHTS; PROHIBITING THE BOARD OF LAND COMMISSIONERS FROM OBTAINING OWNERSHIP OF A PRIVATE WATER RIGHT USED ON STATE LANDS; AMENDING SECTIONS 77-6-301 AND 77-6-302, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE. Section 1. Section 77-6-301, MCA, is amended to read: "77-6-301. Improvements authorized. A lessee of state lands may place upon the lands a reasonable amount of improvements directly related to conservation of the land or necessary for proper utilization of it. These improvements may consist of fences, cultivation, improvement of the land itself, irrigation ditches, sheds, wells, reservoirs, water rights, and similar improvements." Section 2. Section 77-6-302, MCA, is amended to read: "77-6-302. Compensation for improvements -- actual costs. (1) Except for the improvements described in 77-1-134, prior to renewal of a lease, the department shall request from the lessee a listing of improvements on the land associated with the lease, including the reasonable value of the improvements. This information must be provided to any party requesting to bid on the lease a lessee of state lands may register all improvements that were made on state lands prior to October 1, 2025. Improvements registered under this section may include improvements authorized in 77-6-301. Registrations must be made no later than September 30, 2026. (2) Owners of improvements registered under …
Sponsors
- Ler, Brandon (R, 33) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : (H) Vetoed by Governor
- : (H) Transmitted to Governor
- : (S) Signed by President
- : (H) Signed by Speaker
- : (H) Returned from Enrolling
- : (H) Sent to Enrolling
- : (H) 3rd Reading Senate Amendments
- : (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- : (H) 2nd Reading Senate Amendments
- : (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
Votes
- Do Concur (April 17, 2025): 52 yea, 47 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 16, 2025): 97 yea, 1 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 12, 2025): 31 yea, 19 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 12, 2025): 33 yea, 17 nay, passed
- Do Pass (March 7, 2025): 56 yea, 43 nay, passed
- Do Pass (March 5, 2025): 53 yea, 45 nay, passed
Subjects: Courts, Water, Environmental Protection, State Lands
Common questions
- What is HB676?
- HB676 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Generally revise state land and water laws.
- What does HB676 do?
- In its own words: An act revising laws related to state lands and water rights; prohibiting the board of land commissioners from obtaining ownership of a private water right used on state lands; amending sections 77-6-301 and 77-6-302, mca; and providing an immediate effective date.
- What is the status of HB676?
- Vetoed as of May 13, 2025. Latest action: (H) Vetoed by Governor (May 13, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB676?
- Ler, Brandon (R, 33).
- Where is the official record for HB676?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2991
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.