Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB690: Generally revise laws related to child protection
Status: Signed into law, May 19, 2025
What the bill says
An act generally revising child abuse and neglect laws; clarifying that certain definitions of abuse and neglect do not include referring to or raising a child in a manner consistent with the child's biological sex; providing that a member of the united states congress or the montana legislature may not disclose information to a parent or guardian that is subject to attorney-client privilege; providing an exception; providing that a member may challenge the department's designation of a record as attorney-client privileged; and amending sections 41-3-102 and 41-3-205, mca.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT LAWS; CLARIFYING THAT CERTAIN DEFINITIONS OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT DO NOT INCLUDE REFERRING TO OR RAISING A CHILD IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH THE CHILD'S BIOLOGICAL SEX; PROVIDING THAT A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS OR THE MONTANA LEGISLATURE MAY NOT DISCLOSE INFORMATION TO A PARENT OR GUARDIAN THAT IS SUBJECT TO ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE; PROVIDING AN EXCEPTION; PROVIDING THAT A MEMBER MAY CHALLENGE THE DEPARTMENT'S DESIGNATION OF A RECORD AS ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGED; AND AMENDING SECTIONS 41-3-102 AND 41-3-205, MCA. Section 1. Section 41-3-102, MCA, is amended to read: "41-3-102. (Temporary) Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following definitions apply: (1) (a) "Abandon", "abandoned", and "abandonment" mean: (i) leaving a child under circumstances that make reasonable the belief that the parent does not intend to resume care of the child in the future; (ii) willfully surrendering physical custody for a period of 6 months and during that period not manifesting to the child and the person having physical custody of the child a firm intention to resume physical custody or to make permanent legal arrangements for the care of the child; (iii) that the parent is unknown and has been unknown for a period of 90 days and that reasonable efforts to identify and locate the parent have failed; or (iv) …