Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB693: Generally revise laws applicable to district courts
Status: Signed into law, May 13, 2025
What the bill says
An act providing requirements for multijudge districts with specialized dockets; providing rulemaking authority; and amending section 3-5-403, mca.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT PROVIDING REQUIREMENTS FOR MULTIJUDGE DISTRICTS WITH SPECIALIZED DOCKETS; PROVIDING RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; AND AMENDING SECTION 3-5-403, MCA. Section 1. Section 3-5-403, MCA, is amended to read: "3-5-403. Terms and departments in multijudge districts. (1) In each judicial district that has more than one judge, as many terms or sessions of court may be held at the same time as there are judges in the district. (2) The judges elected or appointed to hold office in each judicial district having more than one judge shall divide the court into departments, prescribe the order of business, and make rules for the government of the court. In multijudge districts of greater than five judges, the judges of the district may make rules implementing specialized dockets among the departments. Each department must be numbered, and each judge must be assigned to one of the numbered departments. (3) The judges shall apportion the business of the court among themselves as equally as possible. In case of their failure for any cause to make the apportionment or to assign each judge to a numbered department, the supreme court, upon application of any interested person, shall make an order apportioning the business and assigning each judge to a numbered department and cause the order to be entered upon the minute book of the district court in …
Sponsors
- Mercer, Bill (R, 52) · primary sponsor
- Smith, Laura (D, 40)
Latest actions
- : Chapter Number Assigned
- : (H) Signed by Governor
- : (H) Transmitted to Governor
- : (S) Signed by President
- : (H) Signed by Speaker
- : (H) Returned from Enrolling
- : (H) Sent to Enrolling
- : (S) 3rd Reading
- : (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- : (S) 2nd Reading
Votes
- Do Concur (April 11, 2025): 47 yea, 1 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 10, 2025): 37 yea, 4 nay, passed
- Do Pass (March 7, 2025): 99 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Pass (March 6, 2025): 96 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Courts, Rule Making
Common questions
- What is HB693?
- HB693 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Generally revise laws applicable to district courts.
- What does HB693 do?
- In its own words: An act providing requirements for multijudge districts with specialized dockets; providing rulemaking authority; and amending section 3-5-403, mca.
- What is the status of HB693?
- Signed into law as of May 13, 2025. Latest action: Chapter Number Assigned (May 13, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB693?
- Mercer, Bill (R, 52), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for HB693?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC3426
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.