Montana HB 375: Stalled in Committee or Poised for a Comeback?

Unpacking the current status and prospects of the bill aimed at revising statewide ballot issue laws in the 2025 legislative session.

Montana House Bill 375 (HB 375), introduced during the 2025 Regular Legislative Session, proposed significant changes to the way statewide ballot issues are handled. Understanding its journey through the legislative process reveals its current standing and potential future.

Key Highlights of HB 375's Status

Missed Critical Deadline: The bill failed to meet the March 12, 2025, deadline for general bill transmittal from the House to the Senate, a crucial step for legislative progression.
Tabled in Committee: HB 375 was Tabled in the House State Administration Committee on February 24, 2025, indicating it was set aside without advancing.
Highly Unlikely to Pass (2025 Session): Due to missing the transmittal deadline and being tabled, the bill is considered effectively stalled and has a very low probability of passing during the current legislative session.

Understanding Montana House Bill 375

Purpose and Sponsor

Titled "Revise statewide ballot issue laws," HB 375 was sponsored by Representative Lukas Schubert, a Republican. The bill aimed to amend Montana Code Annotated (MCA) sections governing statewide ballot issues, such as MCA 13-27-401 and 13-27-501. The proposed changes reportedly included requirements for legislative polling on ballot issues, summarizing these results by political party, and including this information in voter pamphlets and potentially on ballots themselves. This indicates an effort to enhance transparency or provide voters with additional context regarding legislative perspectives on ballot measures.

Montana State Capitol Building in Helena

The Montana State Capitol in Helena, where HB 375 was debated.

Legislative Journey and Current Status

HB 375 began its journey in the Montana House of Representatives early in the 2025 session. Here’s a timeline of its key legislative actions:

Introduction: The bill was formally introduced.
Committee Assignment: It was referred to the House State Administration Committee for review and hearings. A hearing was noted for February 6, 2025.
Fiscal Note: A fiscal note, assessing potential financial impacts, was requested and subsequently signed on February 10, 2025.
Tabled in Committee: On February 24, 2025, the House State Administration Committee voted to table the bill. Tabling effectively halts progress unless a specific motion is made to revive it.
Taken from Table (Briefly): Records indicate the bill was taken from the table on March 1, 2025, suggesting a brief reconsideration.
Missed Transmittal Deadline: Crucially, HB 375 failed to meet the March 12, 2025, deadline for general bills to be transmitted from their house of origin (the House) to the other chamber (the Senate).

As of April 28, 2025, the bill's status is effectively stalled. Missing the transmittal deadline is a significant procedural hurdle in the Montana Legislature. Bills that do not meet these deadlines are typically unable to advance further during that session.

The Montana Legislative Process Explained

For a bill like HB 375 to become law in Montana, it must successfully navigate several stages:

Introduction in either the House or Senate.
Referral to a committee for hearings, debate, and potential amendments.
Passing a vote in the assigned committee.
Passing floor votes in the chamber of origin (House for HB 375).
Transmittal to the other chamber (Senate for HB 375) by established deadlines.
Repeating the committee and floor vote process in the second chamber.
Reconciliation of any differences between House and Senate versions.
Final passage by both chambers.
Signature by the Governor.

Deadlines, such as the transmittal deadline missed by HB 375, are strictly enforced to manage the legislative workload and ensure timely progress.

Montana House of Representatives Chamber

The Montana House of Representatives, where HB 375 originated.

Likelihood of HB 375 Passing in 2025

Impact of the Missed Deadline

The most significant factor determining HB 375's fate in the 2025 session is its failure to meet the March 12th general bill transmittal deadline. In Montana's legislative process, this deadline acts as a critical gatekeeper. Bills that miss this cutoff are generally considered 'dead' for the session unless revived through extraordinary procedural means, which are uncommon and not indicated for HB 375 based on available records.

Furthermore, the bill was tabled in its assigned committee before the deadline, signaling a lack of sufficient support to advance even at that early stage. While it was briefly taken from the table, it ultimately failed to progress. Given these procedural facts, the likelihood of Montana House Bill 375 passing during the 2025 legislative session is extremely low.

Factors Influencing Passage Potential

This radar chart visually represents an assessment of various factors influencing a bill's potential passage, applied specifically to HB 375's situation as of late April 2025. The low scores across most dimensions reflect the bill's stalled status due to missing key procedural deadlines and being tabled in committee.

Note: The chart represents a qualitative assessment based on the reported legislative actions and procedural status, not quantitative polling data. Scores range from 10 (very low) to 100 (very high).

Visualizing HB 375's Journey

Mindmap Overview

This mindmap provides a visual summary of Montana House Bill 375, outlining its key characteristics, legislative path, and current status within the 2025 session.

mindmap root["Montana HB 375 (2025 Session)"] id1["Bill Details"] id1a["Title: Revise statewide ballot issue laws"] id1b["Sponsor: Rep. Lukas Schubert (R)"] id1c["Purpose: Amend ballot issue rules
(e.g., add legislative poll results)"] id1d["Partisan Bill"] id2["Legislative Actions"] id2a["Introduced in House"] id2b["Assigned to House State Admin Committee"] id2c["Hearing Scheduled (Feb 6)"] id2d["Fiscal Note Signed (Feb 10)"] id2e["Tabled in Committee (Feb 24)"] id2f["Taken from Table (Mar 1)"] id2g["Missed Transmittal Deadline (Mar 12)"] id3["Current Status (as of Apr 2025)"] id3a["Stalled in House"] id3b["Did not advance to Senate"] id3c["Effectively 'Dead' for 2025 Session"] id4["Likelihood of Passage (2025)"] id4a["Extremely Low / Highly Unlikely"] id4b["Primary Reason: Missed procedural deadline"] id4c["Also Tabled in Committee"] id5["Important Distinction"] id5a["Different from SB 375 (Hemp Products)"]

Key Dates and Actions for HB 375

Timeline Summary

The following table summarizes the significant dates and legislative actions related to Montana House Bill 375 during the 2025 Regular Session, based on available records.

Date (2025)	Action	Description
Early 2025	Introduction	Bill formally introduced in the Montana House.
Early 2025	Committee Referral	Assigned to the House State Administration Committee.
February 6	Committee Hearing	Scheduled hearing in the House State Administration Committee.
February 10	Fiscal Note Signed	Assessment of potential fiscal impact completed.
February 24	Tabled in Committee	The House State Administration Committee voted to set the bill aside.
March 1	Taken from Table	Bill was briefly brought back for consideration from the table status.
March 12	Missed Deadline	Failed to meet the deadline for general bills to be transmitted from the House to the Senate.
April 28 (Current Status)	Stalled	Bill has not progressed further in the legislative process for the 2025 session.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What exactly did HB 375 propose to change?

HB 375 aimed to "Revise statewide ballot issue laws." While the full text details the specifics, reports indicate key proposals included requiring legislative polling on ballot issues, possibly broken down by party, and mandating that these polling results be included in voter information pamphlets and potentially on the ballots themselves. It sought to amend sections like MCA 13-27-401 and 13-27-501.

What does it mean for a bill to be 'Tabled'?

When a committee tables a bill, it means they are setting it aside, effectively pausing its progress. A tabled bill does not advance unless a specific motion is made and approved to "take it from the table" for further consideration. Tabling often signifies a lack of support or that the committee does not intend to move forward with the bill at that time. HB 375 was tabled on Feb 24, 2025.

How important is the 'Transmittal Deadline' in Montana?

Transmittal deadlines are very important procedural milestones in the Montana Legislature. They set specific dates by which bills must pass from their originating chamber (House or Senate) to the other chamber. Missing this deadline, as HB 375 did on March 12, 2025, usually means the bill cannot proceed further in that legislative session and is effectively defeated for the year, barring rare procedural exceptions.

Could HB 375 be brought back in a future session?

Yes, it's possible. Although HB 375 is highly unlikely to pass in the 2025 session, its sponsor or other legislators could choose to reintroduce a similar bill in a future legislative session (e.g., 2027, as Montana has biennial sessions). Its prospects then would depend on the political climate, legislative priorities, and any modifications made to the bill.

Is HB 375 related to SB 375 from the same session?

No, Montana House Bill 375 (HB 375) and Senate Bill 375 (SB 375) from the 2025 session are separate bills addressing different subjects. HB 375 deals with revising statewide ballot issue laws, while SB 375 reportedly dealt with prohibiting the sale of edible products containing hemp. It's important not to confuse the two.