# Montana HB 100: Generally revise public record laws Montana HB 100, Generally revise public record laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Bill Mercer (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-13 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB100-2025 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Montana HB 100 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Generally revise public record laws - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2024-12-16 - Last action: 2025-05-13, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Bill Mercer (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: State Government, Cities and Towns, Counties, Revenue, State - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 6 (494 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Stronger rights to challenge records denials: benefit, low. If an agency denies your records request, it must explain in writing. You can sue in district court to challenge a denial or a lack of response by a state agency that is not a local government. If you win, the court can award your court costs and reasonable attorney fees. - Agencies must post requests and stats: benefit, low. Starting Nov 1, 2026, state agencies (not local governments) must post their public records request process on a state website. They must publish the number of requests and response times. They must keep each request and the agency’s written response online for two years. Agencies do not have to po… - Standard record fees with $25/hour cap: mixed, low. Agencies can charge only actual, documented costs. Staff time is capped at up to $25 per hour. For non‑single requests, an agency may charge up to a $5 filing fee, and the first hour after that is free. Agencies may also charge copying, scanning, media, postage, shipping, a convenience fee allowed… - Deadlines and contacts for state records: mixed, low. State executive‑branch agencies must post a contact for records requests. The contact must acknowledge your request within 5 business days. For a single, clearly identified record that is readily available, the agency must provide it within 5 working days after acknowledgment, except for requests a… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Bill Mercer (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-18 | House | Do Concur | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2025-04-17 | House | Do Concur | pass | 100 | 0 | | | 2025-04-14 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 47 | 1 | | | 2025-04-12 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 0 | | | 2025-01-30 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 | | | 2025-01-29 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 | | ## Actions (38) - 2025-05-13: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-08: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-05-02: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-05-02: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-04-29: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-20: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-18: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-18: 3rd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-17: 2nd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-14: Returned to House with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-14: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-12: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-26: Revised Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-03-26: Revised Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-03-26: Revised Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-03-20: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Revised Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-03-19: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-02-17: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Revised Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-02-04: Fiscal Note Unsigned (House) - 2025-02-04: Revised Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-31: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-01-30: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-01-29: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-01-27: Revised Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-01-24: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-23: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-09: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-01-09: Fiscal Note Unsigned (House) - 2025-01-07: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-06: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-06: 1st Reading (House) - 2024-12-20: Referred to Committee (House) - 2024-12-18: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2024-12-16: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-18: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=57bd6b2f-42b2-4178-a23b-1292c8986142) - As Amended (Version 3), 2025-03-20: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=991b2ea2-1f5a-4b4e-a181-d9484d60e0b0) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-01-24: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=33f18034-5b3b-4dbb-a6b5-450de6f0d173) - Introduced, 2024-12-16: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=a87f7316-bcbd-489a-9f5f-0f9cc3c65ce6) ## Related bills - SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law (signed) - HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit (vetoed) - HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws (vetoed) - SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act (vetoed) - SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed) - SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=57bd6b2f-42b2-4178-a23b-1292c8986142) - [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=991b2ea2-1f5a-4b4e-a181-d9484d60e0b0) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=33f18034-5b3b-4dbb-a6b5-450de6f0d173) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=a87f7316-bcbd-489a-9f5f-0f9cc3c65ce6) ## Related - [SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB437-2025) - [HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB831-2025) - [HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB628-2025) - [SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB410-2025) - [SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025) - [SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025) - [Montana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana/bills) - [Montana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB100-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).