# Montana HB 147: Revise laws related to covenants to provide definition of enforcement action Montana HB 147, Revise laws related to covenants to provide definition of enforcement action, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Jedediah Hinkle (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-08 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB147-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Montana HB 147 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Revise laws related to covenants to provide definition of enforcement action - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-08 - Last action: 2025-05-08, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Jedediah Hinkle (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Property, Courts - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (249 yes, 48 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Homeowners get stronger covenant defenses: benefit, medium. You can defend against covenant enforcement when it has been ignored for the time set in state law (27-2-202). To count as enforcement, the rule must have been enforced equally and consistently across all affected lots for at least 2 years. If a court or the association abandons a covenant and a no… - HOAs and landowners can sue to enforce: cost, medium. Homeowners associations and anyone with a property interest can sue to enforce recorded covenants, conditions, or restrictions. A court can order fixes, fines, or injunctions. You could face legal fees or other costs if sued. - Dormant HOAs limited after 15 years: mixed, medium. An HOA that has not met for 15 years cannot enforce a covenant against you when your use matches other lots in the neighborhood. Enforcement is still allowed when needed to follow laws, for easements or rights-of-way, to maintain shared infrastructure, to follow a court or government approval, for… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Jedediah Hinkle (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Daniel Emrich (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-16 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 34 | 16 | | | 2025-04-15 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 32 | 18 | | | 2025-01-27 | House | Do Pass | pass | 90 | 7 | | | 2025-01-24 | House | Do Pass | pass | 93 | 7 | | ## Actions (31) - 2025-05-08: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-05: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-04-25: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-04-25: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-04-24: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-19: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-16: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-16: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-15: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-28: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Hearing Canceled (House) - 2025-02-14: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-01-28: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-01-27: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-01-27: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-01-27: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-01-27: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-24: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-01-21: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-21: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-01-20: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-14: Hearing Canceled (House) - 2025-01-14: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-13: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-09: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-01-09: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-01-08: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-17: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=69b18819-3808-408b-b97e-31647d8fd8c6) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-01-21: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=8f996e04-bd84-405e-87f9-75b1f8acf4bb) - Introduced, 2025-01-08: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=a3757488-d98d-4384-8902-3befe7d0f340) ## 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 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed) - SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=69b18819-3808-408b-b97e-31647d8fd8c6) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=8f996e04-bd84-405e-87f9-75b1f8acf4bb) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=a3757488-d98d-4384-8902-3befe7d0f340) ## 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 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025) - [SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025) - [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-HB147-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).