# Montana HB 159: Revise rural improvement district laws to include maintenance of existing public improvements Montana HB 159, Revise rural improvement district laws to include maintenance of existing public improvements, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Alanah Griffith (Democrat); status signed, last action 2025-04-07 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB159-2025 - 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 159 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Revise rural improvement district laws to include maintenance of existing public improvements - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-09 - Last action: 2025-04-07, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Alanah Griffith (Democrat) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Taxation--Property, Local Finance, Local Government, Taxation, Counties, Property - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (268 yes, 29 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Clearer notices and cost details for districts: benefit, low. Before creating a district, the county issues a resolution of intention and gives notice. Notices must describe the work, name the public improvements to be built or maintained, give an estimated cost, and explain how costs will be assessed. If assessments could be recalculated or a revolving fund… - Easier road maintenance districts in subdivisions: mixed, medium. For road‑maintenance‑only districts, a petition needs consent from owners of more than 85% of the area. If all roads to be maintained are public improvements, consent from more than 50% of the area is enough. Properties counted under these rules must be in a residential subdivision. Owners outside… - Counties can form maintenance districts with owner waivers: mixed, low. County commissioners can create rural improvement districts to maintain existing public improvements, not just build them. If every property owner in the proposed area waives the right to protest, the board can create the district without a petition. Properties inside a created district can be char… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Alanah Griffith (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: Dave Fern (Democrat), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-20 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 37 | 13 | | | 2025-03-19 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 39 | 10 | | | 2025-01-27 | House | Do Pass | pass | 94 | 4 | | | 2025-01-24 | House | Do Pass | pass | 98 | 2 | | ## Actions (24) - 2025-04-07: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-04-07: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-04-01: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-04-01: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-03-28: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-03-21: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-03-20: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-03-20: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-19: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-18: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-01-28: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-01-27: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-01-24: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-01-22: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-22: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-21: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-14: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-10: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-01-10: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-01-09: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-03-20: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=0328e42f-7f08-4bd0-9df9-c7627873f173) - Enrolled, 2025-03-20: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=693a99cb-5059-45a3-ac16-94a33f600fb4) - Introduced, 2025-01-09: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=2c483dfc-ed18-4897-a1b8-a2469cb1da2c) ## 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 - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=0328e42f-7f08-4bd0-9df9-c7627873f173) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=693a99cb-5059-45a3-ac16-94a33f600fb4) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=2c483dfc-ed18-4897-a1b8-a2469cb1da2c) ## 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-HB159-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).