# Montana HB 226: Provide for a legal employment and government accountability law Montana HB 226, Provide for a legal employment and government accountability law, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Courtenay Sprunger (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-05 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB226-2025 - 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 226 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Provide for a legal employment and government accountability law - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-15 - Last action: 2025-05-05, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Courtenay Sprunger (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: International Relations, Workers' Compensation, Rule Making - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (267 yes, 31 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Steeper fines and license suspensions for employers: cost, high. Beginning July 1, 2025, civil fines apply per employee when you violate the hiring verification rules. First violation: up to $500 per person. Second: up to $1,000 per person. Third or later: up to $2,500 per person, and your government licenses must be suspended for 30 days to 6 months upon notice. - Stronger audits and subpoenas for employers: cost, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Department of Labor and Industry can investigate and audit employers. The Department can inspect books, records, and payrolls with three business days' notice. Refusing to provide records can bring up to a $500 fine per offense. The Department can issue subpoenas and ask… - Rulemaking and July 1, 2025 start: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Department must adopt rules to carry out this law. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025, so employers should prepare to comply by that date. - New hiring verification rules for employers: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, employers must check every hire’s right to work. You must keep either an E-Verify result or a completed Form I-9 with identity and work documents, within federal timelines in 8 CFR 274a.2. Using E-Verify creates a good-faith presumption, so you are not penalized just for rel… - Enforcement fund for hiring-law compliance: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the law creates a special lawful employment enforcement account in the state special revenue fund. Penalties collected under this law, and money from 39-2-305, are paid into the account. Interest and unspent money stay in the account each year. The Department can spend this… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Courtenay Sprunger (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Gregg Hunter (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-10 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 44 | 4 | | | 2025-04-08 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 47 | 3 | | | 2025-02-04 | House | Do Pass | pass | 87 | 13 | | | 2025-02-03 | House | Do Pass | pass | 89 | 11 | | ## Actions (32) - 2025-05-05: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-01: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-04-22: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-04-22: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-04-18: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-11: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-10: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-10: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-08: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-24: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-03-19: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-05: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Revised Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-02-04: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-02-04: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-02-04: Revised Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-02-03: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-02-03: Revised Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-30: Revised Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-01-28: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-28: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-28: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-28: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-01-28: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-01-27: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-16: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-16: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-01-16: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-01-15: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-01-15: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=dc51d1e4-7418-4b03-bf2d-eda5c3caaf9a) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-01-28: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=2a5cfcea-0895-4025-a8c0-5f9590e091b9) - Introduced, 2025-01-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=d7259797-b4d6-4b84-b847-c36ce9e18a88) ## 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=dc51d1e4-7418-4b03-bf2d-eda5c3caaf9a) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=2a5cfcea-0895-4025-a8c0-5f9590e091b9) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=d7259797-b4d6-4b84-b847-c36ce9e18a88) ## 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-HB226-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).