# Montana HB 242: Revise fines related to aquatic invasive species

Montana HB 242, Revise fines related to aquatic invasive species, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Tom Millett (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-08 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB242-2025
- 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 242
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Revise fines related to aquatic invasive species
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-17
- Last action: 2025-05-08, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Tom Millett (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Fish, Revenue, State
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 4 (292 yes, 4 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Warnings allowed and clear sign rules: benefit, low. Officers can issue a warning without a penalty when a warning best serves the public interest. No penalty applies for violating the check-station stop rule if clear, adequate signs are not posted a reasonable distance from the station.
- Stronger criminal penalties for invasive species: cost, medium. The law strengthens criminal penalties for breaking Montana’s aquatic invasive species rules. Negligent violations are misdemeanors with fines up to $700 for a first offense and $1,400 for later offenses. Knowing or purposeful violations are misdemeanors with fines up to $1,950; you must forfeit yo…
- Civil fines up to $2,500: cost, low. For other violations of Montana’s invasive species rules that are not charged as a misdemeanor or felony, the state can impose a civil penalty up to $2,500 per violation. Civil penalty money collected under this section goes to the Montana general fund.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Tom Millett (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Mark Noland (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-11 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 46 | 2 |   |
| 2025-04-10 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 47 | 2 |   |
| 2025-02-20 | House | Do Pass | pass | 99 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-19 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 |   |

## Actions (29)

- 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)
- 2025-04-23: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-16: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-11: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-11: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-10: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-08: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-04-08: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-03-25: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-03-19: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-03-19: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-03-18: Fiscal Note Printed (House)
- 2025-03-17: Fiscal Note Signed (House)
- 2025-03-17: Fiscal Note Received (House)
- 2025-03-04: Fiscal Note Requested (House)
- 2025-02-21: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Transmitted to Senate (House)
- 2025-02-20: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-02-19: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-02-14: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-02-13: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-02-13: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-01-23: Hearing (House)
- 2025-01-17: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-01-17: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-01-17: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=d7e2a57d-99ef-4554-89f1-969b3c1f6016)
- As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-14: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=136a58e4-0a56-4b95-818d-5bf1c11935c4)
- Introduced, 2025-01-17: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=c9370eae-02e9-4779-a37d-378faee72246)

## 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=d7e2a57d-99ef-4554-89f1-969b3c1f6016)
- [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=136a58e4-0a56-4b95-818d-5bf1c11935c4)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=c9370eae-02e9-4779-a37d-378faee72246)

## 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-HB242-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).