# Montana HB 285: Generally revise Montana environmental policy act Montana HB 285, Generally revise Montana environmental policy act, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Brandon Ler (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-05 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB285-2025 - 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 285 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Generally revise Montana environmental policy act - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-22 - Last action: 2025-05-05, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Brandon Ler (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Environmental Protection - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 6 (305 yes, 190 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 10 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Environmental review is advisory, not permitting: benefit, medium. The law makes Montana’s environmental review a disclosure tool. Agencies cannot deny or add permit conditions based on MEPA parts 1–3. Your constitutional property rights do not change, and agencies still must meet other environmental standards. For private projects, an alternatives analysis cannot… - No environmental review for utility rates: benefit, low. The Department of Public Service Regulation does not use the state's environmental review steps when it sets rates and charges. This applies to railroads, motor carriers, and public utilities. The exemption covers only these rate and charge decisions. - State reviews can assess climate impacts: benefit, low. Agencies may include greenhouse gas emissions and climate impacts in environmental reviews. They can consider effects inside and outside Montana. This adds information for the public and decision‑makers. - Stronger Environmental Quality Council oversight: benefit, low. The Environmental Quality Council takes on interim committee duties for DEQ, Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and DNRC. At least half of certain appointees must come from legislative committees that handle these issues. This tightens oversight and clarifies who serves. - Faster environmental reviews with clearer rules: mixed, medium. Agencies must finish scoping in 60 days, most reviews in 90 days, and detailed statements in 180 days. They can extend once by up to 50%; more time needs the sponsor’s okay. If they miss the deadline, they cannot withhold a permit unless issuing it would likely break a law or rule. Agencies can onl… - Harder to block permits in court: mixed, medium. A court can block a permit only if you are likely to win, will suffer irreparable harm, and the public interest supports it. The court must write how the relief affects local and state economies and tailor any order as narrowly as possible. To vacate or delay a permit, you must also show a violatio… - New court rules for environmental lawsuits: mixed, medium. The law gives environmental cases priority on district court dockets. If you challenge an agency decision, the agency charges a fee to cover the actual cost to compile the certified record. To get an injunction, you must post a bond big enough to cover costs, including one year of lost wages and pr… - Tighter rules to sue over reviews: mixed, medium. Only people who filed formal comments before the final decision can sue, and only on the issues they raised. You must sue within 60 days, and in the county where the activity will occur. Courts stick to the certified record; challengers must prove claims by clear and convincing evidence. New inform… - Agency directors must sign significance findings: mixed, low. An agency director must sign in writing any decision that a project is significant or any recommendation to make that finding. This makes directors formally responsible for those significance calls. - Narrower reviews and new climate guidance: mixed, low. Agencies must look at cumulative impacts, but they may count future actions only if another agency is considering them at the same time. Environmental reviews may include a greenhouse gas assessment as limited by SB 221. The Department of Environmental Quality must publish draft guidance on when an… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Brandon Ler (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-15 | House | Do Concur | pass | 63 | 34 | | | 2025-04-14 | House | Do Concur | pass | 65 | 35 | | | 2025-04-04 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 31 | 18 | | | 2025-04-03 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 31 | 19 | | | 2025-02-13 | House | Do Pass | pass | 57 | 42 | | | 2025-02-12 | House | Do Pass | pass | 58 | 42 | | ## Actions (27) - 2025-05-05: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-01: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-04-22: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-04-21: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-04-18: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-15: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-15: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-15: 3rd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-14: 2nd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-04: Returned to House with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-04: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-03: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-02: 2nd Reading Pass Consideration (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-03-28: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-21: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-14: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-14: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-02-13: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-02-12: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-02-10: Committee Report (House) - 2025-02-07: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-27: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-23: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-01-23: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-01-22: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=d6f3726b-b17e-41b4-a8d9-7fc856a23835) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-03-31: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=9c5b1346-185b-49da-8c1c-bf2f9c41034b) - Introduced, 2025-01-22: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=44ccafde-1e80-4659-ae3b-035a0cb05973) ## 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=d6f3726b-b17e-41b4-a8d9-7fc856a23835) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=9c5b1346-185b-49da-8c1c-bf2f9c41034b) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=44ccafde-1e80-4659-ae3b-035a0cb05973) ## 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-HB285-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).