# Montana HB 332: Generally revise youth court laws Montana HB 332, Generally revise youth court laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Bill Mercer (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-08 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB332-2025 - 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 332 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Generally revise youth court laws - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-28 - Last action: 2025-05-08, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Bill Mercer (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Courts, Family Law, Minors, Criminal Procedure - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (199 yes, 99 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Safer rules for youth in adult jails: benefit, low. A youth can be held in an adult jail only with sight‑and‑sound separation from adults and a judge’s written findings after a hearing. The court reviews the detention at least every 30 days. The court must hold another hearing before 180 days to extend the stay for good cause, unless the youth knowi… - After 18, cases move to adult court: mixed, medium. After a youth turns 18, some cases shift from youth court to district court and from juvenile to adult probation. A judge can order this transfer on a motion made any time after 18 and before 21 for certain cases already sentenced in district court and not handled as extended‑jurisdiction juvenile… - Which youth cases go to adult court: mixed, medium. The law expands when prosecutors can seek to file a youth’s case in district (adult) court. At age 12 or older, certain serious sex and homicide crimes qualify. At age 16 or older, more violent and serious crimes qualify, such as aggravated assault, robbery, arson, kidnapping, drug production or di… - Youth consent decrees with rights and limits: mixed, medium. A consent decree is a written agreement that delays a delinquency finding and puts the youth on supervised terms. Before entering one, officers must tell the youth and family about the right to a lawyer. The court may accept a decree only if the youth admits the offense and waives a jury, and the j… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Bill Mercer (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Sue Vinton (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-11 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 30 | 18 | | | 2025-04-10 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 29 | 21 | | | 2025-02-19 | House | Do Pass | pass | 66 | 34 | | | 2025-02-18 | House | Do Pass | pass | 74 | 26 | | ## Actions (28) - 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) - 2025-04-03: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-28: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-03-01: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-20: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-02-19: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-02-18: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-02-12: Committee Report (House) - 2025-02-12: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-02-12: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-02-04: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-03: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-02-03: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-02-03: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-29: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-01-29: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-01-28: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-01-28: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=33d132a3-647a-445c-9db0-8636a0a2f1bb) - Introduced, 2025-01-28: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=d4f5506b-eac1-4106-a45c-4a3a381e0caf) ## 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=33d132a3-647a-445c-9db0-8636a0a2f1bb) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=d4f5506b-eac1-4106-a45c-4a3a381e0caf) ## 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-HB332-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).