# Montana HB 346: Exempt Commerce grants and loans from MEPA Montana HB 346, Exempt Commerce grants and loans from MEPA, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Paul Tuss (Democrat); status signed, last action 2025-05-08 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB346-2025 - 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 346 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Exempt Commerce grants and loans from MEPA - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-29 - Last action: 2025-05-08, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Paul Tuss (Democrat) - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: Environmental Protection, State Government, Rule Making - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (287 yes, 8 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Faster state-backed housing loans: benefit, low. The Department of Commerce and the Board of Housing do not need a MEPA environmental review for state-backed housing loans under this part. The same exemption covers reverse annuity mortgage loans for elderly homeowners and the veterans’ home loan program. This begins July 1, 2025, and helps speed… - Faster workforce training grants: benefit, low. The Department of Commerce does not need a MEPA environmental review when it authorizes, runs, or creates workforce training grants under this part. This begins July 1, 2025. It can speed training programs for job seekers and workers. - Quicker small-business and industry financing: benefit, low. Commerce does not need a MEPA environmental review for loans for microbusiness development and for the Montana wood products industry under this part. Commerce is also exempt for grants or loans for economic development projects under this part. These changes begin July 1, 2025. They can speed appr… - Quicker tourism, film, and historic grants: benefit, low. Commerce, the State-Tribal Economic Development Commission, and heritage and cultural tourism commissions do not need a MEPA environmental review for grants or loans under this part for agritourism, tourism, small businesses, films, regional development, Lewis and Clark sites, and investments in hi… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Paul Tuss (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: Bruce "Butch" Gillespie (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Steve Fitzpatrick (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-14 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 44 | 3 | | | 2025-04-12 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 46 | 3 | | | 2025-02-13 | House | Do Pass | pass | 98 | 1 | | | 2025-02-12 | House | Do Pass | pass | 99 | 1 | | ## 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) - 2025-04-14: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-14: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-12: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-11: 2nd Reading Pass Consideration (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-31: 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) - 2025-02-04: Committee Report (House) - 2025-02-03: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-02-03: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-02-03: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-02-03: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-31: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-30: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-01-30: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-01-29: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-01-29: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=8de2aec2-e419-45c7-b1bf-7429fe0329ea) - Introduced, 2025-01-29: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3a375f91-d223-46a6-881c-43ccf61748ff) ## 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=8de2aec2-e419-45c7-b1bf-7429fe0329ea) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3a375f91-d223-46a6-881c-43ccf61748ff) ## 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-HB346-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).