# Montana HB 39: Repeal law disallowing parties from contributing to judicial candidates

Montana HB 39, Repeal law disallowing parties from contributing to judicial candidates, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Tom Millett (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-03-04 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB39-2025
- 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 39
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Repeal law disallowing parties from contributing to judicial candidates
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2024-12-06
- Last action: 2025-03-04, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Tom Millett (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Courts, Elections, Judges and Justices
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (165 yes, 133 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- No banned donations through joint committees: benefit, low. Joint fundraising committees cannot act as a go-between for donations or spending that state law forbids. A joint committee cannot make or pass along money from any entity, including its own participants, if that entity is banned under Title 13, chapters 35 or 37. This clarifies how joint fundraisi…
- Parties can fund judicial candidates: benefit, low. The law repeals the ban on political party committees giving to judicial candidates. Party committees can now donate to judicial candidates, including justices of the peace. All other campaign finance limits and reporting rules in Title 13 still apply. This change takes effect under the law’s gener…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Tom Millett (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Theresa Manzella (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-02-15 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 25 | 23 |   |
| 2025-02-14 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 26 | 24 |   |
| 2025-01-15 | House | Do Pass | pass | 57 | 43 |   |
| 2025-01-14 | House | Do Pass | pass | 57 | 43 |   |

## Actions (23)

- 2025-03-04: Chapter Number Assigned (House)
- 2025-03-04: Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-02-26: Transmitted to Governor (House)
- 2025-02-26: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-02-26: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-02-18: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-02-15: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-02-15: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-14: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-07: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-02-05: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-02-04: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-01-17: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-01-16: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-01-16: Transmitted to Senate (House)
- 2025-01-15: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-01-14: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-01-10: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-01-10: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-01-06: Hearing (House)
- 2025-01-06: 1st Reading (House)
- 2024-12-20: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2024-12-06: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-03-14: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=1cf23530-cdd8-49fa-9e59-69f478ec0dd9)
- As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-17: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=f35a81c0-e3f6-49bf-83b5-9703610e6b7d)
- Introduced, 2024-12-09: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=d8d763af-8bf8-4937-b300-c3d4d060b6de)

## 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=1cf23530-cdd8-49fa-9e59-69f478ec0dd9)
- [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=f35a81c0-e3f6-49bf-83b5-9703610e6b7d)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=d8d763af-8bf8-4937-b300-c3d4d060b6de)

## 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-HB39-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).