# Montana HB 394: Revise local government public notice and resolution requirements Montana HB 394, Revise local government public notice and resolution requirements, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Larry Brewster (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-05 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB394-2025 - 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 394 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Revise local government public notice and resolution requirements - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-05 - Last action: 2025-05-05, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Larry Brewster (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Local Government, Cities and Towns, City Officers, Counties - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 6 (494 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Advance notice before utility rate hikes: benefit, low. Cities must publish notice of utility rate hearings and mail customers a notice 7–30 days before the hearing. The mailed notice must include an estimate of how much the average bill will go up. This improves transparency before rate changes take effect. - Standard city and county notice rules: benefit, low. The law standardizes how cities and counties publish public notices. Two publications are required. The first must be at least 5 business days before the hearing, or 15 business days if another law requires more time. Small towns without a qualifying newspaper may post in three public places, and o… - Clearer notices for zoning and plats: benefit, low. Growth policy, zoning, and subdivision hearings now follow the same standard notice rules. Zoning changes cannot take effect until after a noticed public hearing. Interim zoning hearings also use the standard notice method. Before adopting subdivision regulations, the local government must hold a n… - Local hearing before affordable housing tax break: benefit, low. Before a local government applies for a property tax exemption for qualifying low‑income rental housing, it must publish notice under the standard rules. It must hold a public hearing to gather comments on whether the project meets a community housing need. The record of that hearing goes to the st… - Public input on big rental projects: benefit, low. Before adopting rules for developments with four or more rental buildings, the government must allow a public hearing and comment. Counties must publish notice and also post in at least five public places at least 30 days before the hearing. Cities must publish notice under the standard city rule.… - Minimum 75% maintenance charge in districts: cost, medium. For maintenance districts, the council must estimate yearly costs by the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in September. It must adopt the annual assessment resolution before the first Monday in October. Properties in the district must be charged at least 75% of the total maintenance cost. Not… - Faster subdivision reviews in planned areas: mixed, medium. In incorporated cities and towns, qualifying projects get expedited review, even if local code has not been updated. If your application meets the statutory criteria, you can request expedited review regardless of lot count. These applications do not need an environmental assessment and skip some r… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Larry Brewster (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-15 | House | Do Concur | pass | 97 | 0 | | | 2025-04-14 | House | Do Concur | pass | 100 | 0 | | | 2025-04-07 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 0 | | | 2025-04-05 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 0 | | | 2025-02-24 | House | Do Pass | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2025-02-22 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 | | ## Actions (25) - 2025-05-05: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-01: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-04-22: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-04-22: 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) - 2025-04-07: Returned to House with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-07: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-05: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-16: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-03-03: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-24: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-02-24: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-02-22: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-02-19: Committee Report (House) - 2025-02-18: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-02-10: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-06: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-02-06: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-02-05: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=81fb4e44-8452-4df1-b1c2-3aa2d01346d0) - As Amended (Version 3), 2025-04-01: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=282d5cbd-08f6-4a97-8587-bb8503a89acf) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-19: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=24f84eb7-c4b9-40cf-962e-4a18b6194f0c) - Introduced, 2025-02-05: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=22fadf19-c769-4b1c-a75c-4ec7eb3c9f4d) ## 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=81fb4e44-8452-4df1-b1c2-3aa2d01346d0) - [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=282d5cbd-08f6-4a97-8587-bb8503a89acf) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=24f84eb7-c4b9-40cf-962e-4a18b6194f0c) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=22fadf19-c769-4b1c-a75c-4ec7eb3c9f4d) ## 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-HB394-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).