# Montana HB 396: Generally revise bail laws

Montana HB 396, Generally revise bail laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Greg Overstreet (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-15 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB396-2025
- 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 396
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Generally revise bail laws
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-05
- Last action: 2025-05-15, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Greg Overstreet (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Corrections, Courts, Criminal Procedure
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (183 yes, 114 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Returned on warrant: judge decides bail: cost, medium. If you are returned to Montana under 46-30-411 and arrested on a judicial warrant, you cannot get bail yet. You must first appear before the judge who issued the warrant. If that judge is unavailable, another judge in the same jurisdiction may decide. If an interstate compact or federal law applies…
- Stricter rules for setting bail: cost, low. When bail is required, the court must weigh any past abscondence and fugitivity. That includes government costs spent to transport you to Montana. The bail amount must be enough to include the charge in 46-18-236.
- Bail decided at first court appearance: mixed, medium. The court must decide release or detention right away at your first appearance. The court may use a validated pretrial risk tool. It must consider the offense, any violence, and your history and ties. It must also consider any past abscondence, costs to bring you to Montana, and any compact that re…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Greg Overstreet (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Barry Usher (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-24 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 32 | 18 |   |
| 2025-04-23 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 32 | 18 |   |
| 2025-03-04 | House | Do Pass | pass | 60 | 39 |   |
| 2025-03-03 | House | Do Pass | pass | 59 | 39 |   |

## Actions (29)

- 2025-05-15: Chapter Number Assigned (House)
- 2025-05-12: Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-05-05: Transmitted to Governor (House)
- 2025-05-02: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-05-01: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-28: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-24: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-24: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-23: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-18: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-04-18: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-04-03: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-04-03: Hearing Canceled (Senate)
- 2025-03-18: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-03-05: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Transmitted to Senate (House)
- 2025-03-04: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-03-03: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-02-26: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-02-26: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-02-24: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-11: Fiscal Note Printed (House)
- 2025-02-11: Fiscal Note Signed (House)
- 2025-02-11: Fiscal Note Received (House)
- 2025-02-08: Hearing Canceled (House)
- 2025-02-06: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-02-06: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-05: Fiscal Note Requested (House)
- 2025-02-05: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-25: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=0e351871-d81b-4e42-a5b5-629398bb7074)
- Introduced, 2025-02-05: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=818e3ac7-27ce-4deb-99ea-f88da4a5254b)

## 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=0e351871-d81b-4e42-a5b5-629398bb7074)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=818e3ac7-27ce-4deb-99ea-f88da4a5254b)

## 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-HB396-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).