# Montana HB 40: Revise public water supply fee accounts Montana HB 40, Revise public water supply fee accounts, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by John Fitzpatrick (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-08 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB40-2025 - 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 40 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Revise public water supply fee accounts - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2024-12-06 - Last action: 2025-05-08, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: John Fitzpatrick (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Housing, Planning, Water, Revenue, State, Rule Making - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (299 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - 36-month freeze on approved water designs: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, once the Department gives written approval, design rules for that water facility stay fixed for 36 months. Parts not built within 36 months must be resubmitted. Projects that need certain other permits are excluded. - Cities can raise water rates without hearing: cost, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, city water systems can raise customer rates to recover state program fees without holding a public hearing. If you get water from a municipal system, your bill can go up to cover those fees. - New DEQ plan review fees: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Department sets fees by rule to review plans for public water or sewage systems. Fees must match the agency’s cost to review your plans. If you submit plans, you pay a review fee. - Faster snowmaking approvals, extra permit step: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Department must issue a written decision within 60 days on requests to use reclaimed wastewater for snowmaking. Applicants must first get any needed authorizations from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. If approval is conditional, the Department lists… - Dedicated accounts for water program fees: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, annual public drinking water fees go into a dedicated state fund. The money can only pay the Department of Environmental Quality’s costs to run the public drinking water program. Plan and specification review fees go into a separate plan review account and can only pay revie… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: John Fitzpatrick (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Shane Morigeau (Democrat), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-15 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 0 | | | 2025-04-02 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-01-30 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 | | | 2025-01-24 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 | | ## Actions (37) - 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) - 2025-04-24: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-17: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-15: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-15: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-04-12: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-04-11: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Rereferred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-04-02: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-24: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-03-21: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-12: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-18: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-01-31: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-01-30: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-01-28: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-27: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-24: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-24: Rereferred to Committee (House) - 2025-01-24: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-01-15: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-15: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-14: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-09: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-01-08: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-01-07: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-06: 1st Reading (House) - 2024-12-30: Hearing (House) - 2024-12-20: Referred to Committee (House) - 2024-12-18: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2024-12-06: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-16: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=ce7b515a-58f8-4d78-9a1f-d715d7313556) - Introduced, 2024-12-09: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=a9b87357-3b2e-4f99-a2ad-a19e7357a99f) ## 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=ce7b515a-58f8-4d78-9a1f-d715d7313556) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=a9b87357-3b2e-4f99-a2ad-a19e7357a99f) ## 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-HB40-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).