# Montana HB 421: Increase DNRC fire assessment fees

Montana HB 421, Increase DNRC fire assessment fees, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Steve Gist (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-16 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB421-2025
- 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 421
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Increase DNRC fire assessment fees
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-06
- Last action: 2025-05-16, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Steve Gist (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Fires and Fire Protection, Revenue, State
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 5 (288 yes, 58 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Higher fire protection fees for forest landowners: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the law raises fire protection assessments for owners of land classified as forest land in wildland fire protection districts or under a recognized fire protection contract. You pay up to $58.70 per landowner each year. If you own more than 20 acres, you also pay up to $0.49…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Steve Gist (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Mike Cuffe (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-24 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 37 | 13 |   |
| 2025-04-23 | Senate | Take HB 421 from Comm-Curdy | pass | 25 | 24 |   |
| 2025-04-18 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 37 | 11 |   |
| 2025-02-24 | House | Do Pass | pass | 92 | 7 |   |
| 2025-02-19 | House | Do Pass | pass | 97 | 3 |   |

## Actions (32)

- 2025-05-16: 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)
- 2025-04-29: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-24: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-24: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-23: Motion (Senate)
- 2025-04-18: Rereferred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-04-18: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-04-04: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-03-21: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-03-20: 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: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-02-21: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-02-19: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-19: Rereferred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-19: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-02-17: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-02-14: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-02-13: Fiscal Note Printed (House)
- 2025-02-13: Fiscal Note Signed (House)
- 2025-02-12: Fiscal Note Received (House)
- 2025-02-07: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-02-07: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-06: Fiscal Note Requested (House)
- 2025-02-06: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-25: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=758dbee2-a30c-4359-a89a-eea7510ba004)
- Introduced, 2025-02-06: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=28c7750d-a405-45cf-bbc7-b21c19992edd)

## 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=758dbee2-a30c-4359-a89a-eea7510ba004)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=28c7750d-a405-45cf-bbc7-b21c19992edd)

## 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-HB421-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).