# Montana HB 432: Revise water laws concerning exceptions to change in appropriation right process Montana HB 432, Revise water laws concerning exceptions to change in appropriation right process, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Julie Darling (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-19 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB432-2025 - 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 432 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Revise water laws concerning exceptions to change in appropriation right process - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-07 - Last action: 2025-05-19, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Julie Darling (Republican) - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: Water, Rule Making - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 5 (312 yes, 82 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Instream-flow and fishery changes processed: benefit, low. DNRC must accept and process change applications for instream flows and for fishery benefits. These requests are handled under the regular change-in-right review. This helps protect streamflows and fish. - Faster changes for wells, stock tanks, and cities: mixed, medium. The law lets some water-right changes happen without DNRC approval. You may drill a replacement groundwater well within 200 feet, from the same aquifer, with no higher rate or volume, and you must abandon the old well. You may replace an inoperable surface diversion on the same source, as close as… - New rules for temporary water changes: mixed, medium. DNRC approval is required for temporary water-right changes. DNRC may approve up to 10 years, or up to 30 years if the water comes from a new conservation or storage project. You may renew in 10-year steps with no set limit. DNRC notifies other users, allows 90 days for new evidence, and can deny r… - Clearer protests and faster water hearings: mixed, low. When DNRC authorizes a change, it publishes public notice and mails notice to affected users. People with standing have up to 45 days to file a correct objection and 15 business days to fix errors. A valid objection leads to a contested-case hearing within 90 days, unless DNRC sends issues to a wat… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Julie Darling (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ken Walsh (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Shane Morigeau (Democrat), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-28 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 45 | 4 | | | 2025-04-25 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 45 | 3 | | | 2025-03-04 | House | Do Pass | pass | 93 | 6 | | | 2025-03-03 | House | AMD-HB0432.002.002 Darling DO PASS | fail | 34 | 65 | | | 2025-03-03 | House | Do Pass | pass | 95 | 4 | | ## Actions (28) - 2025-05-19: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-13: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-05-07: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-05-06: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-05-02: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-29: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-28: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-28: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-25: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-24: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-23: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Tabled in Committee (Senate) - 2025-03-31: 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) - 2025-03-03: 2nd Reading Motion to Amend (House) - 2025-02-27: Committee Report (House) - 2025-02-26: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-02-13: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-13: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-02-13: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-02-13: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-02-10: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-02-10: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-02-07: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-02-07: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-29: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=c2697e12-4345-43e1-a485-764d2566bdac) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-27: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=89b0c166-1ed4-43f8-84e6-b87c0ea49f74) - Introduced, 2025-02-07: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=b7b5db41-cf7f-46bd-b116-7381d9d9514d) ## 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=c2697e12-4345-43e1-a485-764d2566bdac) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=89b0c166-1ed4-43f8-84e6-b87c0ea49f74) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=b7b5db41-cf7f-46bd-b116-7381d9d9514d) ## 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-HB432-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).