# Montana HB 44: Revise laws related to tampering with evidence connected to a homicide

Montana HB 44, Revise laws related to tampering with evidence connected to a homicide, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Denise Baum (Democrat); status signed, last action 2025-03-27 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB44-2025
- 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 44
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Revise laws related to tampering with evidence connected to a homicide
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2024-12-09
- Last action: 2025-03-27, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Denise Baum (Democrat)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Crimes, Criminal Procedure
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 4 (279 yes, 18 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Penalties for tampering with evidence: benefit, medium. The law defines evidence tampering when a person believes a case or investigation is pending or about to start. It covers altering, destroying, hiding, or removing a record to impair its use, and making, presenting, or using a false record to mislead. Tampering not tied to a homicide is punishable…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Denise Baum (Democrat), House
- Cosponsor: Cora Neumann (Democrat), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-02-24 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 45 | 4 |   |
| 2025-02-21 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 44 | 6 |   |
| 2025-01-17 | House | Do Pass | pass | 94 | 4 |   |
| 2025-01-16 | House | Do Pass | pass | 96 | 4 |   |

## Actions (28)

- 2025-03-27: Chapter Number Assigned (House)
- 2025-03-27: Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-03-18: Transmitted to Governor (House)
- 2025-03-18: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-03-07: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-02-26: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-02-24: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-02-24: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-21: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: 2nd Reading Pass Consideration (Senate)
- 2025-02-10: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-02-10: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-02-05: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-01-20: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-01-20: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-01-17: Transmitted to Senate (House)
- 2025-01-17: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-01-16: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-01-13: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-01-13: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-01-07: Fiscal Note Printed (House)
- 2025-01-07: Fiscal Note Signed (House)
- 2025-01-07: Fiscal Note Received (House)
- 2025-01-06: Hearing (House)
- 2025-01-06: 1st Reading (House)
- 2024-12-20: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2024-12-18: Fiscal Note Requested (House)
- 2024-12-09: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-03-19: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=631a6177-9c9f-4a7f-bffd-2f64bc3f9f9b)
- As Amended (Version 3), 2025-02-25: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=584307a9-01ef-4fa8-ba3d-a6b35a76a1fb)
- As Amended (Version 2), 2025-01-13: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=98577c95-fa3b-4136-9801-4bc8226ad5e0)
- Introduced, 2024-12-09: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=5d3ac9e7-41d5-4e4f-bf77-6b1d67bddf4c)

## 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=631a6177-9c9f-4a7f-bffd-2f64bc3f9f9b)
- [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=584307a9-01ef-4fa8-ba3d-a6b35a76a1fb)
- [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=98577c95-fa3b-4136-9801-4bc8226ad5e0)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=5d3ac9e7-41d5-4e4f-bf77-6b1d67bddf4c)

## 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-HB44-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).