# Montana HB 466: Provide categorical exclusions from MEPA Montana HB 466, Provide categorical exclusions from MEPA, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by John Fitzpatrick (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-05 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB466-2025 - 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 466 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Provide categorical exclusions from MEPA - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-12 - Last action: 2025-05-05, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: John Fitzpatrick (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Environmental Protection, Recreation, State Government - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (269 yes, 23 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Clearer rules for state-sponsored projects: mixed, low. The law explains what counts as a state-sponsored project under Montana environmental law. It includes projects done by a state agency. It also includes work backed by state contracts, grants, subsidies, or loans. It includes projects a state agency authorizes on land it manages. It does not includ… - Faster approvals for some state projects: mixed, low. State agencies can label some actions as categorical exclusions. These actions are exempt from Montana environmental assessments and impact statements. Actions that meet federal categorical exclusion rules also qualify. Agencies decide by rule or program review which actions qualify. The law presum… - State building and historic grants skip review: mixed, low. The Department of Administration does not do Montana environmental reviews for routine work on state-owned buildings and utilities. This also covers projects in the long range building program. The Department of Commerce skips those reviews when it runs historic-preservation grant programs. These c… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: John Fitzpatrick (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Wylie Galt (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-14 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 38 | 10 | | | 2025-04-12 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 38 | 8 | | | 2025-03-04 | House | Do Pass | pass | 94 | 5 | | | 2025-03-03 | House | Do Pass | pass | 99 | 0 | | ## Actions (27) - 2025-05-05: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-01: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-04-22: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-04-21: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-04-18: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-15: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-14: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-14: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-12: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-03-05: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-03-05: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-04: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-03-04: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-03-03: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-02-27: Committee Report (House) - 2025-02-26: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-02-22: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-02-22: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-02-22: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-02-13: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-13: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-02-13: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-02-12: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-02-12: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=f6281b73-e8cb-41cc-9cef-779f3d6ad4f3) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-27: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=379adfea-fa73-4372-b552-c46ad4c47dbb) - Introduced, 2025-02-12: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=62ae82ab-8734-41f5-99c3-a38582fa5f77) ## 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=f6281b73-e8cb-41cc-9cef-779f3d6ad4f3) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=379adfea-fa73-4372-b552-c46ad4c47dbb) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=62ae82ab-8734-41f5-99c3-a38582fa5f77) ## 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-HB466-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).