# Montana HB 514: Criminalize use of real and digitally fabricated sexually explicit images Montana HB 514, Criminalize use of real and digitally fabricated sexually explicit images, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Jill Cohenour (Democrat); status signed, last action 2025-05-19 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB514-2025 - 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 514 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Criminalize use of real and digitally fabricated sexually explicit images - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-14 - Last action: 2025-05-19, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Jill Cohenour (Democrat) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Crimes, Information Technology - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (296 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Ban on nonconsensual sexual images and threats: benefit, low. The law makes it a crime to publish or share sexual images of an identifiable person without consent. It applies when done to scare, threaten, harass, injure, or to get money. It covers real photos and AI‑made or other digitally fabricated images and videos. It is also a crime to possess and threat… - Higher penalties for privacy crimes: benefit, low. A general violation can bring a fine up to $500 or up to 6 months in county jail. A first offense for sharing or threatening to share sexual images is a misdemeanor. A second conviction for harassment, repeated disturbance, or image sharing can mean up to 1 year in county jail or a $1,000 fine. A t… - Stronger privacy for calls and messages: benefit, low. The law makes it a crime to intentionally intercept someone else’s electronic messages. This covers calls, texts, images, sounds, and data sent by wire, radio, or similar systems. Recording a conversation with a hidden device is banned unless allowed by law. Allowed cases include recordings by publ… - Online platforms not liable for posts: mixed, low. The law does not make online platforms legally responsible for what other people post. "Interactive computer service" includes internet access providers and services run by libraries or schools. These providers keep their existing immunity for third‑party content under this section. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Jill Cohenour (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: Vince Ricci (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-22 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-04-16 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 0 | | | 2025-03-04 | House | Do Pass | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2025-03-03 | House | Do Pass | pass | 98 | 0 | | ## Actions (36) - 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) - 2025-04-25: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-22: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-22: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-18: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-18: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Rereferred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-04-16: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-27: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-03-24: Hearing Canceled (Senate) - 2025-03-24: 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: Committee Report (House) - 2025-03-03: Hearing (House) - 2025-03-03: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-03-03: Rereferred to Committee (House) - 2025-03-03: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-03-01: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-02-28: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-02-28: Committee Report (House) - 2025-02-27: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-02-24: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-02-20: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-02-18: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-17: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-02-17: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-02-14: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-23: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3b872bed-9779-4b4e-af80-5480ce421fd7) - Introduced, 2025-02-14: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3bd2e34b-f32b-4dac-b0ab-c2d695c2c922) ## 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=3b872bed-9779-4b4e-af80-5480ce421fd7) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3bd2e34b-f32b-4dac-b0ab-c2d695c2c922) ## 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-HB514-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).