# Montana HB 521: Generally revise civil liability laws

Montana HB 521, Generally revise civil liability laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Curtis Schomer (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-05 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB521-2025
- 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 521
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Generally revise civil liability laws
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-17
- Last action: 2025-05-05, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Curtis Schomer (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Civil Procedure, Courts, Liability
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (183 yes, 112 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Limits lawsuits by convicted offenders: mixed, low. The law blocks civil suits by people convicted of a crime for injuries or other harm suffered while committing that crime, when the other person used no force or used force allowed under Montana law (self-defense rules). It applies only if the person is convicted and the injury happened during the…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Curtis Schomer (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Barry Usher (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-14 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 34 | 14 |   |
| 2025-04-12 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 36 | 13 |   |
| 2025-03-07 | House | Do Pass | pass | 58 | 41 |   |
| 2025-03-05 | House | Do Pass | pass | 55 | 44 |   |

## Actions (24)

- 2025-05-05: Chapter Number Assigned (House)
- 2025-05-01: Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-04-24: Transmitted to Governor (House)
- 2025-04-24: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-04-23: 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)
- 2025-03-28: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-03-28: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-03-18: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-03-14: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-03-14: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-07: Transmitted to Senate (House)
- 2025-03-07: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-03-05: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-03-03: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-03-03: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-02-24: Tabled in Committee (House)
- 2025-02-18: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-18: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-02-18: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-17: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-14: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=d2fb3759-1d5f-41ad-a58f-2892c7bd22e8)
- As Amended (Version 2), 2025-03-03: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=58d9b98e-25ff-4746-a334-33a5de18a466)
- Introduced, 2025-02-17: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=031825cd-601a-41b2-a61c-ec50c60b5946)

## 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=d2fb3759-1d5f-41ad-a58f-2892c7bd22e8)
- [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=58d9b98e-25ff-4746-a334-33a5de18a466)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=031825cd-601a-41b2-a61c-ec50c60b5946)

## 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-HB521-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).