# Montana HB 523: Providing for disposition of abandoned graveyard lots Montana HB 523, Providing for disposition of abandoned graveyard lots, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Bill Mercer (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-05 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB523-2025 - 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 523 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Providing for disposition of abandoned graveyard lots - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-17 - Last action: 2025-05-05, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Bill Mercer (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Cities and Towns, Landlord and Tenant, Property - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (221 yes, 75 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Protected lots and who this covers: benefit, low. The law does not apply to public cemetery lots set aside for veterans. It also does not apply to lots the administrator knows contain human remains, even if unmarked. Private cemeteries do not have to use this process but may choose to adopt it. The law defines who the cemetery administrator is and… - Buying the lot when no one claims: mixed, low. If no owner or heir contacts the administrator by the last publication date and the affidavit is on file, the lot is abandoned. The administrator approves the petition, sets the purchase price (no formula in law), and issues the conveyance. A copy of the conveyance is filed with the county clerk an… - How to buy abandoned public cemetery lots: mixed, low. The law sets when a public cemetery lot is abandoned: no burial and no contact with the owner or heirs for 75 years. Any person may petition to have a lot declared abandoned and ask to buy it. Your petition must list your contact details, describe the lot, show your search for the owner or heirs, a… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Bill Mercer (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Greg Hertz (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-14 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 45 | 3 | | | 2025-04-12 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 46 | 4 | | | 2025-03-07 | House | Do Pass | pass | 67 | 32 | | | 2025-03-05 | House | Do Pass | pass | 63 | 36 | | ## Actions (27) - 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) - 2025-04-01: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-20: 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) - 2025-02-28: Committee Report (House) - 2025-02-27: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-02-24: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-02-24: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-02-24: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-02-24: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-18: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-02-18: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-02-17: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-02-17: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-14: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=ec971f28-76ae-49f9-bc54-5fbb2ebabce8) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-28: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=f1ebede9-27d4-4bab-bb5e-4910dc3fd6cc) - Introduced, 2025-02-17: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=107d167d-d396-416f-adb8-0312dc9dd208) ## 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=ec971f28-76ae-49f9-bc54-5fbb2ebabce8) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=f1ebede9-27d4-4bab-bb5e-4910dc3fd6cc) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=107d167d-d396-416f-adb8-0312dc9dd208) ## 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-HB523-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).