# Montana HB 580: Clarify water right abandonment

Montana HB 580, Clarify water right abandonment, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Joshua Seckinger (Democrat); status signed, last action 2025-05-13 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB580-2025
- 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 580
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Clarify water right abandonment
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-19
- Last action: 2025-05-13, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Joshua Seckinger (Democrat)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Water, Property, Rule Making
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 6 (489 yes, 4 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Abandonment test waits for adjudication: benefit, low. For existing water rights still in the state’s adjudication process, the main abandonment rules do not apply yet. They start only after the right is finally determined under part 2.
- Leasing water rights isn’t abandonment: benefit, low. The law says leasing your water right or using an approved temporary change is not abandonment. These actions also cannot be used as proof that you gave up any part of the right.
- Drought cuts won’t forfeit water rights: mixed, low. The law protects your water right during drought. If your diversion or use is in a county at D1 (moderate) drought or worse and you follow a drought plan filed with the department, cutting back or stopping use alone does not show abandonment. The plan must name a clear trigger for voluntary cuts or…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Joshua Seckinger (Democrat), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-16 | House | Do Concur | pass | 97 | 1 |   |
| 2025-04-15 | House | Do Concur | pass | 99 | 1 |   |
| 2025-04-09 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-08 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 1 |   |
| 2025-03-07 | House | Do Pass | pass | 98 | 1 |   |
| 2025-03-05 | House | Do Pass | pass | 97 | 0 |   |

## Actions (26)

- 2025-05-13: Chapter Number Assigned (House)
- 2025-05-08: Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-05-02: Transmitted to Governor (House)
- 2025-05-02: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-04-29: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-18: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-16: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-16: 3rd Reading Senate Amendments (House)
- 2025-04-15: 2nd Reading Senate Amendments (House)
- 2025-04-09: Returned to House with Amendments (Senate)
- 2025-04-09: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-08: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-05: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-04-04: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-03-31: 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)
- 2025-02-27: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-02-26: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-02-21: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-20: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-02-20: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-19: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-17: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=37ab4cb8-2aa8-4b7d-825a-3c6193b835fc)
- As Amended (Version 3), 2025-04-05: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=444a82b9-9b95-4f7b-8d04-81934f8e4e49)
- As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-27: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=001b2623-acc0-4114-8ddf-3dfd1ce1be19)
- Introduced, 2025-02-19: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e3014f8e-7717-4119-bff3-e8aeef2460d3)

## 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=37ab4cb8-2aa8-4b7d-825a-3c6193b835fc)
- [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=444a82b9-9b95-4f7b-8d04-81934f8e4e49)
- [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=001b2623-acc0-4114-8ddf-3dfd1ce1be19)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e3014f8e-7717-4119-bff3-e8aeef2460d3)

## 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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB580-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).