# Montana HB 59: Revise board of water well contractors laws Montana HB 59, Revise board of water well contractors laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Mike Vinton (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-16 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB59-2025 - 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 59 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Revise board of water well contractors laws - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2024-12-11 - Last action: 2025-05-16, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Mike Vinton (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Water, Professions and Occupations O-Z - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 10 (621 yes, 126 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Owners can drill wells with permit: benefit, low. If you own or lease land used for farming, ranching, agriculture, or as your home, you can do your own well or monitoring‑well work. You must first get a permit from the board and follow its minimum construction standards. Your application must include your name and mailing address, the well locati… - Simpler complaint and reporting rules for licensees: benefit, low. When a complaint is filed, the board gives the licensee a chance to respond before any discipline starts. The board can require both sides to appear and try to settle the issue. The law repeals the old list of disciplinary actions and named grounds in statute. The law also ends the rule that drille… - Higher $25,000 bond for well contractors: cost, high. To get or hold a water well contractor or monitoring‑well constructor license, you must provide a $25,000 bond or approved equivalent. One bond covers you if you hold more than one license type. Firms with more than two licensed contractors or constructors may file one $25,000 entity bond. State or… - New licensing and supervision for well work: mixed, medium. You must hold the right license before you construct, drill, alter, abandon, decommission, or fix a water or monitoring well. A licensed driller must be employed by a licensed water well contractor. A firm may sign contracts as a business, but a licensed contractor must be in charge of all well wor… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Mike Vinton (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Wylie Galt (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-25 | House | Do Adopt | pass | 57 | 43 | | | 2025-04-25 | Senate | Do Adopt | pass | 35 | 14 | | | 2025-04-23 | House | Do Adopt | pass | 58 | 42 | | | 2025-04-23 | Senate | Do Adopt | pass | 39 | 11 | | | 2025-04-11 | House | Do Not Concur | pass | 99 | 1 | | | 2025-03-27 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-03-26 | Senate | AMD-HB0059.002.001 Galt D/PASS | pass | 35 | 13 | | | 2025-03-26 | Senate | Do Pass As Amended | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-01-29 | House | Do Pass | pass | 99 | 1 | | | 2025-01-28 | House | Do Pass | pass | 99 | 1 | | ## Actions (32) - 2025-05-16: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-12: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-05-05: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-05-02: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-05-01: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-29: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-28: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-25: 3rd Reading Conference Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-25: 3rd Reading Conference Committee Report (House) - 2025-04-23: 2nd Reading Conference Committee Report (House) - 2025-04-23: 2nd Reading Conference Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Conference Committee Appointed (Senate) - 2025-04-11: Conference Committee Appointed (House) - 2025-04-11: 2nd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-03-28: Returned to House with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-03-27: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-26: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-26: 2nd Reading Motion to Amend (Senate) - 2025-03-24: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-03-21: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-07: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-18: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-01-30: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-29: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-01-29: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-01-28: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-01-23: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-22: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-13: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-06: 1st Reading (House) - 2024-12-20: Referred to Committee (House) - 2024-12-11: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-28: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=700ba3ac-e9d2-4060-a889-2746701a5590) - As Amended (Version 4), 2025-04-24: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=085f9044-ad77-46ad-b57d-f2c61c06cbf0) - As Amended (Version 3), 2025-03-26: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=9b8dd46f-4676-45af-8fc4-8c9c39031f0c) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-01-23: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=daa2db34-bf8e-4b5f-8d3c-ac02d12518a7) - Introduced, 2024-12-11: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=bf8e06bd-57c7-4ac1-aff7-81691eae317b) ## 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=700ba3ac-e9d2-4060-a889-2746701a5590) - [As Amended (Version 4) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=085f9044-ad77-46ad-b57d-f2c61c06cbf0) - [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=9b8dd46f-4676-45af-8fc4-8c9c39031f0c) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=daa2db34-bf8e-4b5f-8d3c-ac02d12518a7) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=bf8e06bd-57c7-4ac1-aff7-81691eae317b) ## 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-HB59-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).