# Montana HB 592: Generally revise agency rulemaking under MAPA Montana HB 592, Generally revise agency rulemaking under MAPA, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Courtenay Sprunger (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-19 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB592-2025 - 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 592 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Generally revise agency rulemaking under MAPA - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-19 - Last action: 2025-05-19, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Courtenay Sprunger (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: State Government, Rule Making, Legislature - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 6 (488 yes, 7 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Legal sign-off before rule notices: benefit, low. Each department head must name an in‑house attorney, paralegal, or other qualified person to review and approve every rule notice before filing. The reviewer’s name is filed with the secretary of state. The secretary of state refuses any notice that lacks the required approval. - Agencies must answer and explain changes: benefit, low. When adopting a rule, an agency must fairly summarize and answer the substantive comments it received and say why it rejected arguments. If the final rule differs in important ways from the proposal, the agency must describe the changes. If an agency misses the adoption-notice deadline and later re… - Easier public notice and comment: benefit, low. Agencies must accept public comments by email and publish the comment address. They must keep electronic comments the same as other comments. When a proposal is filed, the agency must email the rule review committee and post the notice online. Agencies must keep an interested-persons list, show how… - Stronger legislative checks on agency rules: mixed, medium. The rule review committee can object to a proposed or adopted rule. The committee sends written reasons; the agency has 14 days to respond. The committee may publish the objection with the rule. In court, a published formal objection shifts the burden to the agency and can lead to costs and attorne… - Stronger small-business rule impact reports: mixed, low. Agencies must include a small-business impact section in proposal notices. It must name the groups likely affected and the rule’s direct effects. If a rule changes money people pay or receive, the analysis states the total dollars for everyone and how many people are affected, if known. Agencies mu… - New sponsor rights in rulemaking: mixed, low. When an agency starts a rule to carry out a new law, it must email the bill’s primary sponsor at least 10 days before publishing. The email must list key dates, offer time to send comments or meet, and invite the sponsor to explain the law’s intent. The sponsor is treated as an interested person an… - When these rulemaking changes apply: mixed, low. The law takes effect on passage and approval. It applies to rule proposals published on or after that date. - Active supervision of licensing boards: mixed, low. Before approving or rejecting a licensing board action, the commissioner notifies the board and the economic affairs interim committee. The board gets at least 30 days to send written comments and meet. If the board gets no written notice within 30 days, the action is presumed approved unless rebut… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Courtenay Sprunger (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Lyn Bennett (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-17 | House | Do Concur | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2025-04-16 | House | Do Concur | pass | 100 | 0 | | | 2025-04-09 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 47 | 2 | | | 2025-04-08 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 48 | 1 | | | 2025-03-07 | House | Do Pass | pass | 98 | 1 | | | 2025-03-05 | House | Do Pass | pass | 96 | 3 | | ## Actions (33) - 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) - 2025-04-23: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-18: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-17: 3rd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-16: 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) - 2025-03-24: 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) - 2025-02-27: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-02-27: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-02-26: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-02-26: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-02-24: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-21: Rereferred to Committee (House) - 2025-02-21: Hearing Canceled (House) - 2025-02-20: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-20: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-02-20: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-02-19: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-02-19: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-22: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=7a0831f8-02ec-4250-94eb-9125c8a6b3e4) - As Amended (Version 3), 2025-04-05: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=2a1717d4-2739-4d2a-8507-e3e5f432231f) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-27: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=1baf5f5a-9ae4-4d61-8a85-459661209b22) - Introduced, 2025-02-19: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=fa31870b-605c-4e5d-9216-7716a27b78c0) ## 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=7a0831f8-02ec-4250-94eb-9125c8a6b3e4) - [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=2a1717d4-2739-4d2a-8507-e3e5f432231f) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=1baf5f5a-9ae4-4d61-8a85-459661209b22) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=fa31870b-605c-4e5d-9216-7716a27b78c0) ## 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-HB592-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).