# Montana HB 68: Authorize county commissioners to initiate mandamus proceedings

Montana HB 68, Authorize county commissioners to initiate mandamus proceedings, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Steve Gist (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-04-07 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB68-2025
- 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 68
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Authorize county commissioners to initiate mandamus proceedings
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2024-12-12
- Last action: 2025-04-07, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Steve Gist (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Cities and Towns, City Officers, Courts
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (273 yes, 26 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- County boards can compel local entities: benefit, low. The law lets a county board ask a court for a writ of mandamus to make a local government entity in the county, or its governing members, do or stop an act. This does not apply to a county, a consolidated city-county, an incorporated city or town, or any school district. The board may hire outside…
- Stronger penalties and recall for defying mandamus orders: cost, low. If a court’s mandamus order is ignored without a just excuse, the court can fine up to $1,000. If refusal continues, the court can jail the offender until they obey and issue any orders needed to fully enforce the writ. When an elected or appointed official is found in contempt for not following a…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Steve Gist (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Dave Fern (Democrat), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-20 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 38 | 12 |   |
| 2025-03-19 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 37 | 13 |   |
| 2025-01-15 | House | Do Pass | pass | 98 | 1 |   |
| 2025-01-14 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 |   |

## Actions (23)

- 2025-04-07: Chapter Number Assigned (House)
- 2025-04-07: Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-04-01: Transmitted to Governor (House)
- 2025-04-01: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-03-28: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-03-21: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-03-20: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-03-20: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-19: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-18: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-03-17: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-02-14: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-01-17: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-01-16: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-01-16: Transmitted to Senate (House)
- 2025-01-15: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-01-14: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-01-10: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-01-09: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-01-06: Hearing (House)
- 2025-01-06: 1st Reading (House)
- 2024-12-20: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2024-12-12: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- As Amended (Version 2), 2025-03-20: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=58aaba4a-e2ee-40fa-b44b-68625ffe60fd)
- Enrolled, 2025-03-20: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=cc1e31b2-ba1b-4b62-a816-59606ecb52e4)
- Introduced, 2024-12-12: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=ce6f90ca-e0a3-4a42-89eb-dc4cf3fd1b69)

## 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
- [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=58aaba4a-e2ee-40fa-b44b-68625ffe60fd)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=cc1e31b2-ba1b-4b62-a816-59606ecb52e4)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=ce6f90ca-e0a3-4a42-89eb-dc4cf3fd1b69)

## 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-HB68-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).