# Montana HB 681: Revise subdivision regulation laws involving determination of water availability Montana HB 681, Revise subdivision regulation laws involving determination of water availability, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by John Fitzpatrick (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-19 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB681-2025 - 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 681 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Revise subdivision regulation laws involving determination of water availability - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-24 - Last action: 2025-05-19, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: John Fitzpatrick (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Water, Property - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 7 (504 yes, 41 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Tighter limits on local subdivision decisions: benefit, medium. Reviews use the rules in place when you submit a complete application. If newer rules would block the lot’s original intended use, the rules when the lot was recorded apply, with minimum health and water‑quality standards. Local governments must treat similar lots the same and may judge proposals o… - Easier drainfield, well, and stormwater rules: benefit, low. Drainfield mixing zones and well isolation zones must fit inside the subdivision or have an easement. One exception: a well zone that starts at least 50 feet inside the boundary may extend onto road, rail, or utility right‑of‑way land. You may place a well anywhere on a lot if you meet setback rule… - Faster, fairer subdivision reviews and reviewers: benefit, low. Certified local health departments with a sanitarian or engineer can review subdivisions. The state reviews when jurisdictions disagree or locals do not certify. If the state gets 110 or more new files in a month, it assigns cases to certified independent reviewers, if available, and pays them the… - New groundwater filings and meters in 2026: mixed, medium. Starting January 1, 2026, before using small groundwater exemptions (≤35 gpm and ≤10 acre‑feet a year, or inside a stream‑depletion zone ≤20 gpm and ≤2 acre‑feet), you must file a correct notice of intent on the DNRC form. DNRC tells you defects within 10 business days; you have 60 days to fix or t… - New subdivisions must prove water supply: mixed, medium. The law sets clear ways to show water for each lot. You can show a water right, a completed technical analysis for a permit or change, or a DNRC‑authorized groundwater notice of intent. Preliminary plats with new water systems (not cisterns) must include well logs or testing, hydro reports, or othe… - Clarifies what counts as a water right: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, the law sets a clear definition of a water right. A water right means an existing right, a permit, a certificate, a state water reservation, or a compact. An authorized notice of intent to appropriate groundwater under 85-2-306 is not a water right. This clarifies that fi… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: John Fitzpatrick (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ken Walsh (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-18 | House | Do Concur | pass | 94 | 3 | | | 2025-04-17 | House | Do Concur | pass | 100 | 0 | | | 2025-04-12 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 1 | | | 2025-04-10 | Senate | Do Concur As Amended | pass | 43 | 7 | | | 2025-04-10 | Senate | AMD-HB0681.003.001 Galt D/PASS | pass | 38 | 12 | | | 2025-03-06 | House | Do Pass | pass | 87 | 12 | | | 2025-03-03 | House | Do Pass | pass | 93 | 6 | | ## Actions (39) - 2025-05-19: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-13: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-05-07: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-05-07: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-20: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-18: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-18: 3rd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-17: 2nd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-12: Returned to House with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-12: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-11: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-11: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Rereferred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-04-10: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-10: 2nd Reading Motion to Amend (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-03-14: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-03-06: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-03-04: Committee Report (House) - 2025-03-04: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-03-03: Hearing (House) - 2025-03-03: Rereferred to Committee (House) - 2025-03-03: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-03-01: Committee Report (House) - 2025-03-01: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-03-01: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-03-01: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-02-27: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-02-24: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-24: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-02-24: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-02-24: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-02-24: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-18: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=2ec2c1aa-1a26-4666-9767-2a9f40a7ad20) - As Amended (Version 4), 2025-04-10: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=877dc1a5-9e60-4675-858a-50f2588e52b9) - As Amended (Version 3), 2025-04-08: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e5bf1126-d14c-4085-b1b6-a5ce4b8e75f8) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-03-01: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=bdd13888-6a31-4c31-a987-93de31501e40) - Introduced, 2025-02-24: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e8c490c6-b001-4f6c-b3d6-221472f97480) ## 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=2ec2c1aa-1a26-4666-9767-2a9f40a7ad20) - [As Amended (Version 4) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=877dc1a5-9e60-4675-858a-50f2588e52b9) - [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e5bf1126-d14c-4085-b1b6-a5ce4b8e75f8) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=bdd13888-6a31-4c31-a987-93de31501e40) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e8c490c6-b001-4f6c-b3d6-221472f97480) ## 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-HB681-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).