All Roll Calls
Yes: 489 • No: 1
MontanaHB 69969th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)HouseWALLET
Revise review panel for tailings plans
Sponsored By: Stacy Zinn (Republican)
Became Law
Mining and MineralsEnvironmental ProtectionRule Making
Your PRIA Score
Score Hidden
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 3 mixed.
Permit required for cyanide use
A small miner who plans to use cyanide or other metal‑leaching reagents must get an operating permit for the part of the operation where those chemicals are used or disposed.
Stricter permit checks and violator bans
When you submit a reclamation bond, you must certify you are not violating air, water, or mined land laws, or certify that any violation is being corrected or appealed. Partnerships and corporations must provide the same certification for partners, officers, directors, and owners of 10% or more. No permit is issued if prior failures led to use of bond proceeds or agency/surety reclamation (unless specific conditions are met), if penalty judgments are unpaid, if a required bond was not posted, or if an abatement order was ignored unless the department did the work and was repaid.
Permit fees and study contractor choices
You must pay a $500 operating permit fee. The department can also charge extra to cover its contractor and employee costs; if extra fees will top $5,000, it must give an itemized estimate and let you flag duplicative or excessive charges. When the department hires a third party to do an environmental study, it gives you a list of acceptable contractors and must choose from a list you return that includes at least half of them. At your request, the contractor can bill you directly, while the department still assigns and reviews the work.
Independent panel review for tailings dams
This law sets an independent expert panel to review tailings dam designs. Most panel members must be licensed engineers, and no one can be an employee of the operator, designer, engineer of record, or constructor. The operator proposes panel members for department approval and must hire and pay them. A department and an operator representative may join discussions but are not panel members. The engineer of record takes part but is not a member and must certify the design only after the panel’s signed, conclusive report and any required revisions. For expansions, the operator must try to keep the same panel members.
Regular safety reviews for tailings dams
Panels must review tailings dams on a set schedule. Assemble a panel six months before initial construction and at least yearly until construction ends or tailings placement starts, then at least every five years until deposition is done. The panel inspects the facility, reviews manuals and records, interviews responsible staff, and checks engineer reports and corrective plans. It must issue a signed report and alert the department and operator right away if there is an imminent health or environmental threat. Operators must submit a corrective action plan within 60 days to the panel, then send the approved plan to the department within 30 days, and follow it or face enforcement.
Faster, clearer permit reviews and defaults
The department has fixed deadlines to review applications: 60 days for rock products (20 days for replies) and 90 days for others (30 days for replies). If it does not send a deficiency notice in time, your application is treated as complete, and the final permit must be issued once you post the required reclamation bond. The department must tell you the bond form and amount promptly. Before a draft permit, the department must inspect the site; if weather blocks access, it can extend the review by agreement. For applications filed after October 1, 2015 that include a tailings storage facility, the department must have the certified design document, the panel’s report, and the operation, maintenance, and surveillance manual before issuing a draft permit.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Stacy Zinn
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Courtenay Sprunger
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/18/2025
Do Concur
Yes: 98 • No: 0
House vote • 4/17/2025
Do Concur
Yes: 99 • No: 0
House vote • 4/11/2025
Do Concur
Yes: 48 • No: 0
House vote • 4/10/2025
Do Concur
Yes: 48 • No: 0
House vote • 3/7/2025
Do Pass
Yes: 99 • No: 0
House vote • 3/5/2025
Do Pass
Yes: 97 • No: 1
Actions Timeline
Chapter Number Assigned
5/13/2025HouseSigned by Governor
5/8/2025HouseTransmitted to Governor
5/2/2025HouseSigned by President
5/2/2025SenateSigned by Speaker
4/29/2025HouseReturned from Enrolling
4/20/2025HouseSent to Enrolling
4/18/2025House3rd Reading Passed as Amended by Senate
4/18/2025House2nd Reading Senate Amendments Concurred
4/17/2025HouseReturned to House with Amendments
4/11/2025Senate3rd Reading Concurred
4/11/2025Senate2nd Reading Concurred
4/10/2025SenateCommittee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended
4/8/2025SenateCommittee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended
4/7/2025SenateHearing
3/20/2025SenateReferred to Committee
3/17/2025SenateFirst Reading
3/14/2025SenateTransmitted to Senate
3/7/2025House3rd Reading Passed
3/7/2025House2nd Reading Passed
3/5/2025HouseCommittee Report--Bill Passed
3/3/2025HouseCommittee Executive Action--Bill Passed
3/3/2025HouseHearing
2/24/2025HouseFirst Reading
2/24/2025HouseReferred to Committee
2/24/2025House
Bill Text
Enrolled
4/18/2025
As Amended (Version 2)
4/8/2025
Introduced
2/24/2025