# Montana HB 699: Revise review panel for tailings plans Montana HB 699, Revise review panel for tailings plans, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Bill Mercer (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-13 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB699-2025 - 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 699 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Revise review panel for tailings plans - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-24 - Last action: 2025-05-13, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Bill Mercer (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Mining and Minerals, Environmental Protection, Rule Making - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 6 (493 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Small or buried tailings sites exempt: benefit, low. A site is not a regulated tailings storage facility if it stores 50 acre‑feet or less of tailings, water, and process solution. A facility fully below surrounding ground with no man‑made retaining structures is also excluded. If only part is above grade, the above‑grade part is excluded if it holds… - Faster, clearer mine permit reviews: mixed, medium. Permit applications that include a tailings facility must file three items before a draft permit: the certified design document, the independent panel’s written report, and the operations, maintenance, and surveillance manual. For applications filed after October 1, 2015, the department verifies it… - Stronger independent panels for mine tailings: mixed, medium. Independent panels review tailings facility plans and work. Most panel members must be licensed engineers, but recognized non‑engineer experts can also serve. Panelists cannot be employees of the operator, the design consultant, the engineer of record, or the constructor. Operators must propose can… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Bill Mercer (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Courtenay Sprunger (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-18 | House | Do Concur | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2025-04-17 | House | Do Concur | pass | 100 | 0 | | | 2025-04-11 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 48 | 0 | | | 2025-04-10 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-03-07 | House | Do Pass | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2025-03-05 | House | Do Pass | pass | 98 | 1 | | ## Actions (26) - 2025-05-13: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-08: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-05-02: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-05-02: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-04-29: 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) - 2025-04-11: Returned to House with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-11: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-10: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-03-17: 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) - 2025-03-03: Committee Report (House) - 2025-03-03: 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: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-18: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=15abc361-086f-457b-be19-f0c3f6a4957c) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-04-08: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=65f5a8d1-9c0f-4029-b6db-98a1dcac7b21) - Introduced, 2025-02-24: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=bb267ae7-3983-43e9-b13c-e6a9adfb38ca) ## 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=15abc361-086f-457b-be19-f0c3f6a4957c) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=65f5a8d1-9c0f-4029-b6db-98a1dcac7b21) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=bb267ae7-3983-43e9-b13c-e6a9adfb38ca) ## 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-HB699-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).