# Montana HB 717: Revise transfer of mining operator to successor

Montana HB 717, Revise transfer of mining operator to successor, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by John Fitzpatrick (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-13 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB717-2025
- 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 717
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Revise transfer of mining operator to successor
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-24
- Last action: 2025-05-13, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: John Fitzpatrick (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Subjects: Mining and Minerals, Rule Making
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (287 yes, 10 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Original operator owes bond shortfall: cost, high. If the department forfeits your bond, you owe the shortfall between the required bond and the forfeited amount. This debt is not subject to a bona fide dispute, and the department may collect it.
- New rules for transferring mining permits: mixed, medium. The department can transfer a mining permit to a successor who takes over reclamation, can run under the permit or an approved change, and has an approved bond and needed property interests. For permits suspended after a bond was forfeited, a successor must pay a $2,000 transfer fee and post any ex…
- State can take mining property for cleanup: mixed, low. The department may go to court to take surface, mineral, or access rights at a permitted site to finish cleanup and allow a transfer. It must find this serves taxpayers and the environment, the operator has been barred from mining for at least one year without a timely appeal, a violation letter wa…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: John Fitzpatrick (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Marta Bertoglio (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Wylie Galt (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-17 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 45 | 5 |   |
| 2025-04-16 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 50 | 0 |   |
| 2025-03-07 | House | Do Pass | pass | 97 | 2 |   |
| 2025-03-06 | House | Do Pass | pass | 95 | 3 |   |

## Actions (23)

- 2025-05-13: Chapter Number Assigned (House)
- 2025-05-08: Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-05-01: Transmitted to Governor (House)
- 2025-05-01: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-04-29: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-19: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-17: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-17: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-16: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-12: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-04-11: 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)
- 2025-03-06: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-03-03: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-03-03: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-02-27: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-25: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-02-25: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-24: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-17: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=f036a829-7123-4334-acf8-353dc09f7af2)
- Introduced, 2025-02-24: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e1a274df-0333-4300-ad48-0cb03bce52a5)

## 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=f036a829-7123-4334-acf8-353dc09f7af2)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e1a274df-0333-4300-ad48-0cb03bce52a5)

## 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-HB717-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).