# Montana HB 735: Generally revising alcohol laws

Montana HB 735, Generally revising alcohol laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Steve Fitzpatrick (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-13 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB735-2025
- 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 735
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Generally revising alcohol laws
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-25
- Last action: 2025-05-13, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Steve Fitzpatrick (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Alcohol
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (286 yes, 10 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Fingerprint checks for alcohol licenses: mixed, low. The law requires fingerprints for many alcohol license applicants and for location managers. The department uses Montana DOJ and FBI checks to decide eligibility. If the applicant is a public company, only a corporate officer and the location manager must be printed. If a business entity is the loc…
- New definitions for beer, cider, liquor: mixed, low. The law updates how Montana classifies alcohol products. Beer now means a malt beverage up to 8.75% alcohol by volume, or a drink up to 14% made mostly from malted grain (at least 75% of the sugars). Drinks with caffeine or other stimulants are not “beer” and are treated as liquor. Hard cider now c…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Steve Fitzpatrick (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Willis Curdy (Democrat), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-14 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 44 | 4 |   |
| 2025-04-12 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 48 | 2 |   |
| 2025-03-07 | House | Do Pass | pass | 96 | 3 |   |
| 2025-03-06 | House | Do Pass | pass | 98 | 1 |   |

## Actions (28)

- 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)
- 2025-04-15: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-14: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-14: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-12: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-11: 2nd Reading Pass Consideration (Senate)
- 2025-03-28: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-03-28: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-03-24: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-03-18: 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: Fiscal Note Printed (House)
- 2025-03-03: Fiscal Note Unsigned (House)
- 2025-03-03: Fiscal Note Received (House)
- 2025-02-28: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-02-27: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-25: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-02-25: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-25: Fiscal Note Requested (House)
- 2025-02-25: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-14: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=fe9b9254-e354-4a2f-9401-7be52e55b923)
- Introduced, 2025-02-25: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=a0c24e1b-ba1e-4b43-aef3-2cb125847095)

## 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=fe9b9254-e354-4a2f-9401-7be52e55b923)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=a0c24e1b-ba1e-4b43-aef3-2cb125847095)

## 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-HB735-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).