# Montana HB 79: Exempt small projects from fire hazard reduction agreements

Montana HB 79, Exempt small projects from fire hazard reduction agreements, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Curtis Cochran (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-03-27 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB79-2025
- 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 79
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Exempt small projects from fire hazard reduction agreements
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2024-12-12
- Last action: 2025-03-27, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Curtis Cochran (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Fires and Fire Protection, Forests and Forestry, Property
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (295 yes, 2 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Simpler rules for small forest work: mixed, low. The law updates what counts as a “minimum slash hazard” from small or noncommercial jobs on private land, like firewood cutting, pruning, or clearing. If you do these jobs and do not sell any forest products, you are exempt from fire‑hazard reduction rules. If you sell forest products from a small…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Curtis Cochran (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Mike Cuffe (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-03 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 1 |   |
| 2025-03-01 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 1 |   |
| 2025-01-24 | House | Do Pass | pass | 97 | 0 |   |
| 2025-01-23 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 |   |

## Actions (23)

- 2025-03-27: Chapter Number Assigned (House)
- 2025-03-27: Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-03-18: Transmitted to Governor (House)
- 2025-03-18: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-03-17: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-03-05: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-03-03: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-03-03: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-01: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-11: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-02-10: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-01-30: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-01-27: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-01-27: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-01-27: Transmitted to Senate (House)
- 2025-01-24: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-01-23: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-01-20: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-01-17: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-01-13: Hearing (House)
- 2025-01-06: 1st Reading (House)
- 2024-12-20: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2024-12-12: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-03-19: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=151dfdec-7c93-4869-aaa9-aeca52d111a9)
- As Amended (Version 3), 2025-03-03: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=5a6d067b-4df6-4f31-b754-8ab80b1460af)
- As Amended (Version 2), 2025-01-20: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=094d74f4-d727-4d8d-a47c-a6635a4b908d)
- Introduced, 2024-12-12: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=46f92f9b-e332-489e-b4cf-297c6397227d)

## 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=151dfdec-7c93-4869-aaa9-aeca52d111a9)
- [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=5a6d067b-4df6-4f31-b754-8ab80b1460af)
- [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=094d74f4-d727-4d8d-a47c-a6635a4b908d)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=46f92f9b-e332-489e-b4cf-297c6397227d)

## 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-HB79-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).