# Montana HB 82: Generally revise laws related to crimes against children Montana HB 82, Generally revise laws related to crimes against children, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Kathy Love (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-04-07 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB82-2025 - 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 82 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Generally revise laws related to crimes against children - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2024-12-18 - Last action: 2025-04-07, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Kathy Love (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Crimes, Rule Making - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 6 (496 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Broader child sexual abuse rules: benefit, high. The law expands child sexual abuse to cover persuading or enticing a child under 16, and threats to share sexual images to get more images, items of value, or to force crimes. It also bans possession of computer‑generated or digital material that is indistinguishable from a real minor. Possession‑o… - New grooming crime with tough penalties: benefit, high. The law creates the crime of grooming a child for a sexual offense, including by electronic messages. Penalties include up to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. If the victim is under 16, sentences can be life or 4 to 100 years and up to a $10,000 fine. If the victim is 12 or younger and… - Severe penalties for child sex trade: benefit, high. The law sets extreme penalties for child sex trafficking and for adults who patronize a child or someone they believed was a child. Sentences are 100 years, and the first 25 years cannot be suspended or deferred, with no parole during those 25 years. Trafficking also carries a $400,000 fine. Patron… - Stronger limits on exposing minors: benefit, medium. The law expands indecent exposure to include acts sent electronically. If seen by someone under 16 and the offender is more than 4 years older, tougher penalties apply. First exposure offense can bring up to a $500 fine or 6 months in jail; a second offense up to $1,000 or 1 year; a third or later… - Most changes start July 1, 2025: benefit, low. The law takes effect July 1, 2025. All parts start then unless the law sets a different date. - Out-of-state risk levels count in Montana: mixed, low. Montana can accept another state’s or the federal government’s sex‑offender risk level when a person registers here. Offenders convicted elsewhere must provide prior risk assessments and psychosexual evaluations; if none exist, they must pay for an evaluation. The state may use the results to ask a… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Kathy Love (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Theresa Manzella (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-21 | House | Do Concur | pass | 97 | 0 | | | 2025-03-20 | House | Do Concur | pass | 99 | 1 | | | 2025-02-27 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-02-14 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-01-23 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 | | | 2025-01-15 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 | | ## Actions (37) - 2025-04-07: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-04-07: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-04-01: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-04-01: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-03-28: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-03-25: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-03-21: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-03-21: 3rd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-03-20: 2nd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-02-27: Returned to House with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-02-27: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-26: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-02-26: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-14: Rereferred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-02-03: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-01-24: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-23: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-01-23: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-01-22: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-21: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-16: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-15: Rereferred to Committee (House) - 2025-01-15: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-01-13: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-13: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-09: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-01-08: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-01-08: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-06: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-06: 1st Reading (House) - 2024-12-20: Referred to Committee (House) - 2024-12-18: Introduced (House) - 2024-12-18: Fiscal Note Requested (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-05-28: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=d25be301-8ed6-4922-9ab7-d39b59040111) - As Amended (Version 3), 2025-02-12: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=b936f5d2-97e2-441a-81aa-9c330a78bbf7) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-01-13: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=aeab9519-45f2-41cc-9935-ff3c1fc7d555) - Introduced, 2024-12-12: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=614db730-7c06-4964-bb3d-70743cd95d05) ## 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 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed) - SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=d25be301-8ed6-4922-9ab7-d39b59040111) - [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=b936f5d2-97e2-441a-81aa-9c330a78bbf7) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=aeab9519-45f2-41cc-9935-ff3c1fc7d555) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=614db730-7c06-4964-bb3d-70743cd95d05) ## 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 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025) - [SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025) - [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-HB82-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).