# Montana HB 838: Allow supreme court justices to use partisan affiliation

Montana HB 838, Allow supreme court justices to use partisan affiliation, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Brandon Ler (Republican); status failed, last action 2025-05-20 (Died in Process) (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB838-2025
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Montana HB 838
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Allow supreme court justices to use partisan affiliation
- Status: failed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-03-18
- Last action: 2025-05-20, Died in Process
- Sponsor: Brandon Ler (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Judges and Justices, Elections, Appropriations
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 1 (46 yes, 54 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Brandon Ler (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Steve Fitzpatrick (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-07 | House | Do Pass | fail | 46 | 54 |   |

## Actions (9)

- 2025-05-20: Died in Process (House)
- 2025-04-09: Missed Deadline for Appropriation Bill Transmittal (House)
- 2025-04-07: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-03-29: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-03-28: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-03-25: Hearing (House)
- 2025-03-19: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-03-19: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-03-18: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Introduced, 2025-03-24: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=295cdc10-f746-4a00-9ec1-f096b2d93d4e)

## 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
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=295cdc10-f746-4a00-9ec1-f096b2d93d4e)

## 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-HB838-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).