# Montana SB 11: Revise local government ballot issue laws Montana SB 11, Revise local government ballot issue laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Forrest Mandeville (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-04-17 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB11-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Montana SB 11 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Revise local government ballot issue laws - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2024-11-25 - Last action: 2025-04-17, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Forrest Mandeville (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Ballot Issues, Cities and Towns, Counties, Elections, Local Government - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 6 (397 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Resort tax and liquor vote procedures: benefit, low. Resort-area tax questions and county liquor prohibition votes now use the same petition process set in this law or can be sent by resolution. The state updates statutes so the new process applies. The old petition procedures are repealed. - Stronger anti-fraud and safety for petitions: benefit, low. The law cracks down on petition fraud and harassment. It is a crime to knowingly make a false entry on a petition or required affidavit. It is also illegal to physically block or intimidate people collecting signatures. Violators can be fined up to $500, jailed up to 90 days, or both. - Standard rules for local ballot petitions: mixed, medium. The law sets one clear process for local ballot issues. A petition needs signatures from 15% of registered voters from the last general election. To force a special election, it needs 25%. File original signed sheets within 90 days after form approval and at least four weeks before certification. T… - Less state control over petition rules: mixed, low. The secretary of state's duty to keep election law uniform does not cover these new local petition rules or Title 13, chapters 35–37. The law limits that uniformity duty by excluding those chapters and sections. - Local marijuana business and tax votes: mixed, low. Voters can seek a local vote to allow or ban some or all types of marijuana businesses by filing a petition under the new rules. Counties can place a local marijuana excise tax on the ballot by petition or resolution. Any tax must be approved by voters, be no more than 3% of retail value, start no… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Forrest Mandeville (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-31 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-03-28 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 48 | 1 | | | 2025-03-26 | House | Do Concur | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2025-03-25 | House | Do Concur | pass | 100 | 0 | | | 2025-01-31 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-01-30 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 50 | 0 | | ## Actions (29) - 2025-04-17: Chapter Number Assigned (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Signed by Governor (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Transmitted to Governor (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-07: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Returned from Enrolling (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Sent to Enrolling (Senate) - 2025-03-31: 3rd Reading House Amendments (Senate) - 2025-03-28: 2nd Reading House Amendments (Senate) - 2025-03-26: Returned to Senate with Amendments (House) - 2025-03-26: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-03-25: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-03-20: Committee Report (House) - 2025-03-20: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-02-12: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-03: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-02-03: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-01-31: Transmitted to House (Senate) - 2025-01-31: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-30: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-28: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-01-09: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-01-07: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-01-07: Fiscal Note Printed (Senate) - 2025-01-07: Fiscal Note Unsigned (Senate) - 2025-01-06: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2024-12-18: Fiscal Note Received (Senate) - 2024-11-25: Introduced (Senate) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-05-09: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=cdebf0e5-95f8-42cb-9da2-012d78caba77) - As Amended (Version 3), 2025-03-20: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=05e60642-7aed-4541-8792-32c8991e1197) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-01-28: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=986cefe2-ecae-4eec-a7c9-7f3461d4d88a) - Introduced, 2024-11-26: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=7e451e16-4c54-404b-bdf9-a972cb0e285f) ## 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=cdebf0e5-95f8-42cb-9da2-012d78caba77) - [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=05e60642-7aed-4541-8792-32c8991e1197) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=986cefe2-ecae-4eec-a7c9-7f3461d4d88a) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=7e451e16-4c54-404b-bdf9-a972cb0e285f) ## 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-SB11-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).