# Montana SB 127: Providing for attorney fees and costs in certain justifiable use of force cases

Montana SB 127, Providing for attorney fees and costs in certain justifiable use of force cases, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Theresa Manzella (Republican); status failed, last action 2025-05-23 (Died in Process); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB127-2025
- 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 127
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Providing for attorney fees and costs in certain justifiable use of force cases
- Status: failed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-10
- Last action: 2025-05-23, Died in Process
- Sponsor: Theresa Manzella (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Appropriations, Administrative Rules, Civil Procedure, Courts, Crimes, County Finance, Local Government
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 3 (73 yes, 77 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: Theresa Manzella (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: John Fuller (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-03 | Senate | ReconsAction and Place on Second Reading on 3/4/25 -Manzella | fail | 24 | 26 |   |
| 2025-03-01 | Senate | Do Pass | fail | 23 | 27 |   |
| 2025-02-28 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 26 | 24 |   |

## Actions (17)

- 2025-05-23: Died in Process (Senate)
- 2025-03-12: Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal (Senate)
- 2025-03-01: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-28: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-26: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-02-26: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-02-26: Taken from Table in Committee (Senate)
- 2025-01-31: Tabled in Committee (Senate)
- 2025-01-31: Tabled in Committee (Senate)
- 2025-01-21: Fiscal Note Printed (Senate)
- 2025-01-20: Fiscal Note Signed (Senate)
- 2025-01-20: Fiscal Note Received (Senate)
- 2025-01-15: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-01-13: Fiscal Note Requested (Senate)
- 2025-01-13: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-01-13: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-01-10: Introduced (Senate)

## Bill text

- As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-26: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=cac8377d-92b1-4a72-946c-a9384f0fb5a6)
- Introduced, 2025-01-10: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=aa2c5f17-d1fc-4f45-92d0-e9f010015701)

## 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
- [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=cac8377d-92b1-4a72-946c-a9384f0fb5a6)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=aa2c5f17-d1fc-4f45-92d0-e9f010015701)

## 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-SB127-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).