# Montana SB 151: Direct the director of the public defender's office to create units for family defense and children's representation Montana SB 151, Direct the director of the public defender's office to create units for family defense and children's representation, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Dennis Lenz (Republican); status failed, last action 2025-05-23 (Died in Process) (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB151-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Montana SB 151 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Direct the director of the public defender's office to create units for family defense and children's representation - Status: failed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-14 - Last action: 2025-05-23, Died in Process - Sponsor: Dennis Lenz (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Family Law, Minors, State Government - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 6 (335 yes, 63 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: Dennis Lenz (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Shane Klakken (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-25 | House | Take from APH to Third reading - Howell | fail | 49 | 50 | | | 2025-04-09 | House | Do Concur | pass | 97 | 2 | | | 2025-02-18 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 47 | 3 | | | 2025-02-15 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 48 | 2 | | | 2025-01-30 | Senate | AMD-SB0151.001.002 Lenz D/PASS | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-01-30 | Senate | Do Pass As Amended | pass | 44 | 6 | | ## Actions (37) - 2025-05-23: Died in Process (Senate) - 2025-04-25: Motion (House) - 2025-04-24: Tabled in Committee (House) - 2025-04-23: Taken from Table in Committee (House) - 2025-04-09: Tabled in Committee (House) - 2025-04-09: Hearing (House) - 2025-04-09: Rereferred to Committee (House) - 2025-04-09: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-04-03: Committee Report (House) - 2025-04-03: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-03-29: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-24: Revised Fiscal Note Printed (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Revised Fiscal Note Signed (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Revised Fiscal Note Received (Senate) - 2025-02-19: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-02-19: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-02-18: Transmitted to House (Senate) - 2025-02-18: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-18: Revised Fiscal Note Requested (Senate) - 2025-02-15: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Rereferred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-01-30: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-30: 2nd Reading Motion to Amend (Senate) - 2025-01-29: 2nd Reading Pass Consideration (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Fiscal Note Printed (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-01-24: Fiscal Note Unsigned (Senate) - 2025-01-23: Fiscal Note Received (Senate) - 2025-01-16: Fiscal Note Requested (Senate) - 2025-01-16: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-01-15: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-01-15: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-14: Introduced (Senate) ## Bill text - As Amended (Version 3), 2025-02-13: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=273762b5-043a-47c2-ab37-cd2a9108e533) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-01-31: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=698bf566-ad74-49d2-96c1-c26d78d8f880) - Introduced, 2025-01-14: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=9bc6ad48-4864-4a78-a93c-a35d2993b0fe) ## 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 - [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=273762b5-043a-47c2-ab37-cd2a9108e533) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=698bf566-ad74-49d2-96c1-c26d78d8f880) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=9bc6ad48-4864-4a78-a93c-a35d2993b0fe) ## 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-SB151-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).