# Montana SB 228: Revise laws related to public charging stations for electric vehicles

Montana SB 228, Revise laws related to public charging stations for electric vehicles, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Denley Loge (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-04-18 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB228-2025
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Montana SB 228
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Revise laws related to public charging stations for electric vehicles
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-28
- Last action: 2025-04-18, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Denley Loge (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Subjects: Taxation, Motor Vehicles, Taxation--Transportation and Vehicles, Utilities
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 5 (313 yes, 85 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 9

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Charging tax money goes to highways: benefit, medium. Starting July 1, 2025, money from the public charging-station tax goes into Montana’s highway restricted account. This supports state highway and transportation uses.
- Public chargers must post prices: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, public charging stations must show the price for electricity or time at the site. Drivers can see the rate before they plug in.
- Separate meter required at public chargers: cost, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, every public charging station must have a separate meter installed or approved by the utility. Owners must pay for the meter and make sure it measures all electricity to the station. Following these meter rules is the owner’s job, not the utility’s.
- New tax on public EV charging: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, electricity sold at public charging stations has a 3¢ per kWh state tax. It is measured at the utility meter and added on top of the normal rate. Expect higher prices when you use public fast chargers.
- Planned EV registration fee cut canceled: cost, low. Effective July 1, 2025, the state cancels a planned 30% cut to the extra EV registration fee that was set for July 1, 2028. EV owners do not get that 30% fee reduction.
- Register chargers with DOT in 30 days: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, owners must register each public charging station with the Montana Department of Transportation within 30 days after first operation. You must provide owner contact information, the site address, and the station’s rated kilowatts.
- Utilities must bill and send EV tax: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, utilities bill the 3¢ per kWh tax to charging-station owners on monthly invoices. Utilities may create a separate customer class and must include the tax on the bill. Utilities send 2.75¢ per kWh to DOT each quarter and keep 0.25¢ per kWh for collection costs. The tax amount…
- Who counts as a public charging station: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the law sets who counts as a public charging station. It covers equipment rated over 25 kW that is not at a home or owned by a homeowners association. It also defines who is the station owner and operator. These definitions decide who must register, meter, and pay the tax.
- DOT sets rules for charging program: mixed, low. Starting July 1, 2025, the Montana Department of Transportation adopts rules to run charging-station registration, tax collection, and reporting. This creates a uniform, statewide process. It also sets compliance steps that owners and utilities must follow.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Denley Loge (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: John Fitzpatrick (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Josh Kassmier (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-28 | House | Do Concur | pass | 90 | 9 |   |
| 2025-03-27 | House | Do Concur | pass | 89 | 11 |   |
| 2025-03-27 | House | AMD-SB0228.002.002 Reavis DO PASS | fail | 39 | 61 |   |
| 2025-02-25 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 46 | 3 |   |
| 2025-02-24 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 49 | 1 |   |

## Actions (27)

- 2025-04-18: 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)
- 2025-04-02: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-03-30: Returned from Enrolling (Senate)
- 2025-03-28: Sent to Enrolling (Senate)
- 2025-03-28: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-03-27: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-03-27: 2nd Reading Motion to Amend (House)
- 2025-03-20: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-03-20: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-02-28: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-26: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-02-26: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-25: Transmitted to House (Senate)
- 2025-02-25: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-24: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-21: Fiscal Note Signed (Senate)
- 2025-02-21: Fiscal Note Received (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-02-18: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-01-30: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-01-29: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-01-29: Fiscal Note Requested (Senate)
- 2025-01-29: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-01-28: Introduced (Senate)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=5248093c-40ce-4e93-961e-9eb3458d0a7f)
- As Amended (Version 3), 2025-03-28: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=00f521fc-92e3-4241-adc4-9f3d89b8641e)
- As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-20: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=808a2fb2-bac5-48e6-9d13-b31794e787ac)
- Introduced, 2025-01-28: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=f1da21d0-a4ff-4f7d-af1c-3c5bc4450184)

## 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=5248093c-40ce-4e93-961e-9eb3458d0a7f)
- [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=00f521fc-92e3-4241-adc4-9f3d89b8641e)
- [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=808a2fb2-bac5-48e6-9d13-b31794e787ac)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=f1da21d0-a4ff-4f7d-af1c-3c5bc4450184)

## 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-SB228-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).