# Montana SB 256: Generally revise child abuse and neglect laws Montana SB 256, Generally revise child abuse and neglect laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Dennis Lenz (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-04-17 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB256-2025 - 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 256 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Generally revise child abuse and neglect laws - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-03 - Last action: 2025-04-17, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Dennis Lenz (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Family Law, Minors, Social Services, Courts, Civil Procedure - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 6 (349 yes, 43 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Less sharing in child abuse checks: benefit, low. Screeners must ask in writing to get records. They can see child abuse records only if an allegation was made against you and the case was substantiated. This applies to jobs or volunteer roles with unsupervised contact with children. - Limits on records in childcare licensing: benefit, low. For child care and child‑placing licenses, agencies can use records only if the allegation was against the applicant and the finding was substantiated. They cannot use unrelated or unsubstantiated investigations to deny or limit a license. - Tribal record sharing rule stays: benefit, low. A clause that was set to end on June 30, 2025 now remains in effect. It continues the record-sharing permissions in that clause, including sharing with tribal agencies and related parties named in the law. - Courts and parties can get records: mixed, low. Child abuse and neglect records stay confidential. But the law now makes clear that records allowed under the discovery rule in 41-3-431 are available to courts and parties as that rule permits. This improves access for fair case handling while keeping other records sealed. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Dennis Lenz (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-28 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 48 | 0 | | | 2025-03-27 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 47 | 1 | | | 2025-03-25 | House | Do Concur | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2025-03-24 | House | Do Concur | pass | 97 | 0 | | | 2025-02-21 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 27 | 23 | | | 2025-02-20 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 31 | 19 | | ## Actions (30) - 2025-04-17: Chapter Number Assigned (Senate) - 2025-04-16: 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 Amendments (Senate) - 2025-03-27: 2nd Reading House Amendments (Senate) - 2025-03-25: Returned to Senate with Amendments (House) - 2025-03-25: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-03-24: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-03-19: Committee Report (House) - 2025-03-18: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-03-05: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-24: Fiscal Note Printed (Senate) - 2025-02-22: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-02-22: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-02-21: Fiscal Note Signed (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Transmitted to House (Senate) - 2025-02-21: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Fiscal Note Received (Senate) - 2025-02-20: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Fiscal Note Requested (Senate) - 2025-02-15: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-02-14: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-03: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-03: Introduced (Senate) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=b8da0369-405f-4702-abaf-59d2546a3cd3) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-03-19: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=801cfff9-bbd4-46d5-a8f1-8b1c1f6ec43e) - Introduced, 2025-02-03: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=a52af3c9-0e8b-441e-88b7-146abdf9d5b6) ## 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=b8da0369-405f-4702-abaf-59d2546a3cd3) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=801cfff9-bbd4-46d5-a8f1-8b1c1f6ec43e) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=a52af3c9-0e8b-441e-88b7-146abdf9d5b6) ## 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-SB256-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).