# Montana SB 257: Generally revise Smith River permit laws

Montana SB 257, Generally revise Smith River permit laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Laura Smith (Democrat); status signed, last action 2025-05-13 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB257-2025
- 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 257
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Generally revise Smith River permit laws
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-02-03
- Last action: 2025-05-13, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Laura Smith (Democrat)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Fish, Revenue, State, Water
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 4 (289 yes, 9 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Smith River fees fund habitat and access: benefit, low. All Smith River floating and camping user fees go into the Smith River Corridor Enhancement Account. Earmarked shares include $50 from each outfitted client fee, all super permit lottery sales, all resident $5 and nonresident $125 bonus points, and 5% of other float fees (not the nonrefundable appl…
- Higher Smith River bonus point fee for nonresidents: cost, low. Nonresidents now pay $125 for a Smith River bonus point, up from $50. That is $75 more each time you buy the point. The money goes to the Smith River corridor enhancement account. This change is effective on passage and approval.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Laura Smith (Democrat), Senate
- Cosponsor: Jill Cohenour (Democrat), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-16 | House | Do Concur | pass | 96 | 2 |   |
| 2025-04-15 | House | Do Concur | pass | 100 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-26 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 46 | 4 |   |
| 2025-02-25 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 47 | 3 |   |

## Actions (27)

- 2025-05-13: Chapter Number Assigned (Senate)
- 2025-05-08: Signed by Governor (Senate)
- 2025-04-30: Transmitted to Governor (Senate)
- 2025-04-29: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-23: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-04-18: Returned from Enrolling (Senate)
- 2025-04-16: Sent to Enrolling (Senate)
- 2025-04-16: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-04-15: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-04-09: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-04-08: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-03-17: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-27: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-02-27: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-26: Transmitted to House (Senate)
- 2025-02-26: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-25: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-14: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-02-11: Fiscal Note Requested (Senate)
- 2025-02-11: Fiscal Note Signed (Senate)
- 2025-02-11: Fiscal Note Received (Senate)
- 2025-02-07: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-02-05: Fiscal Note Requested (Senate)
- 2025-02-05: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-02-03: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-03: Introduced (Senate)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-17: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=074e81b6-399f-443f-a085-b394e25f6f24)
- Introduced, 2025-02-03: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=11ea68a5-be25-44c0-9249-3861911666ba)

## 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=074e81b6-399f-443f-a085-b394e25f6f24)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=11ea68a5-be25-44c0-9249-3861911666ba)

## 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-SB257-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).