# Montana SB 297: Generally revise privacy laws Montana SB 297, Generally revise privacy laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Daniel Zolnikov (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-13 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB297-2025 - 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 297 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Generally revise privacy laws - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-11 - Last action: 2025-05-13, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Daniel Zolnikov (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Privacy, Communications, Minors - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 7 (495 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Clear privacy notices and easy opt-outs: benefit, medium. Companies must post a clear, accessible privacy notice in every language they use and link it from a visible "privacy" link. If they sell your data or use targeted ads, they must say so and give you a simple opt-out link. You can opt out of profiling used in automated decisions that have legal or s… - No targeted ads or sales to minors: benefit, medium. If a company knows or willfully ignores that a user is a minor, it cannot use the minor’s data for targeted ads, sell it, or profile the minor in ways with legal-like effects unless it gets consent. Companies may use a minor’s data only for the purpose they stated and must not keep it longer than n… - Safer design and location limits for kids: benefit, medium. Companies must use reasonable care to avoid harms to minors. They may not use design features that significantly increase a minor’s time using a service. They may collect a minor’s precise location only when needed for the service, only as long as needed, and must show a visible signal while collec… - Clear rules for K-12 student data: benefit, low. The law sets clear rules for K-12 student data. It defines protected information for K-12 apps, covering grades, contact and family details, health and special education records, discipline, Social Security numbers, biometrics, location, photos, and voice recordings. It defines pupil-generated cont… - Stricter rules for data processors: cost, low. Data processors must follow a controller’s instructions, protect data, and help document risk assessments. Contracts must include required privacy terms. If a processor starts deciding how data is used or ignores instructions, it is treated as a controller and can be held liable. - Age checks optional and school carve-outs: mixed, low. The law does not require companies to verify or collect users’ ages. A company that uses a reasonable age estimate is not liable if it guesses wrong. Services used under a school’s direction, including learning management and student engagement tools, are exempt from some minors’ processing and des… - Attorney general enforcement and fines: mixed, low. The Montana Attorney General enforces this law and runs an online privacy complaint system. The AG posts your rights and company duties, can investigate, review risk assessments, and seek court orders. Violators face civil penalties up to $7,500 per violation, plus injunctions and fees, with penalt… - Research allowed with strong privacy checks: mixed, low. Researchers can use personal data for public-interest research when an independent board approves and oversees it. The board must find that public benefits outweigh privacy risks, that deletion or use gives real public value, and that safeguards prevent re-identifying people. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Daniel Zolnikov (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-15 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-04-14 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-04-11 | House | Do Concur | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2025-04-09 | House | Do Pass As Amended | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2025-04-09 | House | AMD-SB0297.003.002 Zolnikov DO PASS | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2025-02-24 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 49 | 0 | | | 2025-02-21 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 50 | 0 | | ## Actions (27) - 2025-05-13: Chapter Number Assigned (Senate) - 2025-05-08: Signed by Governor (Senate) - 2025-05-01: Transmitted to Governor (Senate) - 2025-05-01: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-22: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Returned from Enrolling (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Sent to Enrolling (Senate) - 2025-04-15: 3rd Reading House Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-14: 2nd Reading House Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-11: Returned to Senate with Amendments (House) - 2025-04-11: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-04-09: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-04-09: 2nd Reading Motion to Amend (House) - 2025-03-27: Committee Report (House) - 2025-03-27: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-03-19: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-25: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-02-25: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-02-24: Transmitted to House (Senate) - 2025-02-24: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-21: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-02-18: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-11: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Introduced (Senate) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=00cc4c2f-96a1-4801-b030-c4a3552bb95d) - As Amended (Version 4), 2025-04-09: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=f6bcc2b2-212c-4764-8102-70ef6a0f6653) - As Amended (Version 3), 2025-03-27: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3db0abf3-2b39-41ae-9354-b23f7aaad4ad) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-19: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e09d00b7-e52d-4cc1-adea-4f256786735b) - Introduced, 2025-02-11: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=5105bd72-5e2c-46de-bab8-364aa9676d20) ## 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=00cc4c2f-96a1-4801-b030-c4a3552bb95d) - [As Amended (Version 4) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=f6bcc2b2-212c-4764-8102-70ef6a0f6653) - [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3db0abf3-2b39-41ae-9354-b23f7aaad4ad) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e09d00b7-e52d-4cc1-adea-4f256786735b) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=5105bd72-5e2c-46de-bab8-364aa9676d20) ## 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-SB297-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).