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MontanaSB 6969th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)Senate

Revise county attorney reporting requirements for child sexual abuse

Sponsored By: Gayle Lammers (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Law EnforcementMinors

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

County attorneys get files and keep 25 years

County attorneys must collect all case notes, interviews, evaluations, and other materials for each child sexual abuse or exploitation report when the alleged perpetrator is age 12 or older. Agencies and team members must keep sending materials during the investigation, any abuse and neglect case, and any prosecution. When the department’s report includes these allegations, the county attorney must give the original reporter written proof of receipt with the date and the child’s age and gender. If the report was anonymous, the proof goes to the department, and no proof is needed when law enforcement made the report to the county attorney. County attorneys must keep all related records for 25 years.

Statewide tracking of child sex-abuse cases

County attorneys must send a yearly report to the attorney general by June 1 with case IDs, key dates, outcomes, certification counts, and counts of department reports still undecided after two years with reasons. The attorney general provides a standard form that tracks each case for up to five years until charges or a decision, and the data is confidential criminal justice information. By August 15, the attorney general sends lawmakers aggregated results, including counts charged and declined in the prior year, and the initials of defendants charged, convicted, or sentenced; county names are not listed. The report also notes any county attorney who failed to file a complete report and any actions the attorney general took under existing authority. By July 15, the department reports how many referrals it made to each county in the prior fiscal year and must alert the attorney general, with a facts summary, when it believes a case should be charged but was not.

Phone reports recorded with caller notice

When someone reports suspected child abuse or neglect by phone, a department employee must record the call and tell the caller it is recorded and that their identity stays confidential. After a report that alleges sexual abuse or sexual exploitation, the employee must ask for the specific facts, the names of alleged victims and perpetrators, and the source of the information. The recording is kept the same way the department keeps safety and risk assessments.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Gayle Lammers

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Alanah Griffith

    Democrat • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 480 • No: 18

Senate vote • 4/17/2025

Do Pass

Yes: 50 • No: 0

Senate vote • 4/16/2025

Do Pass

Yes: 49 • No: 0

House vote • 4/11/2025

Do Concur

Yes: 97 • No: 2

House vote • 4/10/2025

Do Concur As Amended

Yes: 98 • No: 2

House vote • 4/10/2025

AMD-SB0069.001.001 Mercer DO PASS

Yes: 86 • No: 14

Senate vote • 2/4/2025

Do Pass

Yes: 50 • No: 0

Senate vote • 2/3/2025

Do Pass

Yes: 50 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Chapter Number Assigned

    5/16/2025Senate

  2. Signed by Governor

    5/13/2025Senate

  3. Transmitted to Governor

    5/5/2025Senate

  4. Signed by Speaker

    5/5/2025House

  5. Signed by President

    4/29/2025Senate

  6. Returned from Enrolling

    4/19/2025Senate

  7. Sent to Enrolling

    4/17/2025Senate

  8. 3rd Reading House Amendments

    4/17/2025Senate

  9. 2nd Reading House Amendments

    4/16/2025Senate

  10. 2nd Reading Pass Consideration

    4/15/2025Senate

  11. Returned to Senate with Amendments

    4/11/2025House

  12. 3rd Reading

    4/11/2025House

  13. 2nd Reading

    4/10/2025House

  14. 2nd Reading Motion to Amend

    4/10/2025House

  15. Committee Report

    4/8/2025House

  16. Committee Executive Action

    4/8/2025House

  17. Hearing

    4/3/2025House

  18. 1st Reading

    2/5/2025House

  19. Referred to Committee

    2/5/2025House

  20. Transmitted to House

    2/4/2025Senate

  21. 3rd Reading

    2/4/2025Senate

  22. 2nd Reading

    2/3/2025Senate

  23. Committee Report

    1/29/2025Senate

  24. Committee Executive Action

    1/29/2025Senate

  25. Committee Executive Action

    1/29/2025Senate

Bill Text

  • Enrolled

    4/17/2025

    PDF

  • As Amended (Version 2)

    4/10/2025

    PDF

  • Introduced

    12/27/2024

    PDF

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