Title 44, Title 44

A person may not be held liable for any damages arising from an act relating to the reporting of information made in good faith and in substantial compliance with the reporting procedures established under 44-4-1002.

There is created within the department of justice the position of training coordinator for county attorneys. The position of training coordinator for county attorneys is an exempt position as provided in 2-18-103. The salary for this position is the same as that provided in 7-4-2…

The training coordinator shall be appointed by the attorney general from a list of three names proposed and submitted by the Montana county attorneys' association.

The training coordinator shall perform the functions assigned by the attorney general. The functions may include but are not limited to the following: (1) providing local training in current aspects of the criminal law for county attorneys, city attorneys, and other law enforceme…

(1) There is a water right enforcement account in the state special revenue fund. (2) Fines collected pursuant to 85-2-122(3)(b) must be deposited in the water right enforcement account. (3) The money in the account is statutorily appropriated, as provided in 17-7-502, to the dep…

There is a water right enforcement program in the department of justice. The program staff may enforce the provisions of 85-2-114. The program is under the supervision and control of the attorney general.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), the training coordinator may act as special counsel upon request of the county attorney with the approval of the governing body of a county. (2) If a case involves the prosecution of a member of the governing body of a county or a person …

Whenever the training coordinator acts as special counsel as provided in 44-4-111, the department of justice shall charge the county a reasonable hourly fee for the training coordinator's services. Upon receipt of payment for these services, the department shall deposit these fun…

There is a fish, wildlife, and parks enforcement program in the department of justice, which must be administered by the entity in the department that assists county attorneys with prosecutions. The program staff may investigate and may prosecute criminal cases concerning the vio…

This part may be cited as the "Montana 24/7 Sobriety and Drug Monitoring Program Act".

(1) The legislature declares that driving in Montana upon a way of this state open to the public is a privilege, not a right. A driver who wishes to enjoy the benefits of this privilege shall accept the corresponding responsibilities. (2) The legislature further declares that the…

(1) There is a statewide 24/7 sobriety and drug monitoring program within the department to be administered by the attorney general. (2) (a) The core components of the sobriety program must include use of a primary testing methodology for the presence of alcohol or dangerous drug…

The attorney general shall adopt rules to implement this part. The rules must: (1) provide for the nature and manner of testing and the procedures and apparatus to be used for testing; (2) establish reasonable participation and testing fees for the program, including the collecti…

(1) (a) Any court or agency utilizing the sobriety program may stay any sanctions that it imposed against an offender while the offender is in compliance with the sobriety program. (b) If an individual convicted of the offense of aggravated driving under the influence as defined …

The law enforcement agency of a county in which a sobriety program exists shall collect the testing fee required by the rules of the department and deposit the fees into the local sobriety program account established pursuant to department rules. The fee must be distributed accor…

(1) (a) The department of justice shall create a poster that provides information regarding the national human trafficking resource center hotline. The poster must be at least 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches in size, must include, if available, a quick response code that is provided by…

(1) A victim of human trafficking is eligible for a benefit or service available through the state, including compensation under Title 53, chapter 9, part 1, regardless of immigration status. (2) A child who has engaged in commercial sexual activity is eligible for a benefit or s…

(1) On request from a person who a law enforcement officer reasonably believes is a victim who is or has been subjected to a severe form of trafficking or criminal offense required for the person to qualify for a nonimmigrant T or U visa under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(T) or 8 U.S.C. …

There is a human trafficking education account in the state special revenue fund for the purposes of preventing and detecting human trafficking. Money in this account may be expended by the department of justice to raise awareness about human trafficking and educate the public an…

(1) There is an emergency lodging and recovery program for licensed establishments located in the state to assist designated organizations in providing short-term lodging and recovery assistance in the state to individuals and families that are victims of domestic violence or hum…

(1) There is an emergency lodging and recovery for victims of domestic violence or human trafficking account in the state special revenue fund. The account is administered by the department of justice. (2) The revenue allocated to the account as provided in 15-65-121(2)(l) must b…

This part may be cited as the "Statewide Public Safety Communications System Act".

(1) Montana finds that the continued planning and development of a unified statewide public safety communications system must be conducted in an organized, deliberate, and cost-effective manner. (2) It is the intent of this part to guide future planning for and efforts to sustain…

As used in this part, the following definitions apply: (1) "Advisory council" means the statewide public safety communications system advisory council established in 44-4-1604. (2) "Department" means the department of justice established in 2-15-2001. (3) "FirstNet" means a radio…

(1) There is a statewide public safety communications system advisory council. (2) Subject to subsection (8), the advisory council consists of nine members appointed by the governor as follows: (a) the attorney general or the attorney general's designee from the department, who s…

(1) The advisory council shall: (a) advise the department concerning future development and sustainability of the statewide public safety communications system; (b) provide recommendations to the department for the continued funding of the statewide public safety communications s…

(1) (a) Except as provided in subsection (1)(b), there is a statewide public safety communications system administered by the department. (b) The department of natural resources and conservation may opt out of the public safety communications system. (2) The department shall impl…

(1) There is an account in the state special revenue fund established in 17-2-102 to be known as the statewide public safety communications system account. (2) There must be deposited in the account: (a) money received from legislative allocations and general fund transfers; (b) …

This part and rules adopted in accordance with this part do not affect: (1) the state's ability to use FirstNet, including new services and applications available with FirstNet; or (2) any obligations or responsibilities related to FirstNet in accordance with federal statute.

(1) The department may adopt rules necessary to implement this part. Rules may include provisions for: (a) implementation of this part; and (b) administration of the statewide public safety communications system in accordance with this part. (2) Rules must be adopted in accordanc…

As used in 2-15-2034, 2-15-2035, and this part, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following definitions apply: (1) "Committee" means the sexual assault response team committee established in 2-15-2035. (2) "Department" means the department of justice. (3) "Progr…

(1) The sexual assault response network program established under 2-15-2034 will support efforts to provide uniform sexual assault evidence kit distribution and handling, coordinate a comprehensive, trauma-informed response to survivors of sexual violence, provide discipline-base…

The sexual assault response team committee established in 2-15-2035 may adopt rules necessary for the implementation, continuation, and enforcement of the authority granted in this section. The committee's duties include but are not limited to: (1) adopting educational and clinic…

(1) The department of justice shall employ a sexual assault response network program coordinator. (2) The program coordinator shall administer the powers and duties of the program and committee as provided for in 2-15-2035 and this part.

The department of justice shall report annually to the law and justice interim committee in accordance with 5-11-210 on the activities of the sexual assault response network program and the sexual assault response team committee under 2-15-2035 and this part.

(1) The attorney general may issue confidential license plates and certificates of registration to bona fide law enforcement agencies, except the highway patrol, within the state of Montana. (2) The attorney general may issue confidential license plates and certificates of regist…

The attorney general may adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of this part and to prevent the abuse or misuse of confidential registration plates.

(1) The registration records of each vehicle registered must be maintained by the department of justice. (2) The contents of confidential registration records may be disclosed only at the discretion of the attorney general when there is a legitimate law enforcement purpose for di…

Applications by law enforcement agencies operating within the state must be made to the attorney general on a form and in a manner prescribed by the attorney general.

(1) Such license plates and registrations may be displayed and used only during and in the furtherance of official law enforcement investigations or for purposes as authorized in 44-4-201(2). (2) Such confidential plates and certificates of registration may be used outside the st…

Registrations under this part may be revoked at any time by the attorney general. On delivery of notice of revocation, the registrant shall, within 24 hours, deliver the license plates and certificate of registration to the attorney general or an appointed agent.

For the purposes of this part, the following definitions apply: (1) "Council" means the Montana public safety officer standards and training council established in 2-15-2029. (2) "Public safety officer" means: (a) a corrections officer who is employed by the department of correct…

(1) The council consists of no more than 13 voting members appointed by the governor in accordance with 2-15-124 and as provided in this section. (2) Membership must include: (a) one state government law enforcement representative; (b) one chief of police, who may be appointed ba…

(1) The council shall: (a) establish basic and advanced qualification and training standards for employment; (b) conduct and approve training; and (c) provide for the certification or recertification of public safety officers and for the suspension or revocation of certification …

(1) It is the responsibility of a public safety officer's appointing authority to apply the employment standards and training criteria established by the council pursuant to this part, including but not limited to requiring the successful completion of minimum training standards …

Starting October 1, 2023, and each quarter after, the council shall provide a written report on pending investigations to the law and justice interim committee in accordance with 5-11-210. The report must protect the privacy rights of the individuals involved and must provide for…