This bill mandates the election of fish and wildlife commissioners in Montana, establishing a nonpartisan commission consisting of seven members, each elected from specific administrative districts. The bill amends existing laws to require that one commissioner be elected from each of the designated districts based on the department of fish, wildlife, and parks' administrative regions. It also introduces a provision for the removal of commissioners who fail to perform their duties and outlines the process for filling vacancies, which will now be filled by the governor until the next general election. Additionally, the term for each commissioner is set at four years, with the first election for the newly defined districts occurring in November 2024.

Furthermore, the bill includes a review process for the commission districts following each federal census, ensuring that the districts are equitable in population and not drawn to favor any political party or incumbent. It specifies that the Environmental Quality Council will oversee this review and submit recommendations to the legislature. The bill also updates the order of placement for fish and wildlife commissioners on the ballot and clarifies the handling of surplus campaign funds for these positions. Lastly, it includes provisions for notifying tribal governments about the new legislation and outlines the transition for current appointed commissioners to continue serving until the elected officials take office.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2-15-3402, 13-12-207, 13-37-240