This bill aims to revise the laws surrounding punitive damages by introducing several key changes. It prohibits the pleading of punitive damages in an initial pleading, which means that parties cannot request punitive damages at the outset of a legal case. Additionally, any punitive damages awarded will be equally divided between the injured party and the state, ensuring that the state benefits from such awards.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that punitive damages awarded to the state must be deposited into the general fund, thereby directing these funds to support public services. The bill amends Section 27-1-221 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) and establishes an immediate effective date along with an applicability date for the new provisions.

Statutes affected:
SB0169_1.pdf: 27-1-221
SB0169_2.pdf: 27-1-221
SB0169_3.pdf: 27-1-221
SB0169_4.pdf: 27-1-221
Amended: 27-1-221
Introduced: 27-1-221