This bill aims to enhance the privacy of marital communications by extending the spousal privilege to electronic communications between spouses. It prohibits governmental bodies from requesting or requiring the disclosure of communications that fall under this spousal privilege from services that transmit electronic communications. Additionally, the bill ensures that electronic communication services cannot be held in contempt of court for refusing to disclose such privileged information.

To implement these changes, the bill amends Section 26-1-802 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA). The revisions underscore the importance of protecting the confidentiality of communications between spouses, particularly in the context of modern electronic communication methods. Overall, the legislation seeks to safeguard the privacy rights of married individuals in their electronic interactions.

Statutes affected:
SB0325_1.pdf: 26-1-802
SB0325_2.pdf: 26-1-802
Amended: 26-1-802
Introduced: 26-1-802