House Bill No. 490 seeks to enhance wildfire safety in Montana by requiring electric facilities providers to develop and implement a wildfire mitigation plan, which must be submitted for approval to a designated authority and updated every three years. The bill specifies that these plans should include risk assessments, vegetation management strategies, and community outreach efforts. It also offers civil liability protections for providers that adhere to their approved plans, shielding them from strict liability for damages related to wildfires. Additionally, the bill establishes a standard of care for these providers, introducing a rebuttable presumption of reasonableness for those who have implemented their mitigation plans.

The legislation further revises the standard of care for electric facilities providers concerning wildfire management and grants rulemaking authority to the Public Service Commission regarding the approval and oversight of these plans. It includes provisions for notifying tribal governments by requiring the Secretary of State to send a copy of the act to each federally recognized tribal government in Montana. The bill also contains a severability clause to ensure that if any part of the act is invalidated, the remaining provisions will still remain in effect. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.