Senate Bill No. [insert number] seeks to revise the laws governing ballot issues in Montana by instituting a legislative committee review process for proposed statewide initiatives deemed legally sufficient by a court or the attorney general. The bill amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA), specifically sections 13-27-213, 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219, and 13-27-228. Key changes include the insertion of provisions that allow for the determination of legal sufficiency by either the attorney general or a court, which will then refer the initiatives to the legislative services division for further review.

Additionally, the bill mandates that "yes and no" statements on ballots be placed next to the ballot marking diagram and outlines the submission process for various types of initiatives. It emphasizes the necessity of a fiscal note and requires the attorney general to evaluate potential harm to business interests from the proposals. The bill also modifies the review process by changing the language from "the attorney general finds that" to "determined to be" legally sufficient, streamlining the process. Furthermore, it allows legislative committees to hold public hearings and vote on initiatives, with provisions for remote meetings and proxy voting, while clarifying that the committee's vote outcome will not be included in the initiative's statement of purpose or ballot title. New legal language ensures that the secretary of state sends a sample petition form only after a court decision or legal sufficiency determination, and the bill establishes an immediate effective date for these changes.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 13-27-213, 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219, 13-27-228, 13-27-233
SB0047_1(1): 13-27-213, 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219, 13-27-228, 13-27-233
SB0047_1(2): 13-27-213, 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219, 13-27-228, 13-27-233
SB0047_1(3): 13-27-213, 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219, 13-27-228, 13-27-233
SB0047_1(4): 13-27-213, 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219, 13-27-228, 13-27-233
SB0047_1(5): 13-27-213, 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219, 13-27-228, 13-27-233
SB0047_1(6): 13-27-213, 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219, 13-27-228, 13-27-233
SB0047_1: 13-27-213, 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219, 13-27-228, 13-27-233