This bill aims to revise public record laws concerning the Supreme Court in Montana by mandating the recording of closed judicial deliberation meetings and ensuring the disclosure of judicial deliberations and case information once a case is finalized. Key amendments include the requirement that all closed meetings of the Supreme Court be recorded electronically, with these recordings serving as the official record of the meeting. Additionally, a written record must be created, detailing the information specified in existing law, and both the electronic and written records will be made available for public inspection after the case becomes final, with the possibility of redacting confidential information.

The bill also clarifies the definition of "confidential information" to include judicial deliberations of the Supreme Court until the case is finalized. It establishes that a case is considered final once the time for further review by the U.S. Supreme Court or any other court has expired. Furthermore, it amends existing sections of the Montana Code Annotated to incorporate these changes, reinforcing the public's right to access information while balancing the need for confidentiality in certain judicial processes. The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(1): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(2): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(3): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(4): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(5): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(6): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(7): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1: 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(1): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(10): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(11): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(12): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(13): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(2): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(3): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(4): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(5): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(6): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(7): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(8): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(9): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2: 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_3(1): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_3(2): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_3(3): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_3(4): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_3(5): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_3(6): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_3: 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_4(1): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_4(2): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_4: 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_X(1): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_X(2): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_X(3): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_X(4): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_X: 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002