This bill aims to revise public record laws specifically concerning the Supreme Court of Montana. It mandates that all closed meetings involving judicial deliberations must be recorded electronically, with the recordings serving as the official record of the meeting. Additionally, a written record must be created, including all documents considered during the deliberations. These records will be made available for public inspection once the case in question becomes final, although the Supreme Court retains the right to redact any confidential information to protect individual privacy. The bill also clarifies that a case is considered final after the time for appeal has expired or when all issues on appeal have been settled.

Furthermore, the bill amends existing sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to ensure that judicial deliberations of the Supreme Court are included in the definition of public records, thus enhancing transparency. It specifies that the minutes from closed portions of meetings must be kept, but access to these minutes will be restricted unless ordered by a court. The effective date for these changes is set for October 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2: 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(6): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(5): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(4): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(3): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(2): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(1): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1: 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(6): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(5): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(4): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(3): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(2): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(1): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002