Senate Bill No. [insert bill number] proposes significant changes to the judicial districts in Montana by combining the 10th and 14th Judicial Districts into a single district, thereby reducing the total number of judicial districts from 22 to 21. The bill also provides for an additional judge in the 13th Judicial District, which currently has a workload equivalent to 13.9 judges but only has 8 full-time judges. The amendments to Sections 3-5-101 and 3-5-102 of the Montana Code Annotated reflect these changes, including the increase of judges in the 13th district from eight to nine and the reconfiguration of the counties within the 10th district.

Additionally, the bill outlines a transition plan for filling judicial vacancies in the newly configured districts. If a vacancy occurs in the 10th or 14th districts after the effective date, the governor will not appoint a replacement for the 10th or 14th district but will instead appoint a judge for the newly established position in the 13th district. A general election for a full 6-year term for this additional judge is scheduled for November 2030. The bill is set to take effect upon passage, with specific provisions becoming effective on January 6, 2031, or upon the occurrence of a vacancy in the affected districts.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 3-5-101, 3-5-102
SB0284_1(1): 3-5-101, 3-5-102
SB0284_1(2): 3-5-101, 3-5-102
SB0284_1(3): 3-5-101, 3-5-102
SB0284_1(4): 3-5-101, 3-5-102
SB0284_1(5): 3-5-101, 3-5-102
SB0284_1: 3-5-101, 3-5-102