Senate Bill No. [number] proposes significant revisions to the judicial districts in Montana by combining the 10th and 14th Judicial Districts into a single district and adding an additional judge to the 13th Judicial District. The bill amends Sections 3-5-101 and 3-5-102 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to reflect these changes, reducing the total number of judicial districts from 22 to 21. Specifically, the 10th district will now include Golden Valley, Meagher, Musselshell, Petroleum, and Wheatland Counties, while the 14th district will be eliminated. Additionally, the number of judges in the 13th district will increase from eight to nine.

The bill also 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 bill's effective date, the governor will not appoint a replacement for the 10th or 14th districts, and the remaining judge will serve the newly combined 10th district. Instead, the governor will appoint a judge for the additional position in the 13th district, with the appointment subject to Senate confirmation. Furthermore, an election for a full six-year term for the new judge in the 13th district is scheduled for the general election in 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