House Bill No. introduced by J. Hinkle aims to revise marijuana election requirements in certain municipalities in Montana. The bill amends Section 16-12-301 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to clarify the local government authority to regulate marijuana businesses and establish an opt-in requirement for counties where voters previously rejected Initiative Measure No. 190. Key provisions include the requirement for local jurisdiction approval for various categories of marijuana businesses before they can operate in counties that voted against the initiative. Additionally, the bill allows former medical marijuana licensees to continue operating under certain conditions, even if local jurisdictions do not take action.

The bill also introduces a definition for "qualified municipality," specifying that it refers to cities or towns that manage their own police departments, excluding those relying on external law enforcement services. It removes the previous requirement for marijuana businesses in counties that approved the initiative to seek local government approval. Furthermore, the bill outlines the process for conducting elections regarding marijuana business categories, including provisions for separating votes in municipalities with populations over 5,000. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 16-12-301
HB0659_1(1): 16-12-301
HB0659_1(2): 16-12-301
HB0659_1(3): 16-12-301
HB0659_1(4): 16-12-301
HB0659_1(5): 16-12-301
HB0659_1: 16-12-301
HB0659_2(1): 16-12-301
HB0659_2(2): 16-12-301
HB0659_2(3): 16-12-301
HB0659_2(4): 16-12-301
HB0659_2(5): 16-12-301
HB0659_2(6): 16-12-301
HB0659_2(7): 16-12-301
HB0659_2(8): 16-12-301
HB0659_2(9): 16-12-301
HB0659_2: 16-12-301