The bill aims to revise laws regarding executive exemptions to public records requests in Montana, specifically narrowing the scope of such exemptions. It allows the governor to assert an executive exemption only when their individual privacy interest clearly outweighs the merits of public disclosure, and explicitly states that the governor does not have a privacy interest in public information related to policy, politics, or legislative matters. The bill also establishes that the executive exemption must be narrowly tailored and expires once the underlying issue is resolved, with provisions for waiving the exemption if the information is voluntarily disclosed to a third party.

Additionally, the bill amends definitions related to public records and confidentiality, removing the requirement for the award of costs and reasonable attorney fees for a prevailing party in public records litigation. It revises sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to reflect these changes, including the definitions of "confidential information" and the process for challenging executive exemptions. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_1(1): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_1(2): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_1(3): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_1(4): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_1(5): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_1(6): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_1(7): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_1: 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(1): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(10): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(11): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(12): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(13): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(14): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(2): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(3): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(4): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(5): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(6): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(7): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(8): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2(9): 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_2: 2-6-1002, 2-6-1009, 90-1-105
HB0271_X(1): 2-6-1002, 90-1-105
HB0271_X(2): 2-6-1002, 90-1-105
HB0271_X(3): 2-6-1002, 90-1-105
HB0271_X(4): 2-6-1002, 90-1-105
HB0271_X(5): 2-6-1002, 90-1-105
HB0271_X(6): 2-6-1002, 90-1-105
HB0271_X(7): 2-6-1002, 90-1-105
HB0271_X(8): 2-6-1002, 90-1-105
HB0271_X: 2-6-1002, 90-1-105