House Bill No. [insert bill number] aims to revise the laws related to assault in Montana by explicitly defining the act of providing certain drugs to another person without their consent as an assault. The bill amends Section 45-5-201 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to include a list of specific dangerous drugs, including those classified in Schedules I through V, alcohol, any vaccine, and diphenhydramine, as substances that, when administered without the express, informed, or implied consent of the individual or their parent, guardian, or medical power of attorney, constitute an assault.

Additionally, the bill removes previous exemptions that allowed certain individuals, such as medical providers and guardians of incapacitated adults, to administer medications without consent under specific circumstances. The proposed changes aim to strengthen the legal framework surrounding consent in the context of drug administration, thereby enhancing protections for individuals against non-consensual drugging. A person convicted of assault under this revised definition may face a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 45-5-201
HB0174_1(1): 45-5-201
HB0174_1(2): 45-5-201
HB0174_1(3): 45-5-201
HB0174_1(4): 45-5-201
HB0174_1(5): 45-5-201
HB0174_1(6): 45-5-201
HB0174_1(7): 45-5-201
HB0174_1: 45-5-201
HB0174_2(1): 45-5-201
HB0174_2(10): 45-5-201
HB0174_2(11): 45-5-201
HB0174_2(12): 45-5-201
HB0174_2(13): 45-5-201
HB0174_2(14): 45-5-201
HB0174_2(2): 45-5-201
HB0174_2(3): 45-5-201
HB0174_2(4): 45-5-201
HB0174_2(5): 45-5-201
HB0174_2(6): 45-5-201
HB0174_2(7): 45-5-201
HB0174_2(8): 45-5-201
HB0174_2(9): 45-5-201
HB0174_2: 45-5-201
HB0174_3(1): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(10): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(11): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(12): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(13): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(14): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(15): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(2): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(3): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(4): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(5): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(6): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(7): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(8): 45-5-201
HB0174_3(9): 45-5-201
HB0174_3: 45-5-201