Senate Bill No. [insert bill number] proposes significant changes to the appointment and role of the Clerk of the Supreme Court in Montana. The bill mandates that the Clerk be appointed by a majority of the Supreme Court justices, rather than being elected by the public. Additionally, the Clerk will serve at the pleasure of the Court, which means their position is no longer guaranteed for a fixed term. The bill also eliminates the Clerk's authority to appoint a Deputy Clerk and repeals the section of law that previously allowed for this appointment.

Furthermore, the bill amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to reflect these changes, including the removal of the Clerk from the list of elected officials whose salaries are determined by a salary survey. The bill also repeals Section 3-2-406, which pertained to the Deputy Clerk, and clarifies that the new provisions will apply to any vacancies in the Clerk's office after the current term ends on January 6, 2031. The effective date for most of the bill's provisions is set for January 6, 2031, with the overall act becoming effective on January 1, 2031.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 2-16-111, 2-16-405, 2-16-505, 3-2-401, 13-12-207, 13-16-504
SB0332_1(1): 2-16-111, 2-16-405, 2-16-505, 3-2-401, 13-12-207, 13-16-504
SB0332_1(2): 2-16-111, 2-16-405, 2-16-505, 3-2-401, 13-12-207, 13-16-504
SB0332_1: 2-16-111, 2-16-405, 2-16-505, 3-2-401, 13-12-207, 13-16-504