Senate Bill No. introduced by J. Trebas and others aims to revise the offense of violating privacy in communications by providing specific exceptions for recording conversations involving public officials and employees. The bill amends Section 45-8-213 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to clarify that the prohibition against recording conversations without the knowledge of all parties does not apply to individuals who record conversations with elected or appointed public officials or public employees while they are performing their official duties. This change is intended to enhance transparency and accountability in government by allowing citizens to document interactions with public officials.

In addition to the new exception, the bill retains existing provisions that outline other circumstances under which privacy violations do not apply, such as public meetings and situations where one party is warned about the recording. The bill also maintains the penalties for violating privacy in communications, which include fines and imprisonment based on the severity of the offense. Overall, the legislation seeks to balance the protection of privacy rights with the public's right to monitor and record the actions of government officials.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 45-8-213
SB0388_1(1): 45-8-213
SB0388_1(2): 45-8-213
SB0388_1: 45-8-213