House Bill No. introduced by T. Millett, L. Schubert, B. Usher, and T. Tezak establishes new standards of conduct for judges and judicial candidates regarding their political activities. The bill allows judges and judicial candidates to attend events and seek endorsements from political organizations and candidates for nonjudicial public office. Additionally, if permitted by law, they may engage in various political activities, including making speeches, endorsing candidates, soliciting funds, and publicly identifying with a political organization. Notably, the bill removes the previous restriction that prohibited judges from acting as leaders or holding office in a political organization.

The bill also includes provisions for codification, indicating that the new section will be integrated into Title 3, chapter 1 of the Montana Code. Furthermore, it contains a severability clause, ensuring that if any part of the act is found invalid, the remaining valid sections will still be in effect. This legislative change aims to clarify and expand the political engagement opportunities for judges and judicial candidates while maintaining a framework for their conduct.