The bill amends Section 27-19-201 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to clarify the standards for granting preliminary injunctions and temporary restraining orders. It emphasizes that courts must adhere to the federal standard established by the United States Supreme Court and prohibits the use of any sliding scale tests, including the serious questions test, when evaluating applications for these injunctions. The bill asserts that the court must independently examine the four specified criteria: likelihood of success on the merits, likelihood of irreparable harm, balance of equities, and public interest.

Additionally, the bill reinforces the legislative intent that the interpretation and application of the injunction standards should closely follow Supreme Court case law, rather than relying on decisions from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The new legal language inserted into the law explicitly states that courts may not employ any flexible interplay or modifications to the criteria when conducting their analysis. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 27-19-201
HB0409_1(1): 27-19-201
HB0409_1(2): 27-19-201
HB0409_1(3): 27-19-201
HB0409_1(4): 27-19-201
HB0409_1(5): 27-19-201
HB0409_1: 27-19-201
HB0409_2(1): 27-19-201
HB0409_2(10): 27-19-201
HB0409_2(11): 27-19-201
HB0409_2(12): 27-19-201
HB0409_2(2): 27-19-201
HB0409_2(3): 27-19-201
HB0409_2(4): 27-19-201
HB0409_2(5): 27-19-201
HB0409_2(6): 27-19-201
HB0409_2(7): 27-19-201
HB0409_2(8): 27-19-201
HB0409_2(9): 27-19-201
HB0409_2: 27-19-201
HB0409_3(1): 27-19-201
HB0409_3(10): 27-19-201
HB0409_3(11): 27-19-201
HB0409_3(2): 27-19-201
HB0409_3(3): 27-19-201
HB0409_3(4): 27-19-201
HB0409_3(5): 27-19-201
HB0409_3(6): 27-19-201
HB0409_3(7): 27-19-201
HB0409_3(8): 27-19-201
HB0409_3(9): 27-19-201
HB0409_3: 27-19-201
HB0409_4: 27-19-201
HB0409_X(1): 27-19-201
HB0409_X(2): 27-19-201
HB0409_X(3): 27-19-201
HB0409_X(4): 27-19-201
HB0409_X(5): 27-19-201
HB0409_X(6): 27-19-201
HB0409_X(7): 27-19-201
HB0409_X: 27-19-201