House Bill No. [insert bill number] seeks to enhance the procedures for statewide ballot issues in Montana by requiring the Secretary of State to hold public hearings on various proposed initiatives, including statutory and constitutional initiatives. These public hearings will take place concurrently with the review period conducted by the legislative services division, allowing for public input to be integrated into the evaluation process. The bill also amends existing sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to include these public hearing requirements and clarifies timelines for procedural steps, such as the review of fiscal notes and legal sufficiency opinions.

Furthermore, the bill specifies the procedural requirements for proposed constitutional convention initiatives, detailing the responsibilities of the Secretary of State and the legislative services division. It mandates that the notice for such initiatives must include the attorney general's legal sufficiency opinion, and once deemed sufficient, the Secretary of State must provide the final text and related ballot statements to the legislative services division. The bill also codifies these provisions into Title 13, chapter 27, part 2 of the MCA, ensuring that the new legal language is effectively integrated into the existing legal framework.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219
HB0780_1(1): 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219
HB0780_1(2): 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219
HB0780_1(3): 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219
HB0780_1(4): 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219
HB0780_1: 13-27-216, 13-27-217, 13-27-218, 13-27-219