The bill seeks to amend the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) by clarifying its procedural nature and refining the environmental review process. It emphasizes that MEPA serves as a tool for environmental analysis rather than a regulatory authority, and it requires plaintiffs challenging licensing or permitting decisions to prove the unconstitutionality of the underlying statute. Additionally, it mandates that legal challenges must occur in the county where the proposed activity is set to take place. The bill also introduces stricter guidelines for judicial challenges, including the requirement for challengers to submit a certified record of their claims and limits on the court's ability to consider new evidence not presented during the agency's review.

Key amendments include the reaffirmation of MEPA's procedural role, the removal of certain existing laws related to policies and goals, and modifications to the responsibilities of project sponsors and state agencies regarding environmental reviews. The bill clarifies that agencies can only request relevant information and must present public notifications objectively. It also establishes that environmental reviews do not need to evaluate greenhouse gas emissions unless specific federal conditions are met. Overall, the legislation aims to streamline the environmental review process while ensuring that environmental protections remain intact and that project sponsors are not unduly burdened.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_1(1): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_1(2): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_1(3): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_1(4): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_1(5): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_1(6): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_1(7): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_1(8): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_1(9): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_1: 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(1): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(10): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(11): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(12): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(13): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(14): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(2): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(3): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(4): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(5): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(6): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(7): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(8): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2(9): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_2: 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_X(1): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_X(2): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_X(3): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_X(4): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_X(5): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_X(6): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_X(7): 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324
HB0285_X: 5-16-102, 75-1-102, 75-1-104, 75-1-106, 75-1-201, 75-1-208, 75-1-324