The bill revises the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) to clarify its procedural nature and establish a new policy for environmental analysis. It emphasizes that MEPA does not grant regulatory authority to state agencies and reaffirms that the burden of proof for proving the unconstitutionality of licensing or permitting decisions lies with the plaintiff. The bill mandates that legal proceedings occur in the county where the proposed activity is to take place and repeals certain sections of existing law related to policies and constitutional determinations under MEPA. Key amendments include requirements for environmental assessments to inform the legislature and public about potential impacts, while ensuring that permits cannot be denied solely based on MEPA.

Additionally, the bill streamlines the environmental review process by clarifying the responsibilities of project sponsors and state agencies. It restricts the evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions to specific circumstances and introduces a structured process for judicial challenges, requiring that challenges be based on formal comments submitted during the review process. The bill also specifies that courts may grant injunctive relief only under certain conditions and eliminates provisions that allowed broader evaluations of greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, the amendments aim to enhance the efficiency of environmental reviews while balancing economic and environmental considerations.

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