House Bill No. introduced by B. Mercer establishes that public employees do not have an expectation of privacy regarding electronic communications sent or received through means provided and managed by their public agency. The bill specifies that public employees are expected to use these electronic communication tools for work-related purposes and that any personal communications made through these means will result in a voluntary waiver of privacy rights. Furthermore, the bill clarifies that agency legal counsel is not required to review such communications for privacy implications when responding to public information requests.

Additionally, the bill includes a definition of "communications for work-related purposes," which encompasses any communication related to a public employee's work, including employment terms, rights, benefits, and conditions. The new section is intended to be codified as part of Title 2, chapter 6, part 10 of the Montana Code.