The bill amends Section 5-4-306 of the Montana Code Annotated to revise the process for veto override polling by the Secretary of State. It mandates that the Secretary of State conduct a daily tally of legislator votes during the polling process when a bill is vetoed by the governor. Specifically, if a bill has been approved by two-thirds of the members voting on the final vote and is subsequently vetoed, the Secretary of State is required to send each legislator a copy of the bill, the veto message, a ballot, and voting instructions. The bill also stipulates that the voting period must be within 30 days of sending the materials, and legislators can submit their votes via mail, in person, or by fax.

Additionally, the bill introduces new requirements for the Secretary of State to publish a daily tally of the votes on its website, including a list of legislators and their voting choices. The Secretary of State must complete the tally of all votes within one working day after the voting deadline, and if two-thirds or more of the members from each house vote to override the veto, the bill will become law. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 5-4-306
HB0539_1(1): 5-4-306
HB0539_1(2): 5-4-306
HB0539_1: 5-4-306
HB0539_2(1): 5-4-306
HB0539_2(10): 5-4-306
HB0539_2(11): 5-4-306
HB0539_2(2): 5-4-306
HB0539_2(3): 5-4-306
HB0539_2(4): 5-4-306
HB0539_2(5): 5-4-306
HB0539_2(6): 5-4-306
HB0539_2(7): 5-4-306
HB0539_2(8): 5-4-306
HB0539_2(9): 5-4-306
HB0539_2: 5-4-306
HB0539_X(1): 5-4-306
HB0539_X(2): 5-4-306
HB0539_X(3): 5-4-306
HB0539_X(4): 5-4-306
HB0539_X(5): 5-4-306
HB0539_X(6): 5-4-306
HB0539_X(7): 5-4-306
HB0539_X(8): 5-4-306
HB0539_X(9): 5-4-306
HB0539_X: 5-4-306