House Bill No. [insert bill number] aims to revise laws concerning the rights of individuals regarding the use of their name, voice, and visual likeness. The bill establishes that individuals have property rights in these aspects if they are residents or domiciled in Montana at the time of their death. It specifies that these rights are transferable, licensable, and descendible, lasting for 20 years after the individual's death unless legal action is taken to transfer or license the rights. The bill also introduces penalties for unauthorized use of an individual's name, voice, or visual likeness, with specific provisions for damages and liability.

Key changes in the bill include the insertion of "visual" to emphasize the protection of visual likeness alongside name and voice, and the introduction of a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026. The bill outlines the definitions of terms such as "digital visual depiction" and "digital voice depiction," clarifying the criteria for what constitutes unauthorized use. Additionally, it specifies that a person may not be held liable if they had a reasonable belief that their use did not qualify as unauthorized. The bill also includes provisions for enforcement and the timeframe for bringing civil actions related to violations of these rights.