House Bill No. introduced by S. Gist aims to revise conflict of interest laws concerning local government contracts, specifically prohibiting contracts with individuals or entities involved in the design or engineering of a primary project without proper disclosure of any conflicts. The bill mandates that contractors disclose any financial interests related to the project, and those who fail to do so will be deemed nonresponsive to their bids. Additionally, the governing body must announce any disclosed conflicts at the time of bid opening and allow for public comment before formally awarding the contract. The definition of "financial interest" is also clarified, specifying that it includes ownership of 24% or more in a related entity.

The bill amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to incorporate these new requirements, including sections related to competitive bidding for municipal and county contracts. It emphasizes that contracts cannot be issued in violation of the new conflict of interest provisions. The amendments also ensure that the governing bodies of local governments are held accountable for enforcing these disclosure requirements, thereby promoting transparency and integrity in the awarding of public contracts.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404
HB0683_1(1): 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404
HB0683_1(2): 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404
HB0683_1(3): 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404
HB0683_1(4): 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404
HB0683_1(5): 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404
HB0683_1(6): 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404
HB0683_1(7): 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404
HB0683_1(8): 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404
HB0683_1: 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404
HB0683_2(1): 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404
HB0683_2(2): 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404
HB0683_2(3): 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404
HB0683_2: 7-3-1323, 7-5-2301, 7-5-4301, 7-14-2404