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SB 368MONTANASession 2025State BillSigned into law

Enacted

Montana Legislature establishes minor maintenance correction letters and 14-day window for certain mine permit violations

Original title: Allow correction of minor maintenance items at mines

Last action · April 18, 2025: Chapter Number AssignedSponsor: Sue Vinton

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

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Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

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What This Bill Does

Montana lawmakers established a minor maintenance correction letter process for non-hazardous mine permit violations, giving operators 14 days to fix minor issues within permit boundaries before facing formal noncompliance or s. The law takes effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Why it matters

Mine operators gain a 14-day grace period to correct minor, non-hazardous maintenance issues without immediate permit cessation, while regulators obtain explicit rulemaking authority to oversee these corrections.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

mine operators

Mine operators receive a 14-day correction window via a minor maintenance letter before facing formal noncompliance or cessation orders for eligible minor violations.

Directly affected

Department of Environmental Quality

The department is authorized to issue minor maintenance correction letters, verify completions during regular inspections, and notify the code commissioner in the event of federal disapproval.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifies as a minor maintenance item under this law?

A is a permit violation within the permit boundary that does not create public health or safety dangers, is not expected to cause significant environmental harm, and can be reasonably corrected by the permittee within 14 days.

What happens if a mine operator fails to fix a minor maintenance item within the given timeframe?

If the permittee fails to correct the item within 14 days or by the next regular inspection (whichever is later), the director or designee must issue a notice of noncompliance or an order of cessation.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

41 actions

Apr 18, 2025Senate
Chapter Number Assigned
Apr 17, 2025SenateEnrolled
(S) Signed by Governor
Apr 8, 2025Senate
(S) Transmitted to Governor
Apr 8, 2025House
(H) Signed by Speaker
Apr 7, 2025Senate
(S) Signed by President
Apr 2, 2025Senate
(S) Returned from Enrolling

Show 35 earlier actions

Mar 31, 2025Senate
(S) Sent to Enrolling
Mar 31, 2025House
(H) 3rd Reading
Mar 31, 2025House
(H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
Mar 29, 2025House
(H) 2nd Reading
Mar 29, 2025House
(H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
Mar 24, 2025HouseCommittee
(H) Committee Report
Mar 21, 2025HouseCommittee
(H) Committee Executive Action
Mar 19, 2025House
(H) Hearing
Mar 17, 2025House
(H) 1st Reading
Mar 7, 2025HouseCommittee
(H) Referred to Committee
Mar 6, 2025Senate
(S) Transmitted to House
Mar 6, 2025Senate
(S) 3rd Reading
Mar 6, 2025Senate
(S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
Mar 5, 2025Senate
(S) 2nd Reading
Mar 5, 2025Senate
(S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
Mar 4, 2025SenateCommittee
(S) Committee Report
Mar 1, 2025Senate
(S) Fiscal Note Printed
Feb 28, 2025SenateCommittee
(S) Committee Executive Action
Feb 28, 2025Senate
(S) Fiscal Note Unsigned
Feb 28, 2025Senate
(S) Fiscal Note Received
Feb 21, 2025Senate
(S) Fiscal Note Requested
Feb 21, 2025Senate
(S) Hearing
Feb 20, 2025SenateCommittee
(S) Referred to Committee
Feb 19, 2025Senate
(S) 1st Reading
Feb 19, 2025SenateIntroduced
(S) Introduced
Feb 19, 2025House
(LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
Feb 18, 2025House
(LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
Feb 18, 2025House
(LC) Draft in Assembly
Feb 18, 2025House
(LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
Feb 18, 2025House
(LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
Feb 13, 2025House
(LC) Draft in Edit
Feb 13, 2025House
(LC) Draft in Legal Review
Jan 24, 2025House
(LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
Jan 10, 2025House
(LC) Draft On Hold
Dec 14, 2024House
(LC) Drafter Assigned

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Creation of Minor Maintenance Grace Period

The legislation introduces a formalized 14-day grace period and specific correction letter mechanism for minor mine maintenance issues, shifting away from immediate noncompliance actions for low-risk violations.

Department of Environmental Quality

Connected Entities

United States Secretary of the Interior, Department of Environmental Quality, W. Galt and 1 more

PersonUnited States Secretary of the Interior“Federal official with authority to disapprove provisions under 30 CFR 732”Map →

OrganizationDepartment of Environmental Quality“State department tasked with notifying the code commissioner regarding federal d”Map →

PersonW. Galt“Co-sponsor of SB 368”Map →

PersonSue Vinton“Primary sponsor of SB 368”Map →

Sources

Open source document

bills.legmt.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance60
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy15
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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