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Read. Follow. Verify.Montana bill requires Department of Revenue to hire independent appraiser at state expense when property owner disagrees
Last action · May 23, 2025: (S) Died in ProcessSponsor: Jeremy Trebas
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What This Bill Proposed
Montana Senate Bill 397 allows the Department of Revenue to hire a qualified independent appraiser at its own expense if the state and a owner cannot agree on selecting one together. The department must consider the appraisal results, can modify them while providing the original copy to the owner, and any appeals proceed to and the Montana tax appeal board.
Changes how property tax disputes are handled for owners by shifting appraisal costs to the state when an agreement on an independent appraiser cannot be reached.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
centrally assessed property owners
Centrally assessed property owners gain the option to have properties appraised by a state-funded independent appraiser when negotiations with the Department of Revenue fail.
Department of Revenue
The department is required to select and fund an independent appraiser in cases of disagreement and provide unmodified appraisal copies to owners if modifications are made.
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 happens if the property owner and the Department of Revenue cannot agree on an independent appraiser?
Can the Department of Revenue change the results of an independent appraisal it pays for?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died in committee.
Procedural history
19 actions- May 23, 2025Senate(S) Died in Process
- Mar 12, 2025Senate(S) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal
- Mar 1, 2025Senate(S) Fiscal Note Printed
- Feb 28, 2025SenateCommittee(S) Tabled in Committee
- Feb 28, 2025Senate(S) Fiscal Note Unsigned
- Feb 28, 2025Senate(S) Fiscal Note Received
Show 13 earlier actions
- Feb 25, 2025Senate(S) Hearing
- Feb 24, 2025Senate(S) Fiscal Note Requested
- Feb 21, 2025SenateCommittee(S) Referred to Committee
- Feb 21, 2025Senate(S) 1st Reading
- Feb 21, 2025SenateIntroduced(S) Introduced
- Feb 21, 2025House(LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
- Feb 20, 2025House(LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
- Feb 20, 2025House(LC) Draft in Assembly
- Feb 20, 2025House(LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- Feb 19, 2025House(LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
- Feb 16, 2025House(LC) Draft in Edit
- Feb 15, 2025House(LC) Draft in Legal Review
- Nov 22, 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.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
bills.legmt.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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