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Read. Follow. Verify.Montana bill combines the 10th and 14th Judicial Districts and adds a judge to the 13th Judicial District
Last action · May 23, 2025: (S) Died in ProcessSponsor: Greg Hertz
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What This Bill Proposed
Senate Bill 284 restructures Montana's s by combining the 10th and 14th Judicial Districts into a single district and adding a ninth judge to the 13th Judicial District (Yellowstone County) upon a vacancy or by January 6, 2031. The measure reduces the total number of judicial districts from 22 to 21 and establishes transition rules for gubernatorial appointments and upcoming elections.
Residents in Yellowstone County gain an additional district court judge to address high caseloads, while counties in the combined 10th and 14th s share judicial resources under a single reconfigured district once a vacancy occurs.
- Montana's judicial districts define the geographic boundaries for state district courts, which handle felony criminal cases, civil lawsuits, family law, and juvenile matters. context
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.
Yellowstone County residents
Residents have access to an additional district court judge to handle the 13th Judicial District's heavy caseload.
Fergus, Golden Valley, Judith Basin, Meagher, Musselshell, Petroleum, and Wheatland Counties
Counties in the combined 10th and 14th judicial districts share judicial resources under a single reconfigured district.
District court judges
The number of active judgeships and district assignments change according to the combination of districts and the addition of a new judgeship.
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
Why are the 10th and 14th Judicial Districts being combined?
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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
21 actions- May 23, 2025Senate(S) Died in Process
- Mar 12, 2025Senate(S) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal
- Feb 26, 2025SenateCommittee(S) Tabled in Committee
- Feb 18, 2025Senate(S) Fiscal Note Printed
- Feb 18, 2025Senate(S) Hearing
- Feb 18, 2025Senate(S) Fiscal Note Unsigned
Show 15 earlier actions
- Feb 18, 2025Senate(S) Fiscal Note Received
- Feb 10, 2025SenateCommittee(S) Referred to Committee
- Feb 10, 2025Senate(S) Fiscal Note Requested
- Feb 7, 2025Senate(S) 1st Reading
- Feb 7, 2025SenateIntroduced(S) Introduced
- Feb 7, 2025House(LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
- Feb 5, 2025House(LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
- Feb 4, 2025House(LC) Draft in Assembly
- Feb 4, 2025House(LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- Feb 4, 2025House(LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
- Feb 2, 2025House(LC) Draft in Edit
- Feb 1, 2025House(LC) Draft in Legal Review
- Jan 29, 2025House(LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
- Nov 24, 2024House(LC) Draft On Hold
- Nov 11, 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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Judicial Resource Reallocation
The bill addresses stark workload disparities by reducing administrative overhead in low-workload districts and boosting judge capacity in high-workload Yellowstone County.
Connected Entities
Sources
bills.legmt.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 55)
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz10Current news / social attention level
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