UPDATED 01/20/2025

Legislative leadership holds the authority to further revise the schedule, including the days the Legislature meets and proposed breaks.

In accordance with 5-2-103, MCA, each regular session of the Legislature convenes on the first Monday in January of each odd-numbered year or, if January 1^st is a Monday, on the first Wednesday.

Introduction deadlines: Generally, bills and resolutions must be introduced within 2 legislative days after delivery. JR 40-50, H40-10. “General bills “is used to denote all bills, except appropriation or revenue bills, and all joint resolutions.

Notes: Deadline dates are determined according to legislative days.

Certain bills and resolutions relating to administrative rules may be transmitted at any time during the session. JR 40-200(3).

Attend Legislative Meetings
The Legislature encourages people to testify in person at the Capitol.

Participating Remotely
Through the Legislative Public Participation application you are able to sign up to remotely testify on both bill hearings and in front of committees on topics that are open for public comment. You must first create an account to participate remotely. Be sure to read all instructions as you go through this process.

This application will also allow you to submit written testimony and comments on a bill, to a committee, or directly to a legislator.

You may sign up to testify remotely using Zoom up to two (2) hours prior to a meeting’s scheduled start time. Please be advised that there may be limits placed on how many people are allowed to testify remotely and what time restrictions are being imposed. We highly encourage registering by 5 p.m. the day prior to avoid not being able to have your voice heard remotely.

Once you successfully submit your information, you will be emailed the Zoom link for participation.  That link is specific to you, so please do not share it.

Follow the directions provided in your email and raise your hand to let the meeting coordinator know when you want to speak.

Watch/Listen
All legislative meetings are streamed online via the Legislative Branch’s website.  You can watch meetings both live or any time after the meeting.

While elected officials are exempt from the normal reporting requirements of lobbyists, they still may need to register with the Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP) as a “Principal” if the county pays for lobbying activities conducted on the county’s behalf by hired or contract lobbyists or county employees.

Lobbying is controlled by 5-7-111, MCA, and ARM, 44.12.102-211 and is defined as the practice of promoting or opposing the introduction or enactment of legislation before the legislature or the members of the legislature; and the practice of promoting or opposing official action by any public official. This definition also provides that actions when performed by a legislator, a public official, an elected local official, an elected federal official, or an elected tribal official, while acting in an official governmental capacity, is not lobbying.

Additionally, there is nothing in the laws or regulations for lobbying subjects an individual, lobbying on his own behalf (not the county’s behalf), to any reporting requirements nor deprives an individual of the constitutional right to communicate with public officials.