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HB145 • 2025

Revise fee for nonresident base hunting license

Revise fee for nonresident base hunting license

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Gary Parry
Last action
2025-05-19
Official status
Chapter Number Assigned
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Change in Nonresident Hunting License Fee

This law changes the fee for nonresidents to buy a basic hunting license and sets aside part of that money for programs that help with hunting access.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the cost of a base hunting license for people who do not live in Montana from $15 to $50.
  • Sets aside $40 from each nonresident's license fee to support hunting access programs.
  • Updates state law about hunting licenses to reflect these changes.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Nonresidents who want to buy a base hunting license in Montana.

Terms To Know

Base Hunting License
A basic hunting permit that all hunters must have before getting other types of licenses.
Nonresident
Someone who does not live in Montana but wants to hunt there.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify how the remaining $10 from each nonresident's license fee will be used.
  • It is unclear if this change affects resident hunters or only those visiting from other states.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

COMMITTEE

Plain English: Amendment 1 changes the nonresident base hunting license fee from $15 to $50 and adjusts the amount allocated for hunting access programs.

  • Increases the nonresident base hunting license fee from $15 to $50.
  • Adjusts the hunting access fee portion of the nonresident license from $90 to $40.
  • The amendment text does not specify how or why the fee was reduced from $100 back to $50, which may leave some questions about the rationale behind this change.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-19 HOUSE

    Chapter Number Assigned

  2. 2025-05-13 HOUSE

    (H) Signed by Governor

  3. 2025-05-07 HOUSE

    (H) Transmitted to Governor

  4. 2025-05-06 SENATE

    (S) Signed by President

  5. 2025-05-02 HOUSE

    (H) Signed by Speaker

  6. 2025-05-01 HOUSE

    (H) Returned from Enrolling

  7. 2025-04-28 HOUSE

    (H) Sent to Enrolling

  8. 2025-04-25 HOUSE

    (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading

  9. 2025-04-25 HOUSE

    (H) 3rd Reading Governor's Proposed Amendments Adopted

  10. 2025-04-25 SENATE

    (S) 3rd Reading Governor's Proposed Amendments Adopted

  11. 2025-04-24 SENATE

    (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading

  12. 2025-04-24 HOUSE

    (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading

  13. 2025-04-24 SENATE

    (S) 2nd Reading Governor's Proposed Amendments Adopted

  14. 2025-04-24 HOUSE

    (H) 2nd Reading Governor's Proposed Amendments Adopted

  15. 2025-04-22 SENATE

    (S) Signed by President

  16. 2025-04-22 HOUSE

    (H) Transmitted to Governor

  17. 2025-04-22 HOUSE

    (H) Returned with Governor's Proposed Amendments

  18. 2025-04-18 HOUSE

    (H) Signed by Speaker

  19. 2025-04-16 HOUSE

    (H) Returned from Enrolling

  20. 2025-04-15 SENATE

    (S) 3rd Reading Concurred

  21. 2025-04-15 HOUSE

    (H) Sent to Enrolling

  22. 2025-04-14 SENATE

    (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred

  23. 2025-04-14 SENATE

    (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred

  24. 2025-04-12 SENATE

    (S) Hearing

  25. 2025-04-11 SENATE

    (S) Hearing

  26. 2025-04-10 SENATE

    (S) 2nd Reading Concurred

  27. 2025-04-10 SENATE

    (S) Rereferred to Committee

  28. 2025-04-08 SENATE

    (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred

  29. 2025-04-08 SENATE

    (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred

  30. 2025-03-18 SENATE

    (S) Hearing

  31. 2025-03-03 SENATE

    (S) Referred to Committee

  32. 2025-02-25 SENATE

    (S) First Reading

  33. 2025-02-24 HOUSE

    (H) 3rd Reading Passed

  34. 2025-02-24 HOUSE

    (H) Transmitted to Senate

  35. 2025-02-22 HOUSE

    (H) Revised Fiscal Note Printed

  36. 2025-02-22 HOUSE

    (H) 2nd Reading Passed

  37. 2025-02-21 HOUSE

    (H) Revised Fiscal Note Received

  38. 2025-02-21 HOUSE

    (H) Revised Fiscal Note Signed

  39. 2025-02-19 HOUSE

    (H) Revised Fiscal Note Requested

  40. 2025-02-18 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended

  41. 2025-02-17 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended

  42. 2025-02-12 HOUSE

    (H) 2nd Reading Passed

  43. 2025-02-12 HOUSE

    (H) Rereferred to Committee

  44. 2025-02-12 HOUSE

    (H) Hearing

  45. 2025-02-11 HOUSE

    (H) Revised Fiscal Note Printed

  46. 2025-02-10 HOUSE

    (H) Revised Fiscal Note Received

  47. 2025-02-10 HOUSE

    (H) Revised Fiscal Note Signed

  48. 2025-02-07 HOUSE

    (H) Revised Fiscal Note Requested

  49. 2025-02-07 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended

  50. 2025-02-06 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended

  51. 2025-02-06 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended

  52. 2025-01-29 HOUSE

    (H) Fiscal Note Printed

  53. 2025-01-28 HOUSE

    (H) Fiscal Note Signed

  54. 2025-01-27 HOUSE

    (H) Fiscal Note Received

  55. 2025-01-23 HOUSE

    (H) Fiscal Note Requested

  56. 2025-01-22 HOUSE

    (H) Hearing

  57. 2025-01-09 HOUSE

    (H) Referred to Committee

  58. 2025-01-09 HOUSE

    (H) First Reading

  59. 2025-01-08 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester

  60. 2025-01-08 HOUSE

    (H) Introduced

  61. 2025-01-06 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery

  62. 2025-01-05 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Assembly

  63. 2025-01-02 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing

  64. 2025-01-02 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review

  65. 2025-01-01 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Edit

  66. 2024-12-30 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Legal Review

  67. 2024-11-16 HOUSE

    (LC) Drafter Assigned

Official Summary Text

Revise fee for nonresident base hunting license

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
- 2025
69th Legislature 2025 HB 145
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 145
ENROLLED BILL
AN ACT REVISING THE NONRESIDENT BASE HUNTING LICENSE FEE; ALLOCATING A PORTION OF
THE FEE TO HUNTING ACCESS PROGRAMS; AND AMENDING SECTION 87-2-116, MCA.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Section 87-2-116, MCA, is amended to read:
"87-2-116. Base hunting license prerequisite for other hunting licenses -- fee. (1) To be eligible
to apply for a hunting license or Class A-2 special bow and arrow license, a person must first obtain a base
hunting license as provided in this section. The base hunting license must be purchased once each license
year.
(2) Resident base hunting licenses may be purchased for a fee of $10, of which $2 is a hunting
access fee that must be used by the department to fund programs authorized in 87-1-265.
(3) Nonresident base hunting licenses may be purchased for a fee of $15 $50, of which $10 $40 is
a hunting access fee that must be used by the department to fund programs authorized in 87-1-265."
- END -
I hereby certify that the within bill,
HB 145, originated in the House.
___________________________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
___________________________________________
Speaker of the House
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
___________________________________________
President of the Senate
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
HOUSE BILL NO. 145
INTRODUCED BY G. PARRY, C. COCHRAN, E. TILLEMAN
AN ACT REVISING THE NONRESIDENT BASE HUNTING LICENSE FEE; ALLOCATING A PORTION OF THE
FEE TO HUNTING ACCESS PROGRAMS; AND AMENDING SECTION 87-2-116, MCA.