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HB201 • 2025

Require disclosure of paid signature gatherers for initiatives

Require disclosure of paid signature gatherers for initiatives

Labor
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Braxton Mitchell
Last action
2025-05-05
Official status
Chapter Number Assigned
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide detailed information on enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance.

Require Paid Signature Gatherers to Disclose Their Status

This law requires paid signature gatherers to verbally disclose their name, state of legal residence, and status as a paid gatherer, and wear a badge with this information.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires paid signature gatherers to verbally disclose their first name, the state where they legally reside, and that they are paid for gathering signatures.
  • Requires paid signature gatherers to wear a badge stating their full first name and last initial along with their status as a paid signature gatherer.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Paid signature gatherers
  • People approached by paid signature gatherers

Terms To Know

Initiative Petition Process
A way for citizens to propose new laws or changes to the state constitution through a petition process.
Paid Signature Gatherer
Someone who is paid to collect signatures on petitions, usually related to initiatives or referendums.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what happens if someone breaks these rules.
  • It's unclear how this will be enforced and by whom.

Amendments

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

COMMITTEE

Plain English: Amendment 1 to HB201 would require paid signature gatherers to disclose their status as paid workers and their state of legal residence when collecting signatures for initiatives.

  • Paid signature gatherers must verbally inform people they approach about signing a petition that they are being paid for this work.
  • Paid signature gatherers must wear a badge stating they are a paid signature gatherer.
  • The badge and verbal disclosure must include the state where the paid signature gatherer legally resides.
  • The amendment text does not specify penalties or enforcement mechanisms for non-compliance with these requirements.
COMMITTEE

Plain English: Amendment 2 to HB201 adds a new section requiring paid signature gatherers to disclose their full first name, last initial, state of legal residence, and status as a paid gatherer both verbally and in writing on a badge.

  • Adds a requirement for paid signature gatherers to wear badges with their full first name, last initial, state of legal residence, and the statement 'Paid Signature Gatherer'.
  • Requires verbal disclosure of this information when approaching individuals about signing petitions.
  • The amendment text does not specify penalties for non-compliance or enforcement mechanisms.
  • It is unclear how this new requirement will be integrated with existing laws and regulations.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-05 HOUSE

    Chapter Number Assigned

  2. 2025-05-01 HOUSE

    (H) Signed by Governor

  3. 2025-04-22 HOUSE

    (H) Transmitted to Governor

  4. 2025-04-21 SENATE

    (S) Signed by President

  5. 2025-04-18 HOUSE

    (H) Signed by Speaker

  6. 2025-04-09 HOUSE

    (H) Returned from Enrolling

  7. 2025-04-04 SENATE

    (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading

  8. 2025-04-04 SENATE

    (S) 3rd Reading Free Conference Committee Report Adopted

  9. 2025-04-04 HOUSE

    (H) Sent to Enrolling

  10. 2025-04-03 SENATE

    (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading

  11. 2025-04-03 SENATE

    (S) 2nd Reading Pass Consideration

  12. 2025-04-03 SENATE

    (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading

  13. 2025-04-03 SENATE

    (S) 2nd Reading Free Conference Committee Report Adopted

  14. 2025-04-01 HOUSE

    (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading

  15. 2025-04-01 HOUSE

    (H) 3rd Reading Free Conference Committee Report Adopted

  16. 2025-03-31 HOUSE

    (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading

  17. 2025-03-31 HOUSE

    (H) 2nd Reading Free Conference Committee Report Adopted

  18. 2025-03-28 HOUSE

    (H) Free Conference Committee Report Received

  19. 2025-03-28 SENATE

    (S) Free Conference Committee Report Received

  20. 2025-03-26 HOUSE

    (H) Hearing

  21. 2025-03-21 HOUSE

    (H) 2nd Reading Senate Amendments Not Concurred

  22. 2025-03-17 SENATE

    (S) 3rd Reading Concurred

  23. 2025-03-17 SENATE

    (S) Returned to House with Amendments

  24. 2025-03-15 SENATE

    (S) 2nd Reading Concurred

  25. 2025-02-27 SENATE

    (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended

  26. 2025-02-26 SENATE

    (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended

  27. 2025-02-22 SENATE

    (S) Hearing

  28. 2025-02-13 SENATE

    (S) Referred to Committee

  29. 2025-02-05 SENATE

    (S) First Reading

  30. 2025-02-04 HOUSE

    (H) 3rd Reading Passed

  31. 2025-02-04 HOUSE

    (H) Transmitted to Senate

  32. 2025-02-03 HOUSE

    (H) 2nd Reading Passed

  33. 2025-01-29 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed

  34. 2025-01-29 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed

  35. 2025-01-15 HOUSE

    (H) Referred to Committee

  36. 2025-01-15 HOUSE

    (H) First Reading

  37. 2025-01-15 HOUSE

    (H) Hearing

  38. 2025-01-14 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester

  39. 2025-01-14 HOUSE

    (H) Introduced

  40. 2025-01-13 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing

  41. 2025-01-13 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review

  42. 2025-01-13 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Assembly

  43. 2025-01-13 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery

  44. 2025-01-11 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Edit

  45. 2025-01-10 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Legal Review

  46. 2024-12-13 HOUSE

    (LC) Drafter Assigned

Official Summary Text

Require disclosure of paid signature gatherers for initiatives

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
- 2025
69th Legislature 2025 HB 201
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 201
ENROLLED BILL
AN ACT REQUIRING PAID SIGNATURE GATHERERS TO DISCLOSE THEIR STATUS AND TO PROVIDE
THEIR STATE OF LEGAL RESIDENCE; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Paid signature gatherers -- disclosure requirements. A paid signature gatherer, as
defined in 13-27-112, shall verbally disclose their first name, the state in which they legally reside, and their
status as a paid signature gatherer to anyone they approach about signing a petition. The paid signature
gatherer shall also wear a badge stating this information, including their full first name and last initial.
Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title
13, chapter 27, and the provisions of Title 13, chapter 27, apply to [section 1].
Section 3. Severability. If a part of [this act] is invalid, all valid parts that are severable from the
invalid part remain in effect. If a part of [this act] is invalid in one or more of its applications, the part remains in
effect in all valid applications that are severable from the invalid applications.
Section 4. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.
- END -
I hereby certify that the within bill,
HB 201, 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. 201
INTRODUCED BY B. MITCHELL, D. EMRICH, J. FULLER, W. GALT, C. GLIMM, G. HUNTER, W. MCKAMEY,
T. MCGILLVRAY, B. PHALEN, T. TEZAK, J. TREBAS, D. ZOLNIKOV, E. ALBUS, B. BARKER, L. BENNETT,
M. BERTOGLIO, L. BREWSTER, E. BUTTREY, E. BYRNE, C. COCHRAN, J. DARLING, L. DEMING, N.
DURAM, S. ESSMANN, J. ETCHART, T. FALK, P. FIELDER, S. FITZPATRICK, S. GIST, R. GREGG, C.
HINKLE, J. HINKLE, S. KELLY, B. LER, K. LOVE, S. MANESS, B. MERCER, T. MILLETT, R. MINER, V.
MOORE, F. NAVE, A. NICASTRO, N. NICOL, M. NIKOLAKAKOS, G. NIKOLAKAKOS, G. OBLANDER, G.
OVERSTREET, G. PARRY, A. REGIER, C. SCHOMER, L. SCHUBERT, K. SEEKINS-CROWE, T. SHARP, C.
SPRUNGER, E. TILLEMAN, M. VINTON, K. WALSH, Z. WIRTH, K. ZOLNIKOV
AN ACT REQUIRING PAID SIGNATURE GATHERERS TO DISCLOSE THEIR STATUS AND TO PROVIDE
THEIR STATE OF LEGAL RESIDENCE; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.