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HB36 • 2025

Disallowing judge to serve as chair of judicial standards commission

Disallowing judge to serve as chair of judicial standards commission

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Fiona Nave
Last action
2025-05-22
Official status
(H) Died in Process
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass all stages, so its enforceability remains uncertain.

Judges Can't Be in Charge of Judicial Standards Commission

This law stops judges from being the leader of a group that sets rules for judges.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes a rule to say that judges cannot be the main person in charge of the judicial standards commission.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Judges who are part of the judicial standards commission
  • The members of the judicial standards commission

Terms To Know

judicial standards commission
A group that sets rules for judges and handles complaints about them.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is not clear what will happen if a judge was already the presiding officer when this law passed.
  • The bill did not pass all stages of becoming a law, so it may not be enforceable as written.

Amendments

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

COMMITTEE

Plain English: The amendment changes a rule so that a district court judge can only be the chair of the judicial standards commission if chosen by at least four other members.

  • Adds a new requirement that a district court judge must be elected by at least four members to serve as the presiding officer of the judicial standards commission.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if no judge is elected by at least four members, leaving this detail unclear.
FLOOR

Plain English: FLOOR 2

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-22 HOUSE

    (H) Died in Process

  2. 2025-02-14 SENATE

    (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading

  3. 2025-02-14 SENATE

    (S) 2nd Reading Concur Motion Failed

  4. 2025-02-14 SENATE

    (S) 2nd Reading Indefinitely Postponed

  5. 2025-02-07 SENATE

    (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred

  6. 2025-02-05 SENATE

    (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred

  7. 2025-02-04 SENATE

    (S) Hearing

  8. 2025-01-27 HOUSE

    (H) Transmitted to Senate

  9. 2025-01-27 SENATE

    (S) First Reading

  10. 2025-01-27 SENATE

    (S) Referred to Committee

  11. 2025-01-24 HOUSE

    (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading

  12. 2025-01-24 HOUSE

    (H) 3rd Reading Passed

  13. 2025-01-23 HOUSE

    (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading

  14. 2025-01-23 HOUSE

    (H) 2nd Reading Passed

  15. 2025-01-20 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed

  16. 2025-01-20 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed

  17. 2025-01-20 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed

  18. 2025-01-06 HOUSE

    (H) First Reading

  19. 2025-01-06 HOUSE

    (H) Hearing

  20. 2024-12-20 HOUSE

    (H) Referred to Committee

  21. 2024-12-06 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester

  22. 2024-12-06 HOUSE

    (H) Introduced

  23. 2024-12-03 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery

  24. 2024-11-27 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Assembly

  25. 2024-11-26 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing

  26. 2024-11-26 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review

  27. 2024-11-22 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Edit

  28. 2024-11-18 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Legal Review

  29. 2024-11-15 HOUSE

    (LC) Drafter Assigned

Official Summary Text

Disallowing judge to serve as chair of judicial standards commission

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
****
69th Legislature 2025 HB 36.1
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 36
1 HOUSE BILL NO. 36
2 INTRODUCED BY F. NAVE
3 BY REQUEST OF THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON JUDICIAL OVERSIGHT AND REFORM
4
5 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT PROHIBITING A JUDGE ON THE JUDICIAL STANDARDS
6 COMMISSION FROM SERVING AS PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE COMMISSION; AND AMENDING
7 SECTION 3-1-1101, MCA.”
8
9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
10
11Section 1. Section 3-1-1101, MCA, is amended to read:
12 "3-1-1101. Creation and composition of commission. (1) There is created a judicial standards
13 commission consisting of five members as follows:
14 (a) two district court judges appointed by the speaker of the house as provided in 3-1-1115 and
15 confirmed by the senate;
16 (b) one attorney who has practiced law in this state for at least 10 years, appointed by the attorney
17 general and confirmed by the senate; and
18 (c) two citizens who are not attorneys or judges of any court, active or retired, appointed by the
19 governor and confirmed by the senate.
20 (2) Members shall serve staggered 4-year terms.
21 (3) A district court judge may not serve as the presiding officer of the commission."
22 - END -