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69th Legislature 2025 HB 678.1
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 678
1 HOUSE BILL NO. 678
2 INTRODUCED BY G. OBLANDER, S. KLAKKEN, S. GIST, S. FITZPATRICK, K. WALSH, J. SCHILLINGER, G.
3 NIKOLAKAKOS, S. MANESS
4
5 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT REVISING THE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND IMPLICATION
6 FOR STATEWIDE BALLOT ISSUES; REQUIRING AN ITEMIZED LIST OF PRIMARY IMPACTS; AMENDING
7 SECTION 13-27-212, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE AND AN APPLICABILITY
8 DATE.”
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10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
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12Section 1. Section 13-27-212, MCA, is amended to read:
13 "13-27-212. Statement of purpose and implication. (1) A statement of purpose and implication
14 expresses the true and impartial explanation of the proposal in plain, easily understood language. The
15 statement of purpose and implication may not be argumentative or written so as to create prejudice for or
16 against the issue.
17 (2) A statement of purpose and implication is comprised of two parts:
18 (a) the first part must contain complete sentences and may not exceed 135 words. ; and
19 (b) the second part must contain an itemized and bulleted list of the primary impacts of the
20 proposal that includes relevant facts, specific details of what the proposal changes, and what remains the
21 same. The list may not include generalized assumptions or opinions and may not exceed 150 words.
22 (3) Unless altered by the court under 13-27-605, a statement of purpose and implication is the
23 petition title for an issue circulated by petition and the ballot title if the issue circulated by petition is placed on
24 the ballot."
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26 NEW SECTION. Section 2. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.
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28 NEW SECTION. Section 3. Applicability. [This act] applies to statewide ballot issues submitted to
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69th Legislature 2025 HB 678.1
- 2 - Authorized Print Version – HB 678
1 the secretary of state on or after [the effective date of this act].
2 - END -