SB288 • 2025

Expedite seized property after law investigation

Firearms

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Denley Loge
Last action: 2025-04-18
Official status: Chapter Number Assigned
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Expedite seized property after law investigation

What This Bill Does

Expedite seized property after law investigation

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1

COMMITTEE

Plain English: Amendment - 1st Reading-white - Requested by: Denley Loge - (S) Judiciary - 2025 69th Legislature 2025 Drafter: Laura Sherley, SB0288.001.001 - 1 - Authorized Print Version – SB 288 SENATE BILL NO.

Amendment - 1st Reading-white - Requested by: Denley Loge - (S) Judiciary - 2025 69th Legislature 2025 Drafter: Laura Sherley, SB0288.001.001 - 1 - Authorized Print Version – SB 288 SENATE BILL NO.
288 1 INTRODUCED BY D.
LOGE 2 3 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT ESTABLISHING EVIDENTIARY SEIZURE GUIDELINES FOR LAW 4 ENFORCEMENT WEAPONS IN OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS; AND REQUIRING THE EXPEDITED 5 RETURN OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WEAPONS UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS AFTER AN 6 INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE; REQUIRING THE EXPEDITED RETURN OF PROPERTY SEIZED AS 7 EVIDENCE WHEN RIGHT TO POSSESSION IS ESTABLISHED AND A JUDGE ORDERS THE RETURN; 8 AND AMENDING SECTION 46-5-312, MCA.” 9 10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA: 11 12 NEW SECTION.
Section 1.

Bill History

2025-04-18 SENATE
Chapter Number Assigned
2025-04-17 SENATE
(S) Signed by Governor
2025-04-08 HOUSE
(H) Signed by Speaker
2025-04-08 SENATE
(S) Transmitted to Governor
2025-04-07 SENATE
(S) Signed by President
2025-04-02 SENATE
(S) Returned from Enrolling
2025-03-31 HOUSE
(H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
2025-03-31 SENATE
(S) Sent to Enrolling
2025-03-29 HOUSE
(H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
2025-03-29 HOUSE
(H) 2nd Reading Concurred
2025-03-25 HOUSE
(H) Committee Report--Bill Concurred
2025-03-24 HOUSE
(H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred
2025-03-17 HOUSE
(H) Hearing
2025-02-26 HOUSE
(H) Referred to Committee
2025-02-26 HOUSE
(H) First Reading
2025-02-25 SENATE
(S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
2025-02-25 SENATE
(S) 3rd Reading Passed
2025-02-25 SENATE
(S) Transmitted to House
2025-02-24 SENATE
(S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
2025-02-24 SENATE
(S) 2nd Reading Passed
2025-02-21 SENATE
(S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed
2025-02-21 SENATE
(S) Committee Report--Bill Passed
2025-02-13 SENATE
(S) Hearing Canceled
2025-02-13 SENATE
(S) Hearing
2025-02-11 SENATE
(S) Introduced
2025-02-11 SENATE
(S) First Reading
2025-02-11 SENATE
(S) Referred to Committee
2025-02-10 HOUSE
(LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
2025-02-10 HOUSE
(LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
2025-02-07 HOUSE
(LC) Draft in Assembly
2025-02-06 HOUSE
(LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
2025-02-06 HOUSE
(LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
2025-02-04 HOUSE
(LC) Draft in Edit
2025-02-03 HOUSE
(LC) Draft in Legal Review
2025-01-21 HOUSE
(LC) Drafter Assigned

Official Summary Text

Expedite seized property after law investigation

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

****
69th Legislature 2025 SB 288
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – SB 288
ENROLLED BILL
AN ACT ESTABLISHING EVIDENTIARY SEIZURE GUIDELINES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT WEAPONS IN
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS; AND REQUIRING THE EXPEDITED RETURN OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT WEAPONS UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS AFTER AN INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Evidentiary seizure of law enforcement weapons. (1) When law enforcement is
involved in an officer-involved shooting, the law enforcement officer's weapon involved in the shooting must be
collected by investigators to be photographed and turned over to the state laboratory of criminalistics for test
firing, collection of cartridge cases and rounds of ammunition, and to document the unique characteristics of the
weapon.
(2) After an investigation is complete and no appeals are pending or no criminal charges are filed
or are presently contemplated against the law enforcement officer, a weapon collected for evidence testing
pursuant to subsection (1) or collected as part of a coroner's inquest pursuant to 46-4-201 must be returned
within 7 days by whichever entity is appropriate to the law enforcement agency from which it was collected for
redeployment in the field.
Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title
44, chapter 3, part 3, and the provisions of Title 44, chapter 3, part 3, apply to [section 1].
- END -
I hereby certify that the within bill,
SB 288, originated in the Senate.
___________________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
___________________________________________
President of the Senate
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
___________________________________________
Speaker of the House
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
SENATE BILL NO. 288
INTRODUCED BY D. LOGE
AN ACT ESTABLISHING EVIDENTIARY SEIZURE GUIDELINES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT WEAPONS IN
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS; AND REQUIRING THE EXPEDITED RETURN OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
WEAPONS UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS AFTER AN INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE.