Read the full stored bill text
****
69th Legislature 2025 SB 342
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – SB 342
ENROLLED BILL
AN ACT PROVIDING THAT THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT APPOINTS AND DIRECTS
THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR; AMENDING SECTIONS 3-1-130, 3-1-701, AND 3-1-702, MCA; AND
PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE AND A RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY DATE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Section 3-1-130, MCA, is amended to read:
"3-1-130. Supreme court -- adoption of judicial branch personnel plan. (1) The supreme court
shall adopt a plan of personnel administration for employees of the judicial branch, other than justices, judges,
the supreme court administrator, the librarian of the state law library, and the clerk of the supreme court. The
plan must include but may not be limited to classification and pay, recruitment and selection, performance
appraisal, training, and promotion.
(2) The court administrator appointed under 3-1-701 shall, under the direction of the supreme court
chief justice, administer the judicial branch personnel plan adopted under this section."
Section 2. Section 3-1-701, MCA, is amended to read:
"3-1-701. Office of court administrator -- appointment and term of office. There is established the
office of court administrator. The supreme court chief justice shall appoint a court administrator. The court
administrator holds the position at the pleasure of the court chief justice."
Section 3. Section 3-1-702, MCA, is amended to read:
"3-1-702. Duties. The court administrator is the administrative officer of the court. Under the direction
of the supreme court chief justice, the court administrator shall:
(1) prepare and present judicial budget requests to the legislature, including the costs of the state-
****
69th Legislature 2025 SB 342
- 2 - Authorized Print Version – SB 342
ENROLLED BILL
funded district court program;
(2) collect, compile, and report statistical and other data relating to the business transacted by the
courts and provide the information to the legislature on request and, if requested, in accordance with 5-11-210;
(3) to the extent possible, provide that current and future information technology applications are
coordinated and compatible with the standards and goals of the executive branch as expressed in the state
strategic information technology plan provided for in 2-17-521;
(4) recommend to the supreme court improvements in the judiciary;
(5) administer legal assistance for indigent victims of domestic violence, as provided in 3-2-714;
(6) administer state funding for district courts, as provided in chapter 5, part 9;
(7) administer the pretrial program provided for in 3-1-708;
(8) administer the treatment court support account provided for in 46-1-1115; and
(9) administer the judicial branch personnel plan."
Section 4. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.
Section 5. Retroactive applicability. [This act] applies retroactively, within the meaning of 1-2-109,
to court administrators appointed on or before [the effective date of this act].
- END -
I hereby certify that the within bill,
SB 342, 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. 342
INTRODUCED BY J. FULLER
AN ACT PROVIDING THAT THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT APPOINTS AND DIRECTS THE
COURT ADMINISTRATOR; AMENDING SECTIONS 3-1-130, 3-1-701, AND 3-1-702, MCA; AND PROVIDING
AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE AND A RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY DATE.