[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6100386,"mediaKeyId","2813613-06a9c5c51a01e910de1b0f1734ebd19d","parentId",2813613,"title","House Transportation committee advances multiple bills; HB 848 passes on roll call","audioSeconds",1688,"startMs",5160000,"endMs",6848000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813613-06a9c5c51a01e910de1b0f1734ebd19d&start=5160&end=6848","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813613-06a9c5c51a01e910de1b0f1734ebd19d/thumbnail_5160000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6100386/Montana/House-Transportation-committee-advances-multiple-bills-HB-848-passes-on-roll-call","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100386-35ac04e26d97aef6df047bce9b047aa3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442808&Signature=LNjZsmOGHsuy~y5eytVfBOqt7MfSOEmCPIMkDxFzvPb76M1MTM1HvmE7mvPQawQbwXhrbjDJbdc~Vg~S~VN40ZNoTnkY-dfOX-UMBnMXV~GS8zXWCYt~5XOOildSP0dkZIMQ3oLoPQ3oZZDnYeaQ09WlHbSDPmZQMWFco7iiOWvPqzYevjuN2E8BWgM0VcCCtRYP0XbZS1C48JDs1RrJNibwYOGk2XMHJVSs2H7k6HLElqzZBtcwiwLPgXIaVamOIVG~hgFkPEhVHl8BKvWenVQTzq4OBQx~IvZVv3lQUbBV8bBQaqsi2I65pPqlporewA-ke9JoVudJPJp39MndkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana Legislature","date","2025-03-28T00:00:00Z","article","The House Transportation Committee held an executive-action session and took action on multiple bills. Committee members voted to advance several measures to the House floor, including a roll-call vote on House Bill 848 and voice votes or concurrence actions on several other bills.

House Bill 848 (regional rail authorities and related funding): After amendment and discussion the committee approved HB 848 once amended by voice and a subsequent roll-call. The transcript records a roll-call vote in which the committee chair reported the final count as 8 in favor and 6 opposed. The vice chair introduced the amendment that changed the funding source to railroad property taxes and set an annual transfer amount; committee members discussed adding a sunset but left that for further amendment on the floor.

House Bill 849 (special motorcycle license plates): The committee adopted an amendment to clarify which department would administer the plate’s grant program, then voted by voice to advance the bill to the House floor.

House Bill 855 (big game and wildlife highway crossings and accommodations account): After a public hearing and discussion the committee voted by voice to report HB 855 to the House floor (committee recorded proxies and later described the passage as unanimous in committee).

Senate Bill 392 (La Vern Parish Memorial Highway): The committee concurred in the Senate bill by voice vote; committee testimony in support referenced the service of the honoree and the measure was recommended unanimously.

Senate Bill 428 (local authority to set lower speed limits in urban districts): The committee voted to concur; committee discussion noted the bill allows counties to set lower speed limits in defined urban districts and highlighted pedestrian survivability at lower speeds.

Senate Bill 433 (right-of-way rules regarding roundabouts): The committee concurred in Senate Bill 433; the committee recorded the final vote as 13 to 1 in favor and a volunteer was identified to carry the bill on the House floor.

Votes at a glance:
- HB 848 — Motion: Do pass once amended; mover: Vice Chair Wirth; outcome: approved; roll-call recorded (8 yes, 6 no). Notes: amendment changed funding source to railroad property tax distribution with annual transfer to a new account.
- HB 849 — Motion: Do pass (once amended); mover: Vice Chair Wirth; outcome: approved by voice vote; notes: amendment clarifies administering department and grant language.
- HB 855 — Motion: Do pass; mover: Vice Chair Wirth; outcome: approved by voice vote; notes: committee described final passage as unanimous; proxies recorded.
- SB 392 — Motion: Concur in Senate bill; mover: Vice Chair Wirth; outcome: approved by voice vote; notes: unanimous committee concurrence; volunteer to carry to floor: Rep. Byrne.
- SB 428 — Motion: Concur in Senate bill; mover: Vice Chair Wirth; outcome: approved by voice vote; notes: bill allows counties to adopt 25 mph limits in defined urban-district conditions.
- SB 433 — Motion: Concur in Senate bill; mover: Vice Chair Wirth; outcome: approved by voice vote; tally recorded as 13 yes, 1 no; volunteer to carry to floor: Vice Chair Wirth.

Committee chair and members said they expect some bills to receive further amendment on the House floor; several members requested additional legal or fiscal research on specific provisions before full floor debate. The committee closed executive action and prepared the advanced bills for House-floor scheduling.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Transportation - Friday, Mar 28, 2025 15:12 - 17:34","oneSentenceSummary","During executive action the House Transportation Committee moved several bills to the House floor. House Bill 848 passed on a roll-call vote; other bills (HB 849, HB 855, SB 392, SB 428, SB 433) were advanced by voice votes or concurrence motions.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MT, Montana","taxId",77694,"location","Montana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6100392,"Committee hears bill defining driver duties, penalties for pedestrian-activated crosswalk devices",741,2715000,3456000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813613-06a9c5c51a01e910de1b0f1734ebd19d&start=2715&end=3456","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813613-06a9c5c51a01e910de1b0f1734ebd19d/thumbnail_2715000.jpg","/articles/6100392/Montana/Committee-hears-bill-defining-driver-duties-penalties-for-pedestrian-activated-crosswalk-devices","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100392-2e37368c1825426946f514084d9e7be4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442808&Signature=U5D2E7D9TvbQ1x8mqkZ~HnAYn2txF7DgKuaXHBZg3JMe6n2bQ6Z~rY4RohP2Savfn6subawdfYQPhJFDDuwOZDyqvikb1D1dV8dGXyERLh0B6~WTfIcEmY5o9gpnmtPbvBsezPcV8R9N4TFRGyzg3Hl3kC-ybXpc6PihgmfyhbvPUDu9uSA36yqSKS~2Mw7Iuc7TJuETFSbDM7pgRPwv9wJYSb4nJelzPDYXlrO4EU0GtQo44q~ZpOV6q-BdJhlo2TF7bxo3E9nrIsgIeW6ulKOh-kxo6BHbNGZ-Vw6pNJ4-S~xbObFy2SikQtS1jH6IGLAIufaZPfvX2mkBA4LSAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Dave Fern, sponsor of Senate Bill 471, told the House Transportation Committee the bill aims to clarify what drivers and pedestrians must do when encountering pedestrian-activated warning devices (often called RRFBs or flashing yellow beacons). Fern said the devices are increasingly common and that Montana needs clearer rules so drivers and pedestrians — including cyclists — know when to stop, yield or proceed.

The bill would make it a violation when a pedestrian-actuated device is activated and a driver fails to yield; it also adds a provision making a driver who damages a pedestrian-actuated device liable for replacement or repair costs, subject to due process. In his closing remarks, Sen. Fern told the committee the original fiscal note — which reflected a larger cost when he had proposed red lights instead of yellow — had been revised; the department provided a zero fiscal note after the change from red to yellow signals.

Informational witnesses raised design and consistency issues. Stan Brelin, traffic operations engineer for the Montana Department of Transportation, said nationwide guidance in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices treats flashing yellow as a yield/caution signal, not a stop condition. Brelin said the bill initially included language that would require a stop on flashing yellow, which could conflict with established traffic-control standards; that language was revised. Brelin also advised the committee that design guidance seeks to remain consistent with nationwide practice to avoid driver confusion.

Committee members asked whether the violation in the bill would be a misdemeanor or an infraction. The chair explained that under Montana law moving-violation offenses are classified as misdemeanors rather than infractions; the bill’s sponsor said the misdemeanor classification was chosen to convey heightened safety protections for pedestrians when the device is activated.

Representative Staffman asked whether the bill should expressly address cyclists and similar users; Sen. Fern said he would prefer cyclists dismount and walk across at the device so they receive the pedestrian protection described in the bill, but said that detail could be adjusted in drafting.

The hearing closed with no fiscal expenditure required as drafted and informational witnesses available for follow-up questions. The committee did not take final action on SB 471 during the meeting recorded in this transcript; the bill was left in committee pending any executive action scheduling.","Senate Bill 471, sponsored by Sen. Dave Fern, would clarify driver responsibilities at pedestrian-actuated devices (flashing yellow beacons), raise fines and make drivers liable for damage to devices; the bill cleared its hearing with informational testimony and a zero fiscal note after revisions.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":46,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6100398,"Committee advances bill to create Montana wildlife crossings fund and specialty license plate",6384,464000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813613-06a9c5c51a01e910de1b0f1734ebd19d&start=464&end=6848","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813613-06a9c5c51a01e910de1b0f1734ebd19d/thumbnail_464000.jpg","/articles/6100398/Montana/Committee-advances-bill-to-create-Montana-wildlife-crossings-fund-and-specialty-license-plate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100398-71d8d94f94a2abd83521e11dbc2757e2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442808&Signature=Xw3Lu-pkosFNCwdmSnbQ1lFgDz7ahyjKhpTCzkBdw0hmW8FwsO-eOHgTtLGZshpAsaDoZbyi8A2nQQxMwtxpn9r7SCbu2B3X4I5uPJBLySOerzSRSOACpTPpDgmGotVGW3tWiKBJJoWyTKtUUxgYIydCaoH~h9jIrWDeD6Yh6JuZP7RZzQKWVg6639AF8tFR-QECuoZvPInmBBAirn3jbUZqFA8Y~hIEER8920Kv0Aomw3XaJPwXh-3h3Qmzxl~dgyUT4doDJHcwkBmj5rI9H6x83ZsphHFHPTKmuOgYwFuh3jkgHWRu1iKIHWf-k3nHZv9qiOz-qdgI2PHxtfKjDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Katie Zolnikov, sponsor of House Bill 855, told the House Transportation Committee she is proposing a new state special revenue account to support construction of wildlife highway crossings and associated accommodations. The account would be housed at the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the bill authorizes the FWP Commission to create a specialty license plate whose purchasers would pay a $20 donation to that account.

The bill matters because thousands of large wild animals are struck by vehicles in Montana each year, witnesses told the committee, producing public-safety risks, vehicle damage and impacts on wildlife populations. Representative Zolnikov said the account is designed to provide seed money that can be used to match federal grants and to allow the Montana Department of Transportation to use the funds for qualifying crossing projects.

Montana Department of Transportation Director Chris Dorrington, appearing as an informational witness, described the costs and constraints involved in building wildlife accommodations. He said simple underpasses typically cost between $500,000 and $2,000,000, while simple overpasses can range from $3,000,000 to $10,000,000 and that costs rise on multi-lane facilities. “MDT cannot meet future accommodation needs just with the current funding in place,” Dorrington said, urging the committee to consider mechanisms that allow the public to support wildlife accommodations.

Conservation groups and stakeholders provided consistent support at the hearing. Ryan Chapin, Montana field manager for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, said crossings include not only large overpasses but also fencing, underpasses and “jump-outs,” and that dedicated funding would help the state complete projects where they are most needed. Kylie Paul, a road ecologist with the Center for Large Landscape, cited research she said shows crossings with fencing can reduce collisions by roughly 80 percent, and she called a specialty plate a “useful revenue stream and educational component.”

Other supporters included the National Wildlife Federation and the Montanans for Safe Wildlife Passage coalition (represented by Simon Buzzard), the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (Charlie Booher), the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (Tyson, representing the association), the Montana Contractors Association, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the Montana Environmental Information Center and the Gallatin Wildlife Association. Nick Calera of the Pew Charitable Trusts described a regional trend: several Western states recently have created similar dedicated accounts and used them to leverage federal grants.

Committee members asked technical questions about what federal funds could match and how MDT evaluates projects. Dustin Rouse, chief engineer at MDT, explained that benefit-cost analyses sometimes make wildlife-specific crossings difficult to fund from federal safety or project funds alone because the benefits are localized; the department will include wildlife features when they align with roadway projects but standalone wildlife-only projects often face tougher funding competition.

Representative Zolnikov said the bill also includes a $100 annual statutory appropriation into the new account; sponsors described the license plate as a voluntary revenue source that would be available to motorists who choose it. After the hearing the House Transportation Committee placed HB 855 on the committee’s executive action agenda and later reported the bill to the House floor.

The bill’s next steps: HB 855 passed out of the House Transportation Committee and will be scheduled for consideration on the House floor.

","The Montana House Transportation Committee heard testimony on House Bill 855, which would create a state account to fund wildlife highway crossings and allow a specialty license plate; the committee later moved the bill forward to the House floor.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House Transportation committee advances multiple bills; HB 848 passes on roll call

Committee hears bill defining driver duties, penalties for pedestrian-activated crosswalk devices

Committee advances bill to create Montana wildlife crossings fund and specialty license plate