A Montana free conference committee voted to adopt an amendment to House Bill 201 requiring paid petition signature gatherers to verbally disclose their first name, the state in which they legally reside, and that they are a paid signature gatherer, and to wear a badge showing that information including a last initial. The committee then approved HB 201 as amended by a 4-2 roll-call vote.

The committee took executive action after staff and proponents described the change as a transparency measure. K. Braxton, identified in the hearing as a staff presenter, explained the amendment’s effect: “a paid signature gatherer shall verbally disclose the first name, the state in which they legally reside in, and their status as a paid signature gatherer to anyone they approach about signing a petition,” and must also “wear a badge stating this information.” Braxton said the amendment adds the last initial at the request of the Secretary of State’s office.

The amendment drew support from the Secretary of State’s office and several advocacy groups. Director James of the Secretary of State’s office said the sponsor incorporated feedback from opponents and urged committee members to approve the amendment. “It was very well done,” James said, adding encouragement for a “do pass” on the amendment and the bill.

Patrick Webb of the Montana Family Foundation (spelled W-E-B-B) said the measure is nonpartisan and argued voters should know whether a circulator is paid. Webb described past election cycles in which paid circulators sometimes did not follow gathering procedures and said providing a first name helps people identify circulators for accountability. “I think that having the first name of an individual provides them that protection,” Webb said.

The ACLU of Montana opposed the added name requirement. SK Rossi of the ACLU warned that repeatedly announcing a name “to a crowd of people over and over is pretty impractical” and raised safety concerns for circulators when initiatives are contentious. Rossi also noted confidentiality and harassment risks, saying police were called on several occasions during the previous cycle.

Committee members questioned how the disclosure requirement would operate in practice—whether a circulator must speak the required information to each potential signer or whether a single announcement to a group suffices. Supporters said the bill contemplates disclosure when the circulator “engages” with a person or group. Representative Mitchell, who requested the bill, and Director James said the language allows announcement to a group rather than repeating the disclosure to every individual in a crowd.

Committee members also reviewed the bill’s legislative history during the session. Miss Harden, a committee staff member, read the bill’s path: HB 201 was introduced Jan. 14, heard in House State Administration Jan. 15, passed that committee 11-8 on Jan. 29, passed the House on Feb. 4 by a 59-41 vote, was transmitted to the Senate and referred Feb. 13, heard Feb. 22, concurred in as amended in committee 9-0 on Feb. 26, and passed subsequent readings in the Senate in March before the free conference committee convened.

Roll-call votes in the free conference committee recorded the following tallies. On the amendment vote the committee recorded: Chairman Zella — yes; Senator Czeczak/Tziszak (appearing in the record with variant spellings) — yes; Senator Ellis — no; Representative Love — yes; Representative Mitchell — yes; Representative RunningWolf — no. The amendment passed 4-2. On executive action for HB 201 as amended the committee recorded the same roll-call: Zella — yes; (Senator) Tziszak — yes; Ellis — no; Love — yes; Mitchell — yes; RunningWolf — no. HB 201 as amended passed the free conference committee, 4-2.

The chair and staff said they will prepare a conference report and transmit the committee’s work back to both chambers. According to the committee’s clerk, the next procedural step is preparing a report to both the House and Senate reflecting the committee’s agreed language.

Votes at a glance

• Amendment to HB 201 (requires verbal disclosure of first name, state of legal residence, status as paid signature gatherer; badge must display the same information including last initial): passed, 4-2 (Zella, Czeczak/Tziszak, Love, Mitchell — yes; Ellis, RunningWolf — no).

• HB 201 as amended: passed free conference committee, 4-2 (same roll-call). The committee directed staff to prepare a report to both chambers.

Ending

The committee adjourned after approving the bill as amended and instructing chair staff to prepare the conference report to return the agreed language to both chambers.