The Montana House State Administration Committee on Wednesday took executive action on a package of Senate bills, concurring in most measures relating to election procedures and administrative rules and tabling one contested bill after a roll-call vote.

The committee, chaired by Chair Darling, approved bills covering agency procedures, ballot-language formatting, electronic bond submissions for state construction, state building-code review, county canvassing and vote-count procedures, and revisions to public-notice and voter-registration rules. Miss Power, an agency staff member with the Department of Administration, explained several measures and an amendment to Senate Bill 11, and answered member questions on a fiscal note and statutory changes.

The package included both agency bills and bills coming out of interim election-related committees. Miss Power said of an amendment to Senate Bill 11: "this amendment was approved by the bill sponsor. It came from, election administrators and folks in the secretary of state's office. And I know that it looks beefy. There's a lot of words, but it a lot of it is really just, clarifying things." She explained that the amendment moves existing provisions from Title 7 into Title 13 so election-related rules appear together under the Secretary of State's purview and rulemaking authority.

Committee members asked a range of technical and policy questions during the session. Representative Berg asked about a $1 fiscal note attached to the amendment to Senate Bill 11; Miss Power replied that nominal fiscal notes are sometimes used "to keep them running through the system after transmittal," and noted the sponsor had not signed that fiscal note. Representative Schubert spoke in favor of several bills but objected to Senate Bill 128, saying she was concerned about the lack of checks and balances if an elected clerk and recorder serving as an election administrator could remain without local removal mechanisms for multiple years.

After debate on SB128, the committee took a roll-call vote and tabled the bill. Other bills were carried to the floor by committee members and will move forward in the legislative process.

Votes at a glance

- Senate Bill 7 — repeal of retirement criteria change for highway patrol and sheriffs (SAVA interim committee bill). Outcome: passed (voice vote). Carrier: Representative Porter (declared after vote).

- Senate Bill 9 — allow agency cash deposits biweekly (Department of Administration agency bill). Outcome: passed (voice vote). Carrier: Representative Perry.

- Senate Bill 11 — revise local government ballot-issue laws; amended to move provisions from Title 7 into Title 13 and clarify ballot numbering and wording. Outcome: passed as amended (voice vote). Carrier: Representative Rexton. Fiscal note question raised about a $1 entry; Miss Power said it is often used administratively to keep fiscal notes active.

- Senate Bill 29 — allow electronic submission of bonds for state construction projects (Department of Administration agency bill). Outcome: passed (voice vote). Carrier: Representative Edwards.

- Senate Bill 33 — state building subject to State Building Code review (Department of Administration agency bill). Outcome: passed (roll call, 10–9). Carrier: Representative [assigned by committee].

- Senate Bill 57 — revise county canvassing processes (Special Election Committee bill). Outcome: passed (voice vote). Carrier: Representative Cochran.

- Senate Bill 58 — revise vote count procedures (Special Election Committee bill). Outcome: passed (voice vote). Carrier: Representative Cochran.

- Senate Bill 115 — revise election laws related to public notices. Outcome: passed (voice vote). Carrier: Representative Rexton.

- Senate Bill 128 — revise county clerk and recorder election laws (sponsor: Senator Trevis). Outcome: tabled after roll call (aye 4, no 15). Members raising concerns said the bill limits local checks on elected officials serving as election administrators.

- Senate Bill 129 — revise voter-registration laws to include party preference (sponsor: Senator Trebus). Outcome: passed (roll call, aye 12, no 7). Carrier assigned by committee.

- Senate Bill 184 — provide that only contested precinct committee men or women need to be on the primary ballot (sponsor: President Regier). Outcome: passed (voice vote). Carrier: Representative Byrne.

The committee record shows most bills were approved by voice vote; a subset received roll-call votes where recorded tallies are listed above. Where the transcript recorded only a voice vote, no roll-call tally was available in the record.

The committee adjourned after scheduling additional bills for future executive action.