The House Natural Resources Committee on Friday conducted executive action on multiple bills, advancing two measures and rejecting another before tabling it.

After a brief discussion, the committee moved House Bill 270 to the floor on a voice vote; committee staff recapped the bill as prepared for executive action.

The committee then considered House Bill 285, a package of changes to the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). Committee staff summarized HB 285 as amending and repealing sections in MEPA’s general provisions, replacing the act’s policy statement and retaining environmental‑impact‑statement requirements. After discussion, including multiple members’ remarks about the legislature’s role in setting environmental policy, the committee passed HB 285 on a roll‑call vote, 8‑6. The transcript records members’ votes by name and shows the committee chair announced the tally as 8 ayes and 6 nays; the bill was reported to the floor.

The committee then voted on House Bill 291, which, according to staff summary, would remove DEQ’s rulemaking authority to adopt rules more stringent than federal Clean Air Act standards and would bar local air pollution control programs from doing so. Committee members raised concerns about local air districts’ ability to act on seasonal or inversion‑related problems. After debate, the committee again approved the bill on a roll‑call vote, 8‑6, and the chair announced it would move to the floor.

Separately, the committee took up House Bill 229, described by staff as restoring subsections that the Montana Supreme Court found unconstitutional in the Held decision. The committee held a roll‑call vote on HB 229; the transcript records the committee vote as 6 ayes and 8 nays, and the chair announced the bill had failed. Following the defeat, a motion to table HB 229 was made and the committee conducted a further vote; the transcript indicates the chair declared the tabling motion carried and the bill was tabled.

The transcript records named roll‑call votes for HB 285, HB 291 and HB 229 and documents proxy votes for several members on multiple items.

Committee members who spoke during debate emphasized differing views on the role of MEPA and the courts. Supporters described HB 285 as clarifying MEPA as a procedural policy tool that collects data for the legislature and EQC; opponents said the changes risked constraining protections and would likely produce litigation or raise constitutional questions.

All actions reported above are drawn from committee remarks and roll‑call announcements recorded in the hearing transcript; where the transcript records a vote tally the article reports it. The transcript does not show final floor action on any of these bills.