[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":73},"mediaId",6394233,"mediaKeyId","2103654-d37baadcb0088e55e1d117ca4fddee31","parentId",2103654,"title","Bill seeks tougher penalties when tampering with bodies prevents determination of homicide","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",7799000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2103654-d37baadcb0088e55e1d117ca4fddee31&start=7799&end=7799","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2103654-d37baadcb0088e55e1d117ca4fddee31/thumbnail_7799000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6394233/Montana/Bill-seeks-tougher-penalties-when-tampering-with-bodies-prevents-determination-of-homicide","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6394233-7154beab9c6656229e66ab6cffd4f581/orig.mp4?Expires=1770920430&Signature=MY7py6dqdgXuvSVRrsCq8bP-Aq7pYfEadEUMhQcSos7rcZHWsWr5U1WvVvciIJHJyOK6Wn2K0DuVAmx89y7a6HGuOX42GTHspsHtY2C4WXHwiwwCcguzoD3tKgNJ1mc0I~5x4-3hQMAZBbuYsN~wQwU9tDXUkM3Ro4A1NtKZCYBZrCV62w4mvp8PAz1AIxg7K6SjBo1OVuDwDK8QCiNxirCKkKI74ub~XG56bqhA7PcFTKuY3yaWtPdROgzSjjbDfDHB-csPdXEilMJUrK5tH2QO8S9IVaYIgPFS75-Tla3nnblXplBwv2GJXQd6sGI0oT3gHPnCXSpwVzWUILhLkg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of Montana","date","2025-01-09T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Denise Baum (House District 45) opened a hearing on House Bill 44, a county-attorney-request bill that would increase penalties when someone tampers with or fabricates physical evidence in a homicide or homicide investigation and that tampering impairs a medical examiner's ability to determine cause of death.

Baum described a publicized Yellowstone County case in which a victim was severely injured, then the body was placed in a suitcase, dismembered and burned in a rural location in an attempt to conceal the crime. Because the remains had been altered, the medical examiner could not determine cause of death and prosecutors could not file deliberate-homicide charges, Baum said; those involved were prosecuted for tampering with evidence under the existing statute, which carries a maximum 10-year penalty.

Proponents — including the Montana Police Protective Association, the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association and Yellowstone County criminal deputy Ed Zink (testifying on behalf of the county attorney) — told the committee the proposed penalty (up to 40 years and/or a $100,000 fine) is an appropriate response to conduct that frustrates homicide investigations and inflicts additional harm on victims' families. Zink said the change fills a gap that can otherwise allow people to succeed in a \"calculus\" of disposing of a body to avoid homicide charges.

An amendment to include the coroner as well as the medical examiner was noted; the transcript records proponents and no opponents in the excerpt. Representative Baum asked the committee to pass the bill; no committee vote is recorded in the provided transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Judiciary Jan 9, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Denise Baum introduced House Bill 44 to increase penalties for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence when the conduct affects a medical examiner's ability to determine cause of death; sponsors said the change would address cases where bodies are concealed or destroyed and homicide charges cannot be proven.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MT, Montana","taxId",77694,"location","Montana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6394238,"Legislators consider scheduling gabapentin after DOJ and crime-lab testimony on rising abuse",2259,5535000,7794000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2103654-d37baadcb0088e55e1d117ca4fddee31&start=5535&end=7794","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2103654-d37baadcb0088e55e1d117ca4fddee31/thumbnail_5535000.jpg","/articles/6394238/Montana/Legislators-consider-scheduling-gabapentin-after-DOJ-and-crime-lab-testimony-on-rising-abuse","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6394238-29da3cd99a64d826dbf1427b5add625e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770920430&Signature=esBiE~5sUieRi1B1pOrmg3XnXLQPNpdjgSUXDYzPdDP760GHFutd-hledbHbqdJa~gOIvwZGhmelhN6a8ZF5PlgOyzc~xrmuuu758QlblwNjOhcYM7O129DRBDc-rc0xa8FgnxEmbHLTyl1W0pr94PZQIsWd~uagBd4fefSbVTct19l8cd4XXwNjJgt4CM1jPl2IMbcyZTcx4PkNmSIwR4J~I2AmaX1JBEXdzNr9oGyq6Wt1vuzZgVfzyGwmFI-pA4MqAW8ijuOmnsaGVI2s-wyvcIB0sIjF1ZVRxDSKXDirzd5PPmUu6eYIbFqJxaWrui-hpCxMh5DdrfP3hD2CAA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Curtis Schomer, on behalf of the Department of Justice, opened a hearing on House Bill 41, a request to add gabapentin to Schedule V of Montana's controlled substances. Schomer described gabapentin as a central nervous system depressant commonly used for seizures and neuropathic pain and said the change was requested because the state is seeing more abuse and better testing capability.

Attorney General Austin Knudson and multiple law-enforcement groups supported the bill. Knudson said gabapentin has become increasingly common in DUI and post-mortem toxicology findings and noted improved testing ability at the state forensic lab. Capt. Doug Samuelson of the Montana Highway Patrol (formerly drug-recognition program coordinator) and representatives of sheriffs and police associations also voiced support.

Beth (Beth Smalley), toxicology section supervisor at the Montana DOJ Forensic Science Division, testified as a proponent and provided a handout to the committee. She said the lab developed methods to report gabapentin and that, once testing was implemented, gabapentin began appearing more frequently in casework — overtaking some prescription opioids in detection frequency. Smalley said the lab can report quantitative gabapentin levels and compare them to therapeutic, toxic, or lethal ranges, but also emphasized individual variation in response and that impairment depends on total circumstances.

Committee questions focused on whether scheduling would change prescribing limits, how prescription-holders would be treated in DUI investigations, whether a numeric impairment threshold should be set (as with alcohol blood-alcohol concentration), and how prevalence appears in polydrug cases. Proponents said scheduling would not create an automatic conviction for prescription-holders and that DUI prosecutions require evidence of impairment rather than presence alone; the toxicology lab will provide quantitative results to prosecutors.

Representative Curtis Schomer closed by urging a do-pass recommendation. No committee vote was recorded in the provided transcript.","Witnesses told the House Judiciary Committee that gabapentin is increasingly detected in toxicology casework and polydrug incidents; House Bill 41 would add gabapentin to state controlled-substance schedule V to aid enforcement and toxicology tracking.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6394244,"Bill would give Montana DCI clearer concurrent jurisdiction on trafficking, ICAC and related offenses",949,4559000,5508000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2103654-d37baadcb0088e55e1d117ca4fddee31&start=4559&end=5508","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2103654-d37baadcb0088e55e1d117ca4fddee31/thumbnail_4559000.jpg","/articles/6394244/Montana/Bill-would-give-Montana-DCI-clearer-concurrent-jurisdiction-on-trafficking-ICAC-and-related-offenses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6394244-9b4d75fac00130ace7bd1a1f1d013d00/orig.mp4?Expires=1770920430&Signature=V3~xev2Zk4hbwjpODio1KqvXSdlhBui0sDSR1WqrLv3k0q3ppF3Ki6qhjtnqR1M7IM1yRph1zr2AJTe2IFMz7yUmN~QXFfsserYKI1HxZ52b37a8tG7DU-p-VL1lkWolTnyFSirmh2iSCgFaz5xZ2b6QJ9IfG91y8rB6nxqw9isFNhc66QrE-E~K1F~SugioxrKTkieVz68Q4ZxkQ5oHeOWwHIUsOF4wGz-fzH76PF6ZoF2Zz3ZeN9dy5TLZhgIkH8tygBuRlFw~Atxf0xF7O6YkniEY9X1gx2YuqT6nAglgwhM-e8as~B9jC4JF3VyfL1DWKbtPuk8VlvyZyBXYVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Eric Albus introduced House Bill 104, a Department of Justice request bill to clarify that the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) has concurrent jurisdiction in certain serious investigations including human trafficking, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) matters and related offenses.

Attorney General Austin Knudson said the measure largely codifies current operational practice and would remove ambiguity in statute so DCI agents can more readily assist local agencies in complex, cross-jurisdictional cases. \"This is really what we're doing already; we just want to clarify in statute that our DCI agents have the ability and concurrent jurisdiction with the locals,\" Knudson said.

DCI supervisors and unit leads told the committee that concurrent jurisdiction would enhance resource allocation, specialist expertise, cross-jurisdiction coordination and victim-centered services in investigations that often cross county or state lines. Andrew Yedinak, supervisor of the DCI human trafficking unit, said the change would reduce operational friction in rapid online advertising investigations where the victim and suspect may be in different jurisdictions and immediate action is sometimes needed.

Supporters included DCI leadership, the Montana Police Protective Association, and the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. Representative Albus said he had cleared the bill with two county sheriffs who supported it.

The hearing in the transcript shows proponents and no opponents on the recorded excerpt; the sponsor urged committee support. No committee vote is recorded in the available transcript.","House Bill 104 would explicitly grant Montana Division of Criminal Investigation concurrent jurisdiction for human trafficking, Internet Crimes Against Children cases and related statutes so state agents can act alongside local law enforcement without statutory ambiguity.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6394250,"Committee hears fix to parental-permission rule so routine school videos aren’t blocked",267,4393000,4660000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2103654-d37baadcb0088e55e1d117ca4fddee31&start=4393&end=4660","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2103654-d37baadcb0088e55e1d117ca4fddee31/thumbnail_4393000.jpg","/articles/6394250/Montana/Committee-hears-fix-to-parental-permission-rule-so-routine-school-videos-arent-blocked","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6394250-78e8f4daacc43a6708703e0c29f7f452/orig.mp4?Expires=1770920430&Signature=DEHZp-8e3aySaNqlndHRUiXmIHIQe8g42K10XrkMKZqeVkBKn7AUPbqrtQY~4HCy~jM~TLomI7WASM5J~E4GufRRunAQdglCcAq7fcozKHIY65Q9sOrF6tKhrhkWgCUw~h9VmoGe~zAnjBNwSL8CgT~tTed8f6qTkgaYhmYRs8AO7D8IVw9tJkYgC0cHlrTmj4IxToj8qa3xdhyzPIeqn0md4YQGcxv1AQoqxgpgURseo2Ng1MgzykQn5kTn77k-YgcNykTCgrCwtT9MB1nNWgsSKmB8imVBCyZPE2UtDK6zgwXllyroLR3I5bS95Pordy~s9B7nJaQSEDeRp4aINw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Amy Regier (House District 6) introduced House Bill 32 as a committee bill from the Law and Justice Interim Committee to correct an unintended consequence of 2023 legislation that restricted videoing students without parental permission.

Regier said the earlier law's language could effectively bar routine filming of athletics game film, band concerts and theater productions because it could require obtaining consent from every student's parent. \"That would be extremely time consuming for school officials to try to track down every parent,\" she told the committee, and HB 32 corrects two lines in the statute to exempt those routine school activities.

No proponents or opponents testified in the provided transcript; Representative Regier asked for a do-pass recommendation. The bill was described as a unanimous Law and Justice committee recommendation.

The transcript shows a brief informational hearing and no committee vote recorded in the excerpt.","House Bill 32 would narrow a parental-permission restriction in a 2023 parental-rights law so routine filming of school events (game film, band, theater) is not prohibited when parental consent for every student would be impractical.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_46":117,"_48":118,"_50":119,"_52":120,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":121,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":122,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6394258,"Montana DOJ, legislators push new 'grooming' offense and AI provisions in child-exploitation bill",3794,145000,3939000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2103654-d37baadcb0088e55e1d117ca4fddee31&start=145&end=3939","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2103654-d37baadcb0088e55e1d117ca4fddee31/thumbnail_145000.jpg","/articles/6394258/Montana/Montana-DOJ-legislators-push-new-grooming-offense-and-AI-provisions-in-child-exploitation-bill","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6394258-00e9cab66ac0dfbe11964ad44b22a7cf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770920430&Signature=AAvLHFPp0plGNOynFE8OFYOhDVHrs4h2IFImDqlg65ywG7YFTD52qfdR7xPEBV7WAR~j2ggy9cIMNR3L6sHC-yU1ztZWIdE~~m4PRthwbArn2zVX4ORaWQJ-ZmdAgNvgRVDCnQjRPh5lhezhQCBiMwi9wJdyKqHUV1yMmlafgM1OBk0VUWYTkjI-mnMgQMiwPHatxDDq2q7OwlngC1Lt9KKvb-lQ5jMyZ7jLzqd39wyR1TWIS44FEAMVVR9Ke19z3MwrDwq7WdSpGid4C76ibweST8jOOgsLU3Y0MhBUrGc0V2K6cm6qMbcDkFPyEofBEdw3fxJpHZf7x36BYzyasA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Cathy Love, sponsor: Representative Cathy Love (House District 85) opened a hearing on House Bill 82, saying the bill, brought by the Montana Department of Justice, is intended to update state law to address online grooming and AI-enabled exploitation of children.

The bill would create a distinct offense for grooming a child for sexual offenses, add language that allows undercover law enforcement to act in place of a child for certain online offenses, criminalize computer- or AI-generated child sexual images, and make related extortion a crime, proponents told the House Judiciary Committee.

Attorney General Austin Knudson, administrator of the Montana Department of Justice, said the proposal would \"create the new crime of grooming a child for sexual offenses\" and would fix gaps prosecutors are seeing in cases that began as online enticement. \"Technology is changing, and this is behavior that we are seeing more and more of,\" Knudson told the committee.

Assistant Attorney General Selene Koepke, who helped draft the bill, told lawmakers the measure would add the undercover-officer language to multiple statutes (including indecent exposure, patronizing prostitution statutes, sexual abuse of children and child sexual trafficking statutes). She said some district courts have refused to apply enhanced penalties where the only \"victim\" was an undercover officer, and the language is meant to provide consistency so law enforcement can stop predators before hands-on harm occurs. \"The grooming law is designed to catch an offender before it reaches that point of actual hands-on victimization,\" Koepke said.

Brian Cassidy of the Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (the state's Internet Crimes Against Children task force) testified the state is receiving thousands of cyber tips each year and that the 2024 total was about 2,640 tips statewide. Cassidy described a large rise in reports of \"text enticement\" after the federal Report Act expanded mandatory reporting to include enticement text conversations; he said Montana received 921 text-enticement tips from Snapchat alone after the federal change.

Proponents from law enforcement and advocacy groups — including the Montana Family Foundation, the Montana Police Protective Association and the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association — spoke in favor of the bill. Tammy Hinderman of the Office of the State Public Defender attended as an informational witness and did not take a position, saying her office had been asked to provide a fiscal note.

Committee members asked about safeguards to avoid criminalizing peer-to-peer teenage flirting. Koepke said the grooming offense requires a pattern of engagement and is not meant to criminalize a one-off message between near-peer classmates; prosecutorial discretion and youth-court options would guide charging decisions.

Other committee questions covered how cyber tips reach law enforcement (many platforms report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which then routes tips to state task forces), the limits of platform encryption (end-to-end encryption on some services reduces the number of tips), and the difficulty of defining AI in statute because the technology is rapidly changing.

Representative Love closed by urging a do-pass recommendation.

The hearing record shows extensive testimony and no committee vote recorded in the transcript excerpt.","Lawmakers and Department of Justice witnesses urged passage of House Bill 82 to create an offense for online grooming, allow undercover officers to stand in for child victims in stings, and criminalize AI-generated sexual images and extortion tied to those images.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill seeks tougher penalties when tampering with bodies prevents determination of homicide

Legislators consider scheduling gabapentin after DOJ and crime-lab testimony on rising abuse

Bill would give Montana DCI clearer concurrent jurisdiction on trafficking, ICAC and related offenses

Committee hears fix to parental-permission rule so routine school videos aren’t blocked

Montana DOJ, legislators push new 'grooming' offense and AI provisions in child-exploitation bill