[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",6332077,"mediaKeyId","2308974-8affa7069595bae92d35fa23c6fe7214","parentId",2308974,"title","Committee declines to adopt proposed statewide transportation study as a committee bill","audioSeconds",641,"startMs",1002000,"endMs",1643000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2308974-8affa7069595bae92d35fa23c6fe7214&start=1002&end=1643","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2308974-8affa7069595bae92d35fa23c6fe7214/thumbnail_1002000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6332077/Montana/Committee-declines-to-adopt-proposed-statewide-transportation-study-as-a-committee-bill","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6332077-e81e8d461242d810c082485dc51ef907/orig.mp4?Expires=1776763291&Signature=MGxoxyryOrNelsb-WBYeIllabuD3MpuCLhVPGbvEXccQuGHTzgy-DzE4Ph35koVbd57S-fZkqxxNods0eLkrQNl-Xa3bLEBD1fDZbuKj-m5Q4qnt3twADTKpqDX~tg8wOejyMnwgohluQ1h9gBYdCa3X4lf8z9jWBOmSiKc1XrXFF1z3VOcDcW1juyziKKogVTyJmqq35QiqF7DtZoVhmep2lqSzsTz~udxS4rYexz1kJDb2scvxbC6wqYEiiNsNBwEyrHBdBCloXOjIZp09zcKWxjRQ~-zDo~oAmwMLdn6qFjNrsPQxPZOmwApwobQ1shcLzUyVfuVokR0GfQAyGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana Legislature","date","2025-02-12T00:00:00Z","article","Senator Olson asked the Senate Transportation Committee to consider a study of Montana’s transportation system, drawing on a 2019 proposal she said was never completed. Olson said counties and regional groups have begun work on passenger-rail and other regional transportation planning, and she urged the committee to act so the state can be ready to respond.

\"If we don't know what's happening in the bigger world on this issue, then we're not going to be ready to act when we need to act,\" Senator Olson said, urging the committee to consider the study or make it a committee bill.

Senator Dunwell moved that the committee support making the proposal a committee bill. Senator Esp offered a substitute motion to not move the proposal forward as a committee bill, saying the sponsor may introduce the study as an individual senator and that the committee's formal endorsement was unnecessary.

The substitute motion to not advance the proposal as a committee bill carried after a roll-call vote. The roll-call record in the hearing transcript shows the following votes recorded aloud: Senator Hunter — yes; Senator Olson — no; Senator Dunwell — no; Senator Logie — yes; Senator Temple — yes; Senator Fern — no. The committee chair declared the substitute motion carried.

Committee members who supported studying Montana's rural transportation network pointed to passenger rail, highway passing lanes and the role of local airports for medical travel as topics that would benefit from an interim study. Opponents said the senator proposing the study could carry it herself without committing the committee to the effort.

With the substitute motion carried, the committee will not add the study as a formal committee bill; the transcript records that the sponsoring senator may still pursue the study individually or seek another avenue to move it forward.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Highway and Transportation - Feb 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senator Olson asked the Senate Transportation Committee to consider a study of Montana’s transportation system and urged committee action; the committee voted to decline making the proposal a committee bill.","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},6332085,"Senate committee advances bill removing a legal defense in vehicle-noise cases",849,113000,962000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2308974-8affa7069595bae92d35fa23c6fe7214&start=113&end=962","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2308974-8affa7069595bae92d35fa23c6fe7214/thumbnail_113000.jpg","/articles/6332085/Montana/Senate-committee-advances-bill-removing-a-legal-defense-in-vehicle-noise-cases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6332085-32ba9f4c39eea3e771778e507a347ead/orig.mp4?Expires=1776763291&Signature=I~EApDUfctMkZsLisbjun7VaEKBaYbUpQ0aIuDBi-GR7DObpc-q2uT-1qQuKykt-ioU~U53dyZYsuAN69mkAfbWTQGq6UL~ZBwtQ4qaLT-SlT7fubb3C2ir3nG54e1Mf9aFh5Gt0~Q1~eU5iiJ-ycBMZIHw6ZU2i~srJzMYnINIgk857UVB8vQxksZQdF3rMQPUJEaCA55RMBu0TOa~NwKoup1vvNQ~xCJ6vAMJhaArOZ52in30xaua9it2Fzeidu550i9i~Yqq-7nJ7sxHS48fNEgC6lW19UqGJaUqMg1GA8jD2hKjTBrS6LdFpRE9YCoELdSxfA~vOv7~qunJdDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Russ Temple, sponsor of Senate Bill 264 and the bill’s presenter, told the Senate Transportation Committee the bill removes a subsection that has been used to block convictions for motor-vehicle noise violations.

\"Basically, we just scratched it out,\" Senator Russ Temple said. \"It sort of gives a guy a get out of jail card free if you have one of these pickups ... that is making a bunch of noise, and you get stopped from making a bunch of noise.\"

The bill deletes language that, as written, could prevent conviction if a person had \"reasonable grounds to believe that that vehicle was not operated in a violation\" of the section. Temple described the measure as a cleanup item and said he had hoped law-enforcement witnesses would attend the hearing; none testified.

Committee members asked technical questions about the bill’s scope. Senator Olson said she supports the bill but asked why the challenged subsection did not apply to motorcycles. \"I think this is an excellent bill, so I have no problem with the bill. I do want to see ... Why does this section not apply to a motorcycle?\" she asked.

Temple and others explained motorcycles are treated in a separate provision: the bill sets a 95-decibel limit for motor vehicles, while motorcycle limits vary by model year. The sponsor said the bill leaves those motorcycle provisions unchanged.

Duane Williams, testifying for the record, noted an existing statute that addresses noise from compression brakes on heavy trucks. \"There is a law. It's 61-9-321. If you're gonna use a compression brake, you do have to have a muffler in good working condition to prevent excess noise,\" Williams said.

After brief discussion the committee voted to give Senate Bill 264 a do-pass recommendation. The committee used a voice vote and recorded proxy ayes for members not present; committee leaders stated the measure passed unanimously in committee and that proxy votes had been recorded.

Senate Bill 264, as explained at the hearing, removes the defense language from the motor-vehicle noise statute, retains a 95-decibel cap for motor vehicles, and leaves motorcycle-year-based limits intact. The committee record shows the measure will move forward to the full Senate with a do-pass recommendation.

Votes and next steps: The committee reported the do-pass motion passed on a voice vote with proxy aye votes noted for absent members. The measure will be scheduled for floor action under the Senate’s procedures.","Senator Russ Temple, sponsor of Senate Bill 264 and the bill’s presenter, told the Senate Transportation Committee the bill removes a subsection that has been used to block convictions for motor-vehicle noise violations.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6332081,"Senate transportation panel unanimously concurs with House Bill 99, a motor-vehicle cleanup bill",289,532000,821000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2308974-8affa7069595bae92d35fa23c6fe7214&start=532&end=821","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2308974-8affa7069595bae92d35fa23c6fe7214/thumbnail_532000.jpg","/articles/6332081/Montana/Senate-transportation-panel-unanimously-concurs-with-House-Bill-99-a-motor-vehicle-cleanup-bill","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6332081-d302b4975626c7f130e54fd18dec09c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1776763291&Signature=l4AEJ7pO2pt4VCwwp4~n5OxBpAgaM3BIsoWaKlT38X6-wdIQqZn6lTlX7UKadxq-nl1GCPTHCVximk3NU~KbvURlWQKv4w6qV4qIhFx7udc5d0km3T~QdJvExmaYvHHA1xGI7ppazD2IHDkeigEFxZE-9oAX~OcAJ~-CvnldDFlHM1jSmCffOIWNH17ilzFbD3hb6bWHuLAe1OltK36qu0iA2m-k4KpvXZl9FxcSUx1Ssuvt1kqwdmMUd-nZyBcoSAI-1QQQQJiJ7BVUO4venYqZLSrqxUY4FmAbc4p4lYjiTlmyxtIXWdvZd0Lbu8ca0~Llehm7sc7lRUm2y88Pdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Montana Senate Transportation Committee voted unanimously to concur with House Bill 99, a bill the committee described as a broad cleanup of motor-vehicle statutes.

\"House Bill 99 was a bill proposed by the Transportation Interim Committee,\" a committee staff member said during the hearing. \"It is an act generally revising laws related to motor vehicle laws for clarity and consistency. I drafted this bill for [the Transportation Interim Committee].\"

Senator Olson asked about the removal of language on page 91, lines 6–9 (section 56) that earlier had specified penalties for a particular offense. Committee staff explained the deleted language mirrored the default penalty provision found in MCA section 61-9-5-11; retaining it in the later section created unnecessary duplication and potential confusion.

\"That language exactly mirrors the language of 61-9-5-11 ... which provides for a offense, conviction ... the fine of $10 to $100 for a first conviction, fine of $25 to $200 for a second conviction, and a fine of $50 to $500 for a third or subsequent conviction,\" the staff member said. \"The reason for removing that language ... is that it mirrors exactly 5-11. It just leads to confusion.\"

Committee members moved to concur and held an executive-action voice vote. Proxies were recorded for absent members; the committee chair declared the concurrence unanimous.

House Bill 99 will proceed to the next steps in the legislative process with the committee’s concurrence recorded.","The Senate Transportation Committee concurred with House Bill 99, a Transportation Interim Committee cleanup bill that revises motor-vehicle laws for clarity and consistency. Committee staff explained deletion of duplicate penalty language in one section to avoid confusion with an existing penalty provision.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee declines to adopt proposed statewide transportation study as a committee bill

Senate committee advances bill removing a legal defense in vehicle-noise cases

Senate transportation panel unanimously concurs with House Bill 99, a motor-vehicle cleanup bill