[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6308961,"mediaKeyId","2415759-9fcde8b67ce601fdd39ebece47a4a6ab","parentId",2415759,"title","Senate Judiciary hears broad testimony on SB 318, ‘Brody’s Law,’ to require domestic-violence training in family courts","audioSeconds",5814,"startMs",592000,"endMs",6406000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2415759-9fcde8b67ce601fdd39ebece47a4a6ab&start=592&end=6406","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2415759-9fcde8b67ce601fdd39ebece47a4a6ab/thumbnail_592000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6308961/Montana/Senate-Judiciary-hears-broad-testimony-on-SB-318-Brodys-Law-to-require-domestic-violence-training-in-family-courts","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308961-428bf7161e7b7c95e4703ea2f5de24f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440474&Signature=N77b~GJxrCVnsQIUnn9Q2uerZ0Z1IocCeej0vPdnGpDRB9PrNSdkW3FIQcnk2TXqLzrlW9TkOZSajp-H1kNmVpqMGYUGo11gAKQhFr3SNekb2s-9L2pTCWCK59sB4KMOmKM9DP9RBN7F70d7RJWzgeKS0YTE46M1MvdsmdsvPzYJ0wdHVz0xQzH~gYqgrlJAQUqsuInPmqI~myb-T7xVoSLsaREEfND-uEsyDu7~9CnzIsDMjM6VZSeCL095UtzkmMVJa2UsyiRN8snyvsYArRSJO3~j4dsxaDvpAjjPrUCW2hHq2MXd1RiaK67MUsm-ZXEyaPRSvcRz--GVzVg2JA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana State Legislature","date","2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 318, introduced by Senator Lance as “Brody’s Law,” drew hours of testimony before the Montana Senate Judiciary Committee on proposals to require trauma-informed, culturally appropriate domestic-violence (DV) and child-abuse training for judges, standing masters, guardian ad litems (GALs), and other family-court professionals.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Lance, told the committee SB 318 “closes loopholes in the code that allow abusive parents to repeatedly violate parenting plans” and said the measure “strengthens the ability of the courts to recognize and adjudicate domestic violence and child abuse allegations.”

Why it matters: Proponents said the change would reduce post-separation abuse and protect children. Kyla Hailstone, director of the Montana Family Court Awareness Project, told the committee the measure is the product of multi-year research and a string of cases in which advocates say courts failed to account for past abuse. “We cannot afford to lose any more,” Hailstone said, urging the committee to pass the bill “to protect children and victims in family law.” She and other witnesses cited statewide statistics during testimony, including roughly 10,000 divorces and more than 11,000 domestic-violence cases filed annually in Montana, and said existing court training on DV is minimal or inconsistent.

What proponents said: Multiple family violence survivors and advocates recounted cases they described as post-separation abuse and testified that courts often miss psychological and coercive-control harms. Elizabeth Peterson, a proponent, described “parental alienation” as a tactic that can disguise or replace evidence of abuse in custody disputes. Survivor witnesses directly tied individual tragedies to the current system; survivor Judy Hill said, “If even one court professional had minimal domestic training on post-separation abuse issues that allowed them to recognize the abuse and intervene, my son would be alive today.” Several attorneys and child advocates said SB 318 would require that expert witnesses and GALs meet baseline qualifications and that opinions offered to the court be based on documented, peer-reviewed methods.

What opponents said: Bruce Spencer, representing the Montana Judges Association and the State Bar of Montana, said his organizations do not dispute the need for training but raised a narrow constitutional objection. He argued that Article VII, section 2 of the Montana Constitution assigns regulation of the courts to the Supreme Court and recommended petitioning the Supreme Court for any mandatory training requirements rather than imposing them by statute. The Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence urged an amendment to preserve so-called “blind” expert testimony (expert statements about patterns of abuse without having met the survivor) for fast civil protection-order hearings so low-income survivors can still access timely expert evidence.

Due-process and practical concerns from attorneys: Several family-law attorneys and a social-worker GAL testified in opposition or asked for changes. Emily Christ, a social worker who serves as a GAL in several cases, said requiring GALs to be licensed attorneys would reduce available advocates in rural areas and delay appointments; she said many communities rely on trained nonattorney professionals. Christopher Gillette, a veteran family-law attorney, warned that the bill’s proposed child-voice provisions could invite parental coaching and manipulation of children if safeguards are not carefully written. Opponents also questioned parts of the bill that would restrict experts from offering diagnostic opinions without evaluating both parents and the child — which, they said, could be impractical in active, contested cases.

Key specifics and clarifications in testimony: Witnesses cited numbers and program details from the record: proponents said Montana has about 46 district court judges, of whom they said 13 came to the bench with family-law experience and six with domestic-violence experience; witnesses cited ACE (adverse childhood experiences) data, saying roughly 22.6 percent of Montana children scored two or more on ACE measures (compared with a national average near 16 percent). Several witnesses asked the committee to allow targeted amendments (for example, to preserve blind testimony in protection-order hearings or to broaden the set of professionals who may serve as GALs).

Committee process and next steps: The committee heard extensive public testimony for and against the bill. Bruce Spencer recommended a petition to the Montana Supreme Court if the committee wants to impose mandatory judicial training, while proponents said the bill would simply add specialized coursework to existing continuing-education requirements. Sponsor Senator Lance closed by urging members to consider the real people the bill addresses; the hearing was then concluded without a final vote recorded in the transcript.

Ending: The committee received extensive public comment, and senators indicated they would consider technical amendments suggested during testimony. The hearing record closed with testimony spanning survivors, advocacy organizations, the State Bar and judges’ representatives; senators signaled interest in negotiated language and some committee members asked the sponsor to work with stakeholders on amendments before the bill returns for executive action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Judiciary - Feb 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 318, introduced by Senator Lance as “Brody’s Law,” drew hours of testimony before the Montana Senate Judiciary Committee on proposals to require trauma-informed domestic-violence and child-abuse training for judges, standing masters, guardian ad litems and other family-court professionals.","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},6308957,"Senate Judiciary advances several bills, tables one: SB 329, SB 370, SB 312, SB 261 and SB 127 move forward",376,9993000,10369000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2415759-9fcde8b67ce601fdd39ebece47a4a6ab&start=9993&end=10369","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2415759-9fcde8b67ce601fdd39ebece47a4a6ab/thumbnail_9993000.jpg","/articles/6308957/Montana/Senate-Judiciary-advances-several-bills-tables-one-SB-329-SB-370-SB-312-SB-261-and-SB-127-move-forward","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308957-1e3ce1308eeb4ea7dad94dfed1b5e687/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440474&Signature=cviOcV-geyKETrDya5hsPpkbDHU09wjoxsXRLgbzb9kqUi8xchX2dkXF0EqVi-7FXxiQRitnaqIBPJedEMpLtNlTqCcl3VxJUsreU9yBeh6sp0Zo5Ao5X9o9filTiD18-qx9fPtPIfywrR0Bi1TcOIkHKVaUhX5kBX4nhg2nucZUnXttzWLItF0lU2m75FEWlnUtQCd4hGWiLfZu1uz5aCYAhC6VZsEyeF5w3D-Xn~0w2g~Kvgt69WGCRDQAal7PX8b2yqq64sQgga6~0tKgjwxF7mLyM5S3ZoI1ngInOiP~b1AhYC7SBuE9vYBV3qCEm2tkCHoq5-GSCE1ZeOEQjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Montana Senate Judiciary Committee completed executive action on several bills during the session, advancing a package of measures and tabling one matter at the sponsor’s request.

Key outcomes

- SB 329 (E-Verify-related): The committee voted to pass SB 329 out of committee. Recorded roll-call language in the transcript shows the measure passed the panel with six votes in favor and two opposed. The transcript contains discussion that E-Verify would not add new routine financial or personnel-record access beyond current I-9 practices and that members were persuaded to support the bill.

- SB 370 (juror pay; amendment and passage): The committee approved an amendment that segregated reimbursement language and later passed SB 370 as amended. The sponsor and committee discussed raising daily juror pay (the amendment considered $60 per day versus a lower figure) and preserving reimbursement lines to ensure local entities are compensated; the committee adopted the segregated amendment (roll-call on the segregation showed 8 yes votes) and ultimately passed the bill as amended.

- SB 312 (civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse): The committee voted to pass SB 312 (sponsor Senator Morigeau). The sponsor described the bill as matching a prior criminal-law change (lifting criminal limitations) and extending the civil statute of limitations for child sexual-abuse claims so adult survivors can file civil suits later in life; the committee passed it on a voice vote during executive action.

- SB 261 (revising endangering welfare of children; controlled substances exposure): The committee adopted an amendment (technical compromise language) and passed SB 261 as amended. The amendment added an exception clarifying that incidental exposure to lawful adult marijuana use (e.g., incidental secondhand smoke) would not itself constitute the new offense; a roll call after amendment adoption recorded five yes votes and three no votes on final passage.

- SB 127 (justifiable use/ self-defense revision): The committee reopened the bill from the table, reconsidered previous committee action, adopted a sponsor amendment to refine language, and passed SB 127 as amended. The transcript recorded a roll-call on the final motion with five yes votes and three no votes.

- SB 284: The sponsor requested SB 284 be tabled; the committee granted the motion by voice vote and the bill was tabled.

What the votes mean: Several measures were advanced with amendments negotiated on the committee floor. Where recorded tallies exist in the transcript the committee majority carried the measures (noted above). In a handful of cases proxies for absent senators were recorded on voice or roll-call votes in the transcript.

Next steps: Measures that passed out of committee will be reported to the Senate for floor consideration as required by legislative procedure. Bills returned to committee for further drafting or tabling will remain under sponsor or stakeholder negotiation before the next legislative deadline.

Ending: The committee concluded its executive action session after advancing the bills above; senators and staff reminded sponsors of amendment and filing deadlines before the transmittal of committee-reported measures.","During executive action the committee passed or advanced multiple bills (SB 329 on E-Verify, SB 370 on juror pay, SB 312 on child-sexual-abuse civil statute of limitations, SB 261 revising child endangerment for exposure to controlled substances, and SB 127 on self-defense). One bill (SB 284) was tabled at the sponsor’s request.","actionData","errors"]

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Senate Judiciary hears broad testimony on SB 318, ‘Brody’s Law,’ to require domestic-violence training in family courts

Senate Judiciary advances several bills, tables one: SB 329, SB 370, SB 312, SB 261 and SB 127 move forward