[{"_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",6097444,"mediaKeyId","2828102-2c7b7599321e3e5bc8069f62b7aabd13","parentId",2828102,"title","Votes at a glance: House Transportation Committee executive actions and outcomes","audioSeconds",1917,"startMs",7322000,"endMs",9239000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2828102-2c7b7599321e3e5bc8069f62b7aabd13&start=7322&end=9239","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2828102-2c7b7599321e3e5bc8069f62b7aabd13/thumbnail_7322000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6097444/Montana/Votes-at-a-glance-House-Transportation-Committee-executive-actions-and-outcomes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097444-bfdcc350d1c1b370708534163a1b341c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775601921&Signature=ZNtuTIKniq1vqPjbOOy6yN8JgBIVbk0a5UYjH8M1MvtQ~~TkryhXQYqvGqeVozXY~-gM8po73YoQR5UMz~KUTgRzzt0f3mNTx~CTmVbQRNR-9Xhaul1sFtP8fhGlxwYlWVm8PpZr7UJrXNUUPSl7Ayn9imfoVgjFCjbTzLxaqADCQuTmF6-KszPuR0xaYCOzVYiFHDTMI0AgXV-aqBL7cb2F~MQ0q~fxcn3dYWlndgmnZbx5VytSZpT3xSZnjSJ1-r1DMiRc4hivhGPxiyHgfIgdrarXIV0MPjJ3TY8qgIPQTqnzn8uYBWJMAC2cf~FaPtGST83rFIqVbD4NM3c03Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana State Legislature","date","2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","article","The House Transportation Committee conducted executive action on several bills following hearings. The items below list the committee’s recorded actions and outcomes as reflected in the hearing transcript.

Votes and outcomes (committee action):

- House Bill 940 — Prohibiting overnight camping and storage of personal property on state highway right of way. Outcome: Do pass. Clerk recorded 13 in favor, 1 opposed (Representative Frank Smith). Proxies: Representatives Cafaro, Fitzpatrick and Sullivan voted aye by proxy. Carrier: Representative Necastro (sponsor).

- Senate Bill 67 — Use of vehicles with automated driving systems on public highways (concurrence). Outcome: Concurred in; clerk tally 14–0. Carrier: Representative Darling.

- Senate Bill 245 — Revising school bus driver training materials. Outcome: Concurred in; clerk tally 14–0. Carrier: Representative Baum (to carry in House).

- Senate Bill 264 — Eliminating defense to exhaust noise limitation statute. Outcome: Passed to House floor (roll-call recorded; transcript notes bill passes to the House floor). Carrier: Representative (volunteered to carry in committee).

- Senate Bill 380 — Motor vehicle law cleanup (coordination amendment needed). Outcome: Action postponed by substitute motion; committee postponed further action to allow more coordination.

- Senate Bill 455 — Highway and roadside service laws (towing). Outcome: Motion to table the bill passed; clerk recorded 9 in favor of tabling and 5 opposed.

- House Bill 933 — Allowing utilities to cross or place infrastructure within railroad right of way and adjacent railroad land. Outcome: Committee recommended do pass; the bill passed out of committee and will proceed further. Transcript does not include a single consolidated numeric tally line for the final roll call in one place; record shows member votes during roll call and the committee chair declared the bill passed out of committee. Carrier: Vice Chair Wirth moved recommendation for do pass; sponsor Representative Neil Durham.

Several procedural proxies and roll-call votes were recorded in the transcript; proxies appear noted in the clerk’s statements when each vote was taken. If a numeric tally is necessary for a particular bill, consult the committee clerk’s official minutes for the certified roll-call totals.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Transportation - Mar 31, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Summary of executive actions recorded in the Transportation Committee meeting, including votes, outcomes and carriers where recorded.","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},6097449,"Committee backs ban on overnight camping and unattended property on state highway right of way",3558,3865000,7423000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2828102-2c7b7599321e3e5bc8069f62b7aabd13&start=3865&end=7423","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2828102-2c7b7599321e3e5bc8069f62b7aabd13/thumbnail_3865000.jpg","/articles/6097449/Montana/Committee-backs-ban-on-overnight-camping-and-unattended-property-on-state-highway-right-of-way","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097449-119f2d90d421ef004d726112ef9e425f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775601921&Signature=Gzaffa6fktWbQTtxKU46aX-slQ3p62zezChd9fxwGAZhbFR-K-mpu8URePWT5-to3YXJ6Kbr5AJsnB60n86Rlhr4QwB8QJ~DbDSOgrpMUhNTKveOTqOqIoMQ7N1cOvBD74lPM1vaiJx52-c-F0hoLxNTovR7ZhdYxe~y1H1TR66CYm0QrXgx04T8gWSM4YgoRuNA19j~Q7-gCl4O72GA3irtsDoVDNeUy1Tb0YhLpT1-RyRhdP~LHueHj95uPQfr8Zq-mQQc97z9Q46CzQHP6n~fg~-CbS0mksPpYNbiqj~lprU04ryzdktvify5XipN9RjXpXSQKtSDwWLtsx1JPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Transportation Committee voted to advance House Bill 940 after testimony from the sponsor and Montana Department of Transportation officials that the measure will protect motorists, MDT staff and highway infrastructure from hazards created by roadside encampments.

Representative Anthony Necastro, sponsor, said the bill targets safety, environmental and maintenance challenges posed by overnight camps and storage on state highway right of way. “This bill will help provide a safer work environment for those employees that are out there maintaining and inspecting our right of ways,” Necastro said.

John Swartz, maintenance administrator for the Montana Department of Transportation, told the committee crews increasingly encounter hazardous materials, biohazard risks and occasional assaults while working near unauthorized encampments. Swartz recommended a do-pass and said the bill’s notice, removal and modest civil penalty provisions would help MDT manage recurring problem sites.

Key provisions described in testimony: a dusk-to-dawn prohibition on overnight camping on state highway right of way, a 72-hour written notice to vacate or remove unattended property, a 124-hour posted notice before disposal of unattended property, a civil penalty not to exceed $50 for noncompliance, exceptions for emergency shelter determined by law enforcement or MDT, authorized contractors, and designated rest areas, and rulemaking authority granted to MDT. The sponsor said the appropriation in the bill was intended to cover signage and notices for enforcement.

Committee members asked whether commercial truck drivers using ramps or rest areas would be affected; MDT said properly designated rest areas and pullouts are expected to remain available and that enforcement would consider the purpose and location. Members also asked whether city-designated encampment sites would conflict with the bill; MDT said if cities manage the property, local ordinances apply, but if the site is on MDT property the department would enforce statute.

Clerk and committee records show the bill was moved for a do-pass recommendation and passed in committee. A voice vote was taken; one member (Representative Frank Smith) was recorded as voting no, and proxies were recorded for Representatives Cafaro, Fitzpatrick and Sullivan voting aye by proxy. Clerk tally reported 13 in favor and 1 against on the record.","House Bill 940, which would ban overnight camping and storage of personal property on state highway right of way and give the Montana Department of Transportation enforcement and rulemaking authority, won committee approval after proponents said it would improve safety and protect infrastructure.",{"_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},6097453,"Montana committee advances bill to clear rules for utilities crossing railroad right-of-way after contentious hearing",8427,803000,9230000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2828102-2c7b7599321e3e5bc8069f62b7aabd13&start=803&end=9230","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2828102-2c7b7599321e3e5bc8069f62b7aabd13/thumbnail_803000.jpg","/articles/6097453/Montana/Montana-committee-advances-bill-to-clear-rules-for-utilities-crossing-railroad-right-of-way-after-contentious-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097453-1fa5346df6b7d5e2dbea250ba6c1743c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775601921&Signature=l4tNeII6tMfI20MJaHfkAcmYGl4szul-oNCfUW9MnhIfCs1SzzDgcyOBJE9hM88F7aHwoc30UkBio5wKD1XxfITNGIU5vPw4gq5tZQjXQxhsPW8DO9hOpsg8p6c3zTyspgfEpNQjf-~M1TJmTFh2NzAoTFPodivRx4YyeJBq0g5tH5VGgEsO5y4cFJaT04eyfq9BOKW-RKz~ZbcvVlE6YZ8j-x9y5n7JjWEKGsx8iMUguxJtpvUEf~7btxmfv7QH7iiqebthgbdxsanE9YAOtJQj7WnQNIhxHZtYQCmCrVd~-wxXY9DTO2gIj31FDZzHlEDSfpASjTiJG-5GGxAuSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Transportation Committee advanced House Bill 933, which would allow utilities to cross or place infrastructure within a railroad's right of way and adjacent railroad land, following a contested hearing that drew broadband providers, local utilities and rail companies to testify.

Supporters said the bill would provide predictable timelines and fees needed to build broadband and water infrastructure; opponents, led by BNSF Railway, said the legislature should not intervene in private disputes and warned of legal and safety risks.

Sponsor Representative Neil Durham, R-House District 1, told the committee the bill is meant to bring parties to the table and provide a timeline for permits. “Section 3 is important that it recognizes existing agreements. Section 4 describes the rights of utilities and their crossings,” Durham said during opening remarks.

Brady Adams, chief operating officer of Intermountain Infrastructure Group (IIG), described repeated delays and uncertainty his company has faced seeking railroad crossings for fiber builds. “We've currently invested north of $100,000,000 of broadband infrastructure into Montana in the past 18 months,” Adams said. He asked the committee to adopt statutory timelines and a predictable fee structure so projects can proceed in areas where highways, rail and rivers limit construction routes.

Local officials and small utilities described the costs and permitting burdens for non-telecom infrastructure. Ross Fitzgerald, representing a water and sewer district in Power, Montana, said permit requirements and steep insurance demands have made routine projects unaffordable for small towns: “They want an equal policy on the town of Power to the tune of $5,000,000 and a $10,000,000 max. That's gonna cost our little district $25,000 for 1 year. That's nuts to swallow.” Fitzgerald said those costs, plus engineering requirements for going under tracks, make essential projects prohibitively expensive.

Organizations representing municipal governments and electric cooperatives supported the bill conditionally. Jennifer Olson, government affairs director for the Montana League of Cities and Towns, said the bill would “balance the operational needs of infrastructure requirements of utilities while ensuring safety and clarity in the crossing process.” Mark Lambrecht for the Montana Electric Cooperatives Association described a 2021 agreement his group negotiated with BNSF that created predictable fees and communication standards and said the bill must preserve working agreements where they exist.

BNSF Railway’s representative Steve Wade testified in opposition and provided the committee with a written letter describing an ongoing legal dispute with one proponent. Wade said the company has worked with utilities to improve permitting but urged the committee to reject legislation that, in his view, would “raise the likelihood that the state of Montana will be involved in any potential litigation, over trespass on private property.” He also said the bill’s fee provisions leave no cap on how far longitudinal occupancy could extend, which he described as unreasonable given safety and future railroad plans.

Testimony included competing accounts about whether certain utility installations were placed on railroad-owned land without permission. Adams said some of IIG’s infrastructure was installed up to points determined by publicly available cadastral data and that in certain locations, BNSF later claimed a broader property boundary; BNSF described that dispute as ongoing litigation.

Committee members asked about eminent domain as a possible remedy for small towns; BNSF’s witness said eminent domain is a local-government tool but its applicability depends on the type of railroad property and requires further research.

After testimony and questions, the committee moved the bill into executive action. Vice Chair Wirth recommended House Bill 933 “do pass,” and a roll call later in the meeting recorded members’ votes; the bill passed out of committee and will proceed to the next stage. The transcript does not include a numeric final tally in a single consolidated line for publication.","The House Transportation Committee advanced House Bill 933 after a hearing where broadband and utility companies urged clearer crossing rules and BNSF Railway warned the bill could interfere with private property rights and ongoing litigation.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: House Transportation Committee executive actions and outcomes

Committee backs ban on overnight camping and unattended property on state highway right of way

Montana committee advances bill to clear rules for utilities crossing railroad right-of-way after contentious hearing