House amends and advances bill on court staffing, prison communications and studies of legal services

The Montana House on second reading passed a twice-amended House Bill 913, a section-D companion that includes reporting and interim study requirements covering district court judges, communications at Montana State Prison, offender reentry services, and consolidation of legal services.

Representative Nave, the sponsor, described the bill as a companion to section D of the budget package and summarized the principal reporting requirements: correcting Yellowstone County judge counts, reporting on inappropriate or illicit communications at the Montana State Prison (MSP) related to prisoner tablets and other devices, and directing interim studies on offender reentry services and the state’s legal-service structure.

Representative Mercer offered an amendment (HB0913.002.002) to change the order of operations for consolidation language. Mercer said the bill originally would have required the Department of Administration to propose consolidation before a study was completed; the amendment makes the study come first. Representative Crow offered a second amendment (HB0913.002.001) that strikes language concerning individualized attorneys for every child in family-court proceedings, returning the statute to its previous form per discussions with the Senate. Both amendments passed on recorded votes, and the bill as amended passed second reading with a 98–2 tally.

The bill requires reporting and sets studies to be completed during the interim; the transcript records that the Department of Administration and interim committees will be asked to participate in post-session work to assess consolidation and presentation of proposals following study results.

The amendments and debate were limited to committee and floor sponsors and recorded votes; the House's recorded tally on the twice-amended bill was 98 in favor and 2 opposed.