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Senate Natural Resources committee confirms mining board appointees, advances multiple resolutions; SB 559 fails
Summary
The committee confirmed five appointments to the Hardrock Mining Impact Board and passed two resolutions by voice vote; it rejected Senate Bill 559 after a roll-call vote. Several water- and MEPA-related house bills were heard and received sponsor support during the same hearing series.
Helena — At its meeting, the Senate Natural Resources Committee approved gubernatorial appointments to the Hardrock Mining Impact Board and passed two resolutions by voice vote. Separately, the committee rejected Senate Bill 559 after a roll-call vote.
On SR 25, the committee approved the governor’s nominees to the Hardrock Mining Impact Board, which administers the Hard Rock Mining Impact Act. Lieutenant Governor Kristin Juras and Department of Commerce witnesses described the board’s composition and statutory requirements. The committee passed SR 25 unanimously by voice vote.
Later the committee considered several other items and resolutions. By voice votes the committee passed SR 43 (appointments to the Board of Water Well Contractors) and SJR 18 (urging fair treatment of recreational needs on Flathead Lake). Those measures passed unanimously with proxies recorded where applicable.
The committee voted on a due-pass motion for SB 559 (appeals process for DEQ permit decisions). The motion failed on a roll-call vote, 4-7 (yes: Senators Curti, Harvey, Morgeau by proxy, Flowers; no: Chair Gault, Vice Chair Cuff, Senators Gillespie, Noland, Usher, Vinton, Zollnikov by proxy).
The hearing also included multiple house bills on water policy and MEPA: HB 346 (exempting some Department of Commerce grant and loan programs from MEPA during application/reimbursement), HB 441 (statutory process to convert DNRC provisional permits and change authorizations to certificates of water right), HB 432 (exceptions and procedures to streamline change applications, including replacement wells and stock tanks), HB 466 (codifying categorical exclusions under MEPA), and HB 580 (temporary abandonment protection during drought for water-right holders participating in drought plans). Sponsors and a broad set of stakeholders — including DNRC, Department of Commerce, conservation groups, municipal associations and agricultural organizations — appeared in support of these house bills during testimony. Committee members asked questions; no final committee roll-call votes on those house bills were recorded in this transcript.
Below are the formal actions recorded in the meeting transcript.
