Committee clears technical fixes to Consumer Protection Act and definition clarifications

Senate Bill 4-88, a cleanup bill for the Montana Consumer Protection Act, passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee after the Office of Consumer Protection described three housekeeping changes: (1) incorporate the Federal Trade Commission’s final rule banning deceptive consumer reviews into state statute to remove uncertainty; (2) clarify the statute‑of‑limitations language that applies when the Attorney General or private parties pursue civil penalties; and (3) remove a provision the department concluded it lacks resources to enforce effectively.