Senate Natural Resources committee advances bill narrowing cleanup language to methamphetamine and fentanyl

At a meeting of the Montana Senate Natural Resources Committee, members voted to pass Senate Bill 201 as amended, a housekeeping change that narrows language about drug-contaminated properties to specifically mention methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The amendment was offered as a cleanup measure and, according to the mover, narrows the bill’s scope by removing broader language that had referred to “dangerous drugs.” The amendment was adopted by voice vote; several members registered aye by proxy before the chair announced that the amendment passed. The committee then voted by voice to pass SB 201 as amended.

Senator Ritchie is the sponsor of SB 201. Vice Chair Cuff moved the committee to give the bill a “do pass” recommendation and also moved the cleanup amendment. Committee members asked whether the sponsor approved the change; the committee was told the sponsor did approve the amendment.

A voice vote adopted the amendment. The record shows proxy aye votes by Senator Nolan, Senator Zolnikov and Senator Flowers during the amendment vote. After the amendment, the committee again used a voice vote to send SB 201 forward; proxies recorded for the final motion included Senator Nolan, Senator Zolnikov and Senator Flowers. The committee chair then announced that Senate Bill 201 passed in committee.

No formal roll-call tally beyond the recorded proxy ayes was entered in the transcript for SB 201; the committee used voice votes for both the amendment and final motion. The transcript contains no additional detail on implementation, funding or changes to enforcement procedures beyond the amendment’s narrowed drug list.

The committee moved immediately afterward to consider Senate Bill 263.