Montana committee hears bill to raise fines for bypassing aquatic invasive species checks

Representative Tom Millett, sponsor of House Bill 242, told the Senate Fish and Game Committee the bill aims to increase fines for people who bypass aquatic invasive species (AIS) check stations or knowingly introduce AIS into Montana waterways. Millett said the measure updates penalties that "have not changed in 15 years" since the Montana AIS Act passed in 2009.

Millett summarized the measure’s key provisions and the committee work that produced them. He said the bill raises monetary penalties, reinstates a previously removed section, and adds a new requirement that no penalty be issued when a check station lacks clear signage set a reasonable distance from the station. Millett told the committee the bill passed the House nearly unanimously and carried bipartisan support in committee and on the House floor.

Why it matters: AIS such as zebra and quagga mussels, milfoil and other nonnative species can cause ecological and economic damage to fisheries, hydro infrastructure and…