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Committee hears bill to extend on-site inspection timelines after floods
Summary
Sen. Forrest Mandeville told the House Local Government Committee that Senate Bill 10 would extend statutory timelines for on-site inspections after emergency events, allowing assessors to wait until floodwaters recede before entering properties.
Sen. Forrest Mandeville, sponsor of Senate Bill 10, told the House Local Government Committee the bill extends the time local officials have to complete on-site inspections after emergency events such as floods. “What this bill does is extends, some timelines for on-site inspection in an emergency,” Mandeville said, adding that flood response often requires waiting until waters recede before it is safe to access properties.
Mandeville, who identified himself as representing Senate District 28, said the change is modest and aimed at giving local governments enough time to complete property assessments when many parcels are affected at once. “When you have a…flood, which impacts a lot of properties, it can take a long time to get out there to do those on-site inspections. So we just knocked the timeline to do so out a few days,” he said.
Jeffrey Tiberi, representing the Montana Association of Conservation Districts, testified in support of the bill, saying his organization “think[s] this is a good bill.” An informational witness, Haley Graff, identified herself as the DNRC permitting coordinator and said she was available to answer questions about permitting.
No opponents testified during the hearing. The committee did not take a final vote on the bill during the recorded hearing.
Why it matters: The change would give local officials flexibility to perform safety reviews and damage assessments after widespread floods or other emergencies, rather than requiring strict adherence to an inspection deadline that may be impossible to meet in damaged areas. The bill does not change authority to declare emergencies or other emergency tools; it adjusts only the statutory time allowed for on-site inspection.
What the hearing recorded: Support from a conservation-district representative and DNRC participation; no recorded opposition. The sponsor said the amendment is minor and limited to inspection timelines and offered to answer committee questions.
