Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears bipartisan cleanup bill to align Montana code with federal Electoral College meeting date
Summary
House Bill 380 would change one word in state code so the statutory meeting date for presidential electors matches the federal change enacted in 2022.
Representative Morgan Thiel (House District 30) presented House Bill 380 as a technical update to align Montana code with federal law after Congress moved the Electoral College meeting date in 2022. "This bill ... revises the meeting date for presidential electors to align with federal law," Thiel told the committee.
Thiel said the change is minimal: "It changes one word to move a deadline one day," and noted the Secretary of State's office cooperated on the drafting. Maddie Tyson of Secure Democracy and another proponent said they supported a "due pass" because it brings Montana law into compliance with the federal schedule.
Witnesses and committee members described the bill as straightforward housekeeping. No opponents testified at the hearing and committee members asked no substantive questions about implementation or effects beyond the date change. Representative Thiel closed by urging committee support, reiterating that the Electoral College "meets on a Tuesday" under federal law and that state code should reflect that reality.
Ending: The committee closed the hearing on House Bill 380 after brief testimony and no opposition; no vote was recorded at the hearing.
