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Committee tables bill that would let victims recover 'economic' harms from defective digital products

Senate Judiciary
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Summary

Senate Bill 292, which would add "economic" harms to Montana's product liability law to allow recovery for losses caused by defective digital or financial products, drew lengthy testimony and was tabled by the Senate Judiciary Committee for further work (5–3). Supporters offered examples; business groups warned of sweeping legal change.

Senate Bill 292, sponsored by Sen. Andrea Olson, was heard at length in the Senate Judiciary Committee before members voted to table the measure for further consideration.

Olson described the bill as a narrow change: inserting the word "economic" into several provisions of Montana's product liability code to allow recovery for financial losses caused by defective digital products such as tax software, payroll programs or security systems. "This is a bill that's intended to bring our code into the 21st century and to address the economic harm caused by digital products that we buy," Olson said.

Attorney John Morrison, a Helena practitioner…

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