---
type: "Bill"
title: "Clarify process for updating water right transfers"
description: "Clarify process for updating water right transfers"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2017"
identifier: "HB 49"
citation: "Montana HB 49 (2017)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Property", "Water"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bob Brown"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 43
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2016-09-01"
last_action: "2017-03-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/cb516ef8-2635-4f2f-87ed-13ce0e155537"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0203W$BSRV.ActionQuery?P_SESS=20171&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=&P_BILL_NO=&P_BILL_DFT_NO=LC0327&P_CHPT_NO=&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SBJT_SBJ_CD=&P_ENTY_ID_SEQ="
source_hash: "3472865bb98956092631acd65883495adb8f4c6e3157c4bbff7c653810848e37"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-mt"]
---

# Montana HB 49 (2017) — Clarify process for updating water right transfers

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://leg.mt.gov/bills/2017/BillPdf/HB0049.pdf)

## Votes

- Do Concur — **49–0** (pass) · legislature
- Do Concur — **50–0** (pass) · legislature
- DO PASS AS AMENDED — **15–0** (pass) · legislature
- Do Pass — **99–0** (pass) · legislature
- BE CONCURRED IN — **12–0** (pass) · legislature
- Do Pass — **100–0** (pass) · legislature

## Sponsors

- Bob Brown — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2016-09-01** Draft Request Received
- **2016-10-31** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2016-10-31** Draft in Legal Review
- **2016-11-15** Draft in Edit
- **2016-11-18** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review [SMH]
- **2016-11-21** Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2016-11-22** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2016-11-22** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2016-11-22** Executive Director Review
- **2016-11-22** Draft in Assembly
- **2016-11-22** Pre-Introduction Letter Sent
- **2016-12-07** Pre-Introduction Letter Sent
- **2016-12-08** Introduced `introduction`
- **2016-12-08** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2016-12-27** Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2017-01-02** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2017-01-09** Hearing
- **2017-01-18** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended `committee-passage`
- **2017-01-19** Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended `committee-passage`
- **2017-01-19** Printed - New Version Available
- **2017-01-23** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2017-01-23** 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2`
- **2017-01-24** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2017-01-24** 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2017-01-24** Transmitted to Senate
- **2017-01-25** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2017-01-25** Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-01** Hearing
- **2017-02-13** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred
- **2017-02-14** Committee Report--Bill Concurred
- **2017-02-16** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2017-02-16** 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2`
- **2017-02-17** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2017-02-17** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2017-02-17** Returned to House
- **2017-02-20** Sent to Enrolling
- **2017-02-20** Printed - Enrolled Version Available
- **2017-02-21** Returned from Enrolling
- **2017-02-22** Signed by Speaker
- **2017-02-22** Signed by President
- **2017-02-23** Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2017-03-02** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2017-03-02** Chapter Number Assigned

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/cb516ef8-2635-4f2f-87ed-13ce0e155537`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).