---
type: "Bill"
title: "Generally revise utility regulation"
description: "Generally revise utility regulation"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2019"
identifier: "HB 597"
citation: "Montana HB 597 (2019)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Energy", "Revenue", "State", "Rule Making", "State Government", "Utilities"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Daniel Zolnikov"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 91
vote_count: 17
first_action: "2018-11-26"
last_action: "2019-05-20"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/a74d721f-5bde-4c8a-b608-e99d907d0f9e"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=597&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=HB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20191"
source_hash: "10ba50dd7c31c95ba836d76fe7e851b6b6da4bb193faa816c02e389485b31d39"
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 597 (2019) — Generally revise utility regulation

## Version chain

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

1. **HB0597_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2019/HB0599//HB0597_1.pdf)
2. **HB0597_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2019/HB0599//HB0597_2.pdf)
3. **HB0597_3.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2019/HB0599//HB0597_3.pdf)
4. **HB0597_4.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2019/HB0599//HB0597_4.pdf)
5. **HB0597_x.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2019/HB0599//HB0597_x.pdf)
6. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://leg.mt.gov/bills/2019/billpdf/HB0597.pdf)

## Votes

- AMD-001 McNally D/PASS — **41–9** (pass) · upper
- ReconsAction hb 597-Thomas — **34–15** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **20–30** (fail) · upper
- Do Concur — **39–11** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **85–11** (pass) · lower
- DO PASS — **13–9** (pass) · lower
- ReconsAction -Thomas — **25–25** (fail) · upper
- ReconsAction-Zolnikov — **84–13** (pass) · lower
- DO PASS AS AMENDED — **12–0** (pass) · lower
- Indefinitely Postpone HB 597-Thomas — **27–23** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur As Amended — **43–7** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **90–10** (pass) · lower
- Do Not Concur — **52–48** (pass) · lower
- Suspend Joint Rules- Zolnikov — **78–19** (pass) · lower
- BE CONCURRED IN AS AMENDED — **8–5** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **81–19** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **73–25** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Daniel Zolnikov — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2018-11-26** Draft Request Received
- **2018-12-05** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2019-01-02** Draft On Hold
- **2019-01-23** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2019-01-31** Draft in Legal Review
- **2019-01-31** Draft in Edit
- **2019-02-01** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review [SMH]
- **2019-02-01** Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2019-02-04** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2019-02-04** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2019-02-04** Executive Director Review
- **2019-02-04** Draft in Assembly
- **2019-02-04** Executive Director Final Review
- **2019-02-05** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2019-02-06** Draft Back for Redo
- **2019-02-07** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2019-02-18** Draft in Legal Review
- **2019-02-20** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review [SMH]
- **2019-02-20** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2019-02-20** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2019-02-21** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2019-02-21** Executive Director Final Review
- **2019-02-21** Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2019-02-21** Fiscal Note Requested
- **2019-02-21** Introduced `introduction`
- **2019-02-21** Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-21** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2019-02-21** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2019-02-25** Hearing
- **2019-02-26** Fiscal Note Received
- **2019-02-26** Fiscal Note Unsigned
- **2019-02-26** Fiscal Note Printed
- **2019-02-27** Hearing
- **2019-02-27** Revised Fiscal Note Requested
- **2019-03-11** Revised Fiscal Note Received
- **2019-03-11** Fiscal Note Unsigned
- **2019-03-12** Revised Fiscal Note Printed
- **2019-03-18** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended `committee-passage`
- **2019-03-19** Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended `committee-passage`
- **2019-03-19** Printed - New Version Available
- **2019-03-20** Revised Fiscal Note Requested
- **2019-03-21** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2019-03-21** 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2`
- **2019-03-21** Rereferred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-22** Revised Fiscal Note Received
- **2019-03-22** Revised Fiscal Note Signed
- **2019-03-23** Revised Fiscal Note Printed
- **2019-03-25** Hearing
- **2019-03-25** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed `committee-passage`
- **2019-03-26** Committee Report--Bill Passed `committee-passage`
- **2019-03-28** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2019-03-28** 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2019-03-28** Transmitted to Senate
- **2019-03-29** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2019-03-29** Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-09** Hearing
- **2019-04-09** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended
- **2019-04-10** Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended
- **2019-04-10** Printed - New Version Available
- **2019-04-11** Revised Fiscal Note Requested
- **2019-04-12** Revised Fiscal Note Received
- **2019-04-12** Revised Fiscal Note Signed
- **2019-04-13** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2019-04-13** 2nd Reading Concur Motion Failed `reading-2`
- **2019-04-13** 2nd Reading Indefinitely Postponed `reading-2`
- **2019-04-13** Motion Failed
- **2019-04-15** Revised Fiscal Note Printed
- **2019-04-15** Reconsidered Previous Action; Remains in 2nd Reading Process
- **2019-04-15** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2019-04-15** 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Carried
- **2019-04-15** 2nd Reading Concurred as Amended `reading-2`
- **2019-04-15** Printed - New Version Available
- **2019-04-16** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2019-04-16** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2019-04-16** Returned to House with Amendments
- **2019-04-18** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2019-04-18** 2nd Reading Senate Amendments Not Concurred
- **2019-04-25** On Motion Rules Suspended
- **2019-04-25** Reconsidered Previous Action; Remains in 2nd Reading Process
- **2019-04-25** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2019-04-25** 2nd Reading Senate Amendments Concurred `amendment-passage, amendment-amendment, reading-2`
- **2019-04-25** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2019-04-25** 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2019-04-25** Sent to Enrolling
- **2019-04-26** Printed - Enrolled Version Available
- **2019-04-26** Returned from Enrolling
- **2019-04-26** Signed by Speaker
- **2019-04-30** Signed by President
- **2019-05-01** Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2019-05-10** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2019-05-20** Chapter Number Assigned

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/a74d721f-5bde-4c8a-b608-e99d907d0f9e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).