---
type: "Bill"
title: "Create statutory authority for sworn law enforcement officers to hold aliens"
description: "Create statutory authority for sworn law enforcement officers to hold aliens"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 223"
citation: "Montana HB 223 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Federal Government", "Law Enforcement (see also: Criminal Procedure)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bill Mercer"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 50
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2020-11-10"
last_action: "2021-04-16"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/73f48357-59ea-43e8-ad70-308694093445"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=223&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=HB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20211"
source_hash: "961abe5c0062d289251b71a209e4e4d3d496763f16617b75ab57576b658db70e"
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 223 (2021) — Create statutory authority for sworn law enforcement officers to hold aliens

## Version chain

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

1. **HB0223_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0299//HB0223_1.pdf)
2. **HB0223_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0299//HB0223_2.pdf)
3. **HB0223_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0299//HB0223_X.pdf)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billpdf/HB0223.pdf)

## Votes

- DO PASS — **12–7** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **65–34** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **65–33** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **66–34** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **29–21** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **66–34** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **30–20** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Bill Mercer — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-11-10** Draft Request Received
- **2021-01-09** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2021-01-15** Draft in Legal Review
- **2021-01-18** Draft in Edit
- **2021-01-20** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2021-01-21** Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2021-01-21** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2021-01-21** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2021-01-21** Executive Director Review
- **2021-01-21** Draft in Assembly
- **2021-01-22** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-01-22** Executive Director Final Review
- **2021-01-22** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-01-22** Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2021-01-22** Introduced `introduction`
- **2021-01-22** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2021-01-25** Referred to Committee - (H) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-01-25** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-01-27** Hearing - (H) Judiciary
- **2021-02-05** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (H) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-05** Committee Report--Bill Passed - (H) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-09** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-02-09** 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2`
- **2021-02-10** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-02-10** 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-02-10** Transmitted to Senate
- **2021-02-11** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-02-11** Referred to Committee - (S) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-18** Hearing - (S) Judiciary
- **2021-03-15** Amendments Available
- **2021-03-19** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended - (S) Judiciary
- **2021-03-19** Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended - (S) Judiciary
- **2021-03-19** Printed - New Version Available
- **2021-03-23** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-03-23** 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2`
- **2021-03-24** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-03-24** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-03-24** Returned to House with Amendments
- **2021-03-30** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-03-30** 2nd Reading Senate Amendments Concurred `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage, reading-2`
- **2021-03-31** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-03-31** 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-03-31** Sent to Enrolling
- **2021-04-06** Returned from Enrolling
- **2021-04-06** Printed - Enrolled Version Available
- **2021-04-07** Signed by Speaker
- **2021-04-08** Signed by President
- **2021-04-09** Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-04-16** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-04-16** Chapter Number Assigned `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/73f48357-59ea-43e8-ad70-308694093445`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).