---
type: "Bill"
title: "Generally revising privacy of settlements and public right to know laws"
description: "Generally revising privacy of settlements and public right to know laws"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 358"
citation: "Montana HB 358 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Documents", "Public Officers and Employees"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bill Mercer"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 57
vote_count: 8
first_action: "2019-12-17"
last_action: "2021-05-14"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/74a1d0df-3c97-4d10-918c-6c5fa4f99655"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=358&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=HB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20211"
source_hash: "d8d4559e2f13a00aaf4a14f0d3eeb5564dcadcba32e86a16cffe0cd612585d3f"
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 358 (2021) — Generally revising privacy of settlements and public right to know laws

## Version chain

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

1. **HB0358_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0399//HB0358_1.pdf)
2. **HB0358_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0399//HB0358_2.pdf)
3. **HB0358_3.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0399//HB0358_3.pdf)
4. **HB0358_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0399//HB0358_X.pdf)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billpdf/HB0358.pdf)

## Votes

- DO PASS AS AMENDED — **17–2** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **90–8** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **92–8** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **95–4** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **50–0** (pass) · upper
- BE CONCURRED IN AS AMENDED — **11–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **50–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **94–6** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Bill Mercer — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2019-12-17** Draft Request Received
- **2021-02-03** Draft in Legal Review
- **2021-02-04** Draft in Edit
- **2021-02-05** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2021-02-06** Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2021-02-08** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2021-02-08** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-08** Executive Director Review
- **2021-02-08** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2021-02-08** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-08** Executive Director Review
- **2021-02-08** Draft in Assembly
- **2021-02-09** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-02-09** Executive Director Final Review
- **2021-02-09** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-02-09** Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2021-02-10** Introduced `introduction`
- **2021-02-10** Fiscal Note Requested
- **2021-02-10** Referred to Committee - (H) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-10** First Reading - (H) Judiciary `reading-1`
- **2021-02-10** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-17** Hearing - (H) Judiciary
- **2021-02-19** Fiscal Note Received
- **2021-02-19** Fiscal Note Signed
- **2021-02-19** Fiscal Note Printed
- **2021-02-24** Amendments Available
- **2021-02-26** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended - (H) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-26** Printed - New Version Available
- **2021-02-26** Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended - (H) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-01** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-03-01** 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2`
- **2021-03-02** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-03-02** 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-03-02** Transmitted to Senate
- **2021-03-08** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-03-08** Referred to Committee - (S) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-18** Hearing - (S) Judiciary
- **2021-04-09** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended - (S) Judiciary
- **2021-04-12** Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended - (S) Judiciary
- **2021-04-12** Printed - New Version Available
- **2021-04-14** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-14** 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2`
- **2021-04-15** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-15** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-15** Returned to House with Amendments
- **2021-04-22** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-22** 2nd Reading Senate Amendments Concurred `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage, reading-2`
- **2021-04-23** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-23** 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-23** Sent to Enrolling
- **2021-04-30** Returned from Enrolling
- **2021-04-30** Printed - Enrolled Version Available
- **2021-05-04** Signed by Speaker
- **2021-05-04** Signed by President
- **2021-05-04** Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-14** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-14** 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/74a1d0df-3c97-4d10-918c-6c5fa4f99655`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).