---
type: "Bill"
title: "Generally revise automobile franchise laws"
description: "Generally revise automobile franchise laws"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 445"
citation: "Montana HB 445 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Consumer Protection", "Motor Vehicles (see also: Taxation--Trans; Traffic Regulations; Transportation)", "Revenue", "State"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Barry Usher"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 57
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2020-11-05"
last_action: "2021-04-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f2689f09-1037-4f6f-a467-df0d072f6be6"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=445&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=HB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20211"
source_hash: "0be1a9c356943beecb37b1fa2f29e5f63979b8f99d51f7e68bb4fc4170b73a43"
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 445 (2021) — Generally revise automobile franchise laws

## Version chain

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

1. **HB0445_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0499//HB0445_1.pdf)
2. **HB0445_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0499//HB0445_2.pdf)
3. **HB0445_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0499//HB0445_X.pdf)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billpdf/HB0445.pdf)

## Votes

- AMD-001 Usher D/PASS — **100–0** (pass) · lower
- BE CONCURRED IN — **7–4** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **98–1** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass As Amended — **97–2** (pass) · lower
- DO PASS — **20–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **40–10** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **35–15** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Barry Usher — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-11-05** Draft Request Received
- **2020-11-11** Draft On Hold
- **2021-01-04** Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2021-01-20** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2021-02-08** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2021-02-10** Draft in Legal Review
- **2021-02-11** Draft in Edit
- **2021-02-13** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2021-02-15** Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2021-02-16** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2021-02-16** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-16** Executive Director Review
- **2021-02-16** Draft in Assembly
- **2021-02-16** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-02-16** Executive Director Final Review
- **2021-02-16** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-02-16** Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2021-02-16** Introduced `introduction`
- **2021-02-17** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-17** Fiscal Note Requested
- **2021-02-17** Referred to Committee - (H) Business and Labor `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-17** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-02-24** Hearing - (H) Business and Labor
- **2021-02-24** Fiscal Note Received
- **2021-02-24** Fiscal Note Signed
- **2021-02-24** Fiscal Note Printed
- **2021-02-26** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (H) Business and Labor `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-26** Committee Report--Bill Passed - (H) Business and Labor `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-01** Amendments Available
- **2021-03-09** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-03-09** 2nd Reading Pass Consideration
- **2021-03-11** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-03-11** 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Carried
- **2021-03-11** 2nd Reading Passed as Amended `reading-2`
- **2021-03-11** Printed - New Version Available
- **2021-03-15** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-03-15** 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-03-15** Transmitted to Senate
- **2021-03-16** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-03-16** Referred to Committee - (S) Highways and Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-18** Rereferred to Committee - (S) Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-26** Hearing - (S) Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs
- **2021-04-09** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred - (S) Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs
- **2021-04-09** Committee Report--Bill Concurred - (S) Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs
- **2021-04-13** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-13** 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2`
- **2021-04-14** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-14** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-14** Returned to House
- **2021-04-15** Sent to Enrolling
- **2021-04-21** Returned from Enrolling
- **2021-04-21** Printed - Enrolled Version Available
- **2021-04-23** Signed by Speaker
- **2021-04-23** Signed by President
- **2021-04-23** Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-04-29** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-04-30** 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/f2689f09-1037-4f6f-a467-df0d072f6be6`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).