---
type: "Bill"
title: "Revise laws relating to child protective services hearings"
description: "Revise laws relating to child protective services hearings"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 503"
citation: "Montana HB 503 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Courts (see also: Judges and Justices; Juries and Jurors)", "Minors (see also: Family Law)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Dennis R Lenz"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 57
vote_count: 8
first_action: "2020-10-01"
last_action: "2021-05-14"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b32de351-e8c2-4f96-ad44-58023adb5d2c"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=503&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=HB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20211"
source_hash: "30e58ada7de2a7777b46c9d724d1fab4af16bff0e67fed8714b483480eab5e7f"
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 503 (2021) — Revise laws relating to child protective services hearings

## Version chain

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

1. **HB0503_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0599//HB0503_1.pdf)
2. **HB0503_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0599//HB0503_2.pdf)
3. **HB0503_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0599//HB0503_X.pdf)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billpdf/HB0503.pdf)

## Votes

- DO PASS — **19–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **100–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **99–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **50–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **99–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **49–0** (pass) · upper
- BE CONCURRED IN AS AMENDED — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **99–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Dennis R Lenz — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-10-01** Draft Request Received
- **2021-02-03** Draft On Hold
- **2021-02-10** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2021-02-10** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2021-02-12** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2021-02-15** Draft in Legal Review
- **2021-02-15** Draft in Edit
- **2021-02-17** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2021-02-17** Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2021-02-17** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2021-02-17** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-17** Executive Director Review
- **2021-02-18** Draft in Assembly
- **2021-02-18** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-02-18** Executive Director Final Review
- **2021-02-18** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-02-19** Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2021-02-19** Introduced `introduction`
- **2021-02-19** Fiscal Note Requested
- **2021-02-19** Referred to Committee - (H) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-19** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-02-22** Hearing - (H) Judiciary
- **2021-02-22** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-22** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (H) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-25** Fiscal Note Received
- **2021-02-25** Fiscal Note Signed
- **2021-02-25** Fiscal Note Printed
- **2021-02-25** Committee Report--Bill Passed - (H) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-27** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-02-27** 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2`
- **2021-03-01** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-03-01** 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-03-01** Transmitted to Senate
- **2021-03-01** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-03-08** Referred to Committee - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-15** Hearing - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
- **2021-03-17** Amendments Available
- **2021-03-31** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
- **2021-04-01** Committee Report--Bill Concurred - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
- **2021-04-01** Printed - New Version Available
- **2021-04-12** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-12** 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2`
- **2021-04-13** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-13** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-13** Returned to House with Amendments
- **2021-04-21** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-21** 2nd Reading Senate Amendments Concurred `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage, reading-2`
- **2021-04-22** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-22** 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-22** Sent to Enrolling
- **2021-04-26** Returned from Enrolling
- **2021-04-26** 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/b32de351-e8c2-4f96-ad44-58023adb5d2c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).