---
type: "Bill"
title: "Limit time of suspended sentences for felony convictions"
description: "Limit time of suspended sentences for felony convictions"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 553"
citation: "Montana HB 553 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Corrections", "Courts (see also: Judges and Justices; Juries and Jurors)", "Crimes", "Criminal Procedure (see also: Law Enforcement)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Jimmy Patelis"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 65
vote_count: 10
first_action: "2021-01-23"
last_action: "2021-05-14"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/9e1e6c25-c720-4b31-bf96-a307693e0799"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=553&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=HB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20211"
source_hash: "c469a57e3b937de26ac9bf3f6866fd1ec9707808da6bca5345d4aaa4a4273362"
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 553 (2021) — Limit time of suspended sentences for felony convictions

## Version chain

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

1. **HB0553_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0599//HB0553_1.pdf)
2. **HB0553_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0599//HB0553_2.pdf)
3. **HB0553_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0599//HB0553_X.pdf)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billpdf/HB0553.pdf)

## Votes

- BE CONCURRED IN AS AMENDED — **11–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **98–0** (pass) · lower
- DO PASS — **24–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **99–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **97–3** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **50–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **99–1** (pass) · lower
- BE CONCURRED IN — **19–0** (pass) · upper
- DO PASS — **19–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **49–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Jimmy Patelis — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-01-23** Draft Request Received
- **2021-02-15** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2021-02-16** Draft in Legal Review
- **2021-02-16** Draft in Edit
- **2021-02-18** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2021-02-18** Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2021-02-19** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2021-02-19** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-19** Executive Director Review
- **2021-02-19** Draft in Assembly
- **2021-02-20** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-02-20** Executive Director Final Review
- **2021-02-22** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-02-22** Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2021-02-22** Introduced `introduction`
- **2021-02-22** Fiscal Note Requested
- **2021-02-22** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-23** Referred to Committee - (H) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-23** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-02-24** Hearing - (H) Judiciary
- **2021-02-24** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (H) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-26** Fiscal Note Received
- **2021-02-26** Fiscal Note Signed
- **2021-02-26** Fiscal Note Printed
- **2021-02-27** Committee Report--Bill Passed - (H) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-01** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-03-01** 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2`
- **2021-03-01** Rereferred to Committee - (H) Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-01** Hearing - (H) Appropriations
- **2021-03-01** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (H) Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-01** Committee Report--Bill Passed - (H) Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **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`
- **2021-03-09** Revised Fiscal Note Received
- **2021-03-10** Revised Fiscal Note Signed
- **2021-03-10** Revised Fiscal Note Printed
- **2021-03-23** Amendments Available
- **2021-04-09** 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
- **2021-04-13** Printed - New Version Available
- **2021-04-14** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-14** 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2`
- **2021-04-14** Rereferred to Committee - (S) Finance and Claims `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-15** Hearing - (S) Finance and Claims
- **2021-04-15** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred - (S) Finance and Claims
- **2021-04-15** Committee Report--Bill Concurred - (S) Finance and Claims
- **2021-04-20** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-20** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-20** Returned to House with Amendments
- **2021-04-23** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-23** 2nd Reading Senate Amendments Concurred `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage, reading-2`
- **2021-04-26** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-26** 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-26** Sent to Enrolling
- **2021-05-02** Returned from Enrolling
- **2021-05-02** 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/9e1e6c25-c720-4b31-bf96-a307693e0799`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).