---
type: "Bill"
title: "Allow certain subdivisions to qualify for an expedited review"
description: "Allow certain subdivisions to qualify for an expedited review"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "SB 161"
citation: "Montana SB 161 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Local Government (see also: City Subjects; County Subjects)", "Planning and Development"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["John Esp"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 46
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2020-11-14"
last_action: "2021-04-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7517b665-cccf-43b6-a18d-7e02a2b282be"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=161&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=SB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20211"
source_hash: "e38126ac74784715754e4ba922edbcc7a334a422574cf034a3bf8471ee6ee343"
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 SB 161 (2021) — Allow certain subdivisions to qualify for an expedited review

## Version chain

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

1. **SB0161_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0199//SB0161_1.pdf)
2. **SB0161_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0199//SB0161_2.pdf)
3. **SB0161_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0199//SB0161_X.pdf)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billpdf/SB0161.pdf)

## Votes

- DO PASS AS AMENDED — **10–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **95–5** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **50–0** (pass) · upper
- BE CONCURRED IN — **17–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **50–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **93–5** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- John Esp — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-11-14** Draft Request Received
- **2021-01-13** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2021-01-15** Draft in Legal Review
- **2021-01-16** Draft in Edit
- **2021-01-21** 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
- **2021-01-26** Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2021-01-27** Introduced `introduction`
- **2021-01-27** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2021-01-28** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-01-28** Referred to Committee - (S) Local Government `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-03** Hearing - (S) Local Government
- **2021-02-09** Amendments Available
- **2021-02-10** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended - (S) Local Government `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-11** Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended - (S) Local Government `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-11** Printed - New Version Available
- **2021-02-16** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-02-16** 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2`
- **2021-02-17** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-02-17** 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-02-17** Transmitted to House
- **2021-02-19** Referred to Committee - (H) Local Government `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-19** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-03-09** Hearing - (H) Local Government
- **2021-03-16** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred - (H) Local Government
- **2021-03-17** Committee Report--Bill Concurred - (H) Local Government
- **2021-03-19** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-03-19** 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2`
- **2021-03-22** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-03-22** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-03-22** Returned to Senate
- **2021-03-23** Sent to Enrolling
- **2021-03-26** Returned from Enrolling
- **2021-03-26** Printed - Enrolled Version Available
- **2021-04-01** Signed by President
- **2021-04-01** Signed by Speaker
- **2021-04-01** Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-04-11** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-04-12** 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/7517b665-cccf-43b6-a18d-7e02a2b282be`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).