---
type: "Bill"
title: "ConnectMT Act to establish broadband deployment"
description: "ConnectMT Act to establish broadband deployment"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "SB 297"
citation: "Montana SB 297 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Communications (see also: Information Technology)", "Information Technology (see also: Communications)", "Money Transfer", "Rule Making"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Jason W Ellsworth"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 60
vote_count: 10
first_action: "2020-12-01"
last_action: "2021-05-11"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b1f2de8a-9e15-4b1f-bf1b-4215e179c2ed"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=297&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=SB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20211"
source_hash: "c7d09e31454e9da5ac508f23c4a85f77aa77c4b6d2c95401d125e081295375c6"
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 297 (2021) — ConnectMT Act to establish broadband deployment

## Version chain

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

1. **SB0297_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0299//SB0297_1.pdf)
2. **SB0297_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0299//SB0297_2.pdf)
3. **SB0297_3.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0299//SB0297_3.pdf)
4. **SB0297_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0299//SB0297_X.pdf)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billpdf/SB0297.pdf)

## Votes

- DO PASS — **11–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **46–4** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **96–4** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **48–2** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **49–1** (pass) · upper
- DO PASS — **15–3** (pass) · upper
- BE CONCURRED IN AS AMENDED — **24–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **42–8** (pass) · upper
- BE CONCURRED IN AS AMENDED — **12–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **93–5** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Jason W Ellsworth — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-12-01** Draft Request Received
- **2021-01-28** Draft On Hold
- **2021-02-16** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2021-02-17** Draft in Legal Review
- **2021-02-17** Draft in Edit
- **2021-02-18** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2021-02-18** Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2021-02-18** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2021-02-18** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-18** 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
- **2021-02-18** Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2021-02-18** Introduced `introduction`
- **2021-02-18** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-19** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-02-19** Referred to Committee - (S) Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-25** Hearing - (S) Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs
- **2021-02-26** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (S) Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-26** Committee Report--Bill Passed - (S) Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-01** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-03-01** 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2`
- **2021-03-02** Rereferred to Committee - (S) Finance and Claims `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-11** Hearing - (S) Finance and Claims
- **2021-03-12** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (S) Finance and Claims `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-12** Committee Report--Bill Passed - (S) Finance and Claims `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-15** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-03-15** 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-03-15** Transmitted to House
- **2021-03-17** Referred to Committee - (H) Energy, Technology and Federal Relations `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-17** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-03-24** Hearing Canceled - (H) Energy, Technology and Federal Relations
- **2021-04-21** Amendments Available
- **2021-04-21** Hearing - (H) Energy, Technology and Federal Relations
- **2021-04-21** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended - (H) Energy, Technology and Federal Relations
- **2021-04-22** Printed - New Version Available
- **2021-04-22** Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended - (H) Energy, Technology and Federal Relations
- **2021-04-22** Rereferred to Committee - (H) Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-22** Hearing - (H) Appropriations
- **2021-04-26** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended - (H) Appropriations
- **2021-04-26** Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended - (H) Appropriations
- **2021-04-26** Printed - New Version Available
- **2021-04-27** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-27** 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2`
- **2021-04-27** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-27** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-27** Returned to Senate with Amendments
- **2021-04-27** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-27** 2nd Reading House Amendments Concurred `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage, reading-2`
- **2021-04-27** 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by House `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-27** Sent to Enrolling
- **2021-05-02** Returned from Enrolling
- **2021-05-02** Printed - Enrolled Version Available
- **2021-05-04** Signed by President
- **2021-05-04** Signed by Speaker
- **2021-05-04** Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-10** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-11** 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/b1f2de8a-9e15-4b1f-bf1b-4215e179c2ed`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).