---
type: "Bill"
title: "Protecting constitutional rights during an emergency"
description: "Protecting constitutional rights during an emergency"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "SB 370"
citation: "Montana SB 370 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Emergency and Disaster Services", "State Government"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Jason W Ellsworth"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 54
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2020-07-23"
last_action: "2021-04-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c1c12685-9529-4850-ab1b-ac380c91cd49"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=370&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=SB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20211"
source_hash: "97b4dcb3e7558e02c9b9e036a880d66eb9a97b3f3c9fcc67af1d930639e8a662"
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 370 (2021) — Protecting constitutional rights during an emergency

## Version chain

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

1. **SB0370_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0399//SB0370_1.pdf)
2. **SB0370_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0399//SB0370_X.pdf)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billpdf/SB0370.pdf)

## Votes

- Do Concur — **67–33** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **31–19** (pass) · upper
- BE CONCURRED IN — **12–7** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **65–33** (pass) · lower
- DO PASS — **17–1** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **31–19** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Jason W Ellsworth — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-07-23** Draft Request Received
- **2021-02-06** Draft On Hold
- **2021-02-16** Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2021-02-16** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2021-02-17** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2021-02-17** Draft in Legal Review
- **2021-02-17** Draft in Edit
- **2021-02-20** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2021-02-20** Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2021-02-20** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2021-02-20** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-20** Executive Director Review
- **2021-02-22** Draft in Assembly
- **2021-02-22** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-02-22** Executive Director Final Review
- **2021-02-22** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-02-24** Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2021-02-24** Introduced `introduction`
- **2021-02-24** Fiscal Note Requested
- **2021-02-24** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-24** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-02-24** Referred to Committee - (S) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-27** Hearing - (S) Judiciary
- **2021-03-02** Rereferred to Committee - (S) Finance and Claims `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-08** Fiscal Note Received
- **2021-03-09** Fiscal Note Signed
- **2021-03-09** Fiscal Note Printed
- **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`
- **2021-03-16** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-03-16** 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2`
- **2021-03-17** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-03-17** 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-03-17** Transmitted to House
- **2021-03-19** Referred to Committee - (H) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-19** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-03-24** Hearing - (H) Judiciary
- **2021-03-25** Amendments Available
- **2021-04-14** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred - (H) Judiciary
- **2021-04-14** Committee Report--Bill Concurred - (H) Judiciary
- **2021-04-20** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-20** 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2`
- **2021-04-21** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-21** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-21** Returned to Senate
- **2021-04-22** Sent to Enrolling
- **2021-04-23** Returned from Enrolling
- **2021-04-23** Printed - Enrolled Version Available
- **2021-04-28** Signed by President
- **2021-04-28** Signed by Speaker
- **2021-04-28** Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-04-30** 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/c1c12685-9529-4850-ab1b-ac380c91cd49`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).