---
type: "Bill"
title: "Restrict governmental entity from interfering with parental rights"
description: "Restrict governmental entity from interfering with parental rights"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "SB 400"
citation: "Montana SB 400 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Local Government (see also: City Subjects; County Subjects)", "Minors (see also: Family Law)", "Revenue", "State", "State Government"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Theresa Manzella"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 58
vote_count: 8
first_action: "2020-11-10"
last_action: "2021-05-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/07eb27d4-d071-4152-8292-487829ef3b05"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=400&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=SB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20211"
source_hash: "db48a681446e012529a33d9318c4606c33045fd95884776c32b7ec96ae88cd95"
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 400 (2021) — Restrict governmental entity from interfering with parental rights

## Version chain

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

1. **SB0400_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0499//SB0400_1.pdf)
2. **SB0400_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0499//SB0400_2.pdf)
3. **SB0400_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0499//SB0400_X.pdf)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billpdf/SB0400.pdf)

## Votes

- Do Concur — **58–40** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **30–20** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **28–20** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **31–19** (pass) · upper
- DO PASS — **6–5** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **59–41** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **27–23** (pass) · upper
- BE CONCURRED IN AS AMENDED — **12–7** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Theresa Manzella — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-11-10** Draft Request Received
- **2021-02-03** Draft On Hold
- **2021-03-11** Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2021-03-18** Draft to Requester for Review
- **2021-03-18** Draft in Legal Review
- **2021-03-19** Draft in Edit
- **2021-03-19** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2021-03-21** Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2021-03-22** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2021-03-22** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2021-03-22** Executive Director Review
- **2021-03-23** Draft in Assembly
- **2021-03-23** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-03-23** Executive Director Final Review
- **2021-03-23** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-03-24** Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2021-03-26** Introduced `introduction`
- **2021-03-26** Fiscal Note Requested
- **2021-03-26** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-03-26** Referred to Committee - (S) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-26** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2021-03-30** Amendments Available
- **2021-04-01** Hearing - (S) Judiciary
- **2021-04-01** Fiscal Note Received
- **2021-04-01** Fiscal Note Signed
- **2021-04-01** Fiscal Note Printed
- **2021-04-01** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (S) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-04-06** Committee Report--Bill Passed - (S) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-04-07** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-07** 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2`
- **2021-04-08** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-08** 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-08** Transmitted to House
- **2021-04-09** Referred to Committee - (H) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-09** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-04-14** Hearing - (H) Judiciary
- **2021-04-20** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended - (H) Judiciary
- **2021-04-20** Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended - (H) Judiciary
- **2021-04-20** Printed - New Version Available
- **2021-04-22** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-22** 2nd Reading Pass Consideration
- **2021-04-23** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-23** 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2`
- **2021-04-26** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-26** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-26** 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** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-27** 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by House `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-27** Sent to Enrolling
- **2021-05-01** Returned from Enrolling
- **2021-05-01** Printed - Enrolled Version Available
- **2021-05-04** Signed by President
- **2021-05-04** Signed by Speaker
- **2021-05-04** Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-12** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-12** 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/07eb27d4-d071-4152-8292-487829ef3b05`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).