---
type: "Bill"
title: "Make MDT, FWP employee grievance procedures same as for other state employees"
description: "Make MDT, FWP employee grievance procedures same as for other state employees"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "SB 56"
citation: "Montana SB 56 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Labor and Employment (see also: Unemployment Insurance; Workers' Comp)", "Public Officers and Employees"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Jason W Ellsworth"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 39
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2020-09-11"
last_action: "2021-03-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e7ec0df3-d023-49ff-8e6c-88b60b8ca870"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=56&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=SB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20211"
source_hash: "e63fc30d791f23fdb4a46d4cb6ec33af2c22d8e77ef9efcb0a235c3d5b821116"
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 56 (2021) — Make MDT, FWP employee grievance procedures same as for other state employees

## Version chain

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

1. **SB0056_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0099//SB0056_1.pdf)
2. **SB0056_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/SB0099//SB0056_X.pdf)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billpdf/SB0056.pdf)

## Votes

- Do Pass — **50–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **100–0** (pass) · lower
- BE CONCURRED IN — **19–0** (pass) · lower
- DO PASS — **8–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **97–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **50–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Jason W Ellsworth — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-09-11** Draft Request Received
- **2020-10-20** Draft in Legal Review
- **2020-11-02** Draft in Edit
- **2020-11-17** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2020-11-17** Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2020-11-27** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2020-11-27** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2020-11-27** Executive Director Review
- **2020-11-27** Draft in Assembly
- **2020-12-17** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2020-12-17** Introduced `introduction`
- **2021-01-04** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-01-05** Referred to Committee - (S) State Administration `referral-committee`
- **2021-01-18** Hearing - (S) State Administration
- **2021-01-20** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (S) State Administration `committee-passage`
- **2021-01-21** Committee Report--Bill Passed - (S) State Administration `committee-passage`
- **2021-01-26** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-01-26** 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2`
- **2021-01-27** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-01-27** 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-01-27** Transmitted to House
- **2021-01-29** Referred to Committee - (H) State Administration `referral-committee`
- **2021-01-29** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-02-04** Hearing - (H) State Administration
- **2021-02-09** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred - (H) State Administration
- **2021-02-09** Committee Report--Bill Concurred - (H) State Administration
- **2021-02-11** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-02-11** 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2`
- **2021-02-12** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-02-12** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-02-12** Returned to Senate
- **2021-02-15** Sent to Enrolling
- **2021-02-25** Returned from Enrolling
- **2021-02-25** Printed - Enrolled Version Available
- **2021-02-26** Signed by President
- **2021-03-01** Signed by Speaker
- **2021-03-01** Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-03-08** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-03-08** 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/e7ec0df3-d023-49ff-8e6c-88b60b8ca870`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).