---
type: "Bill"
title: "Provide budget stability through investment and liability reduction"
description: "Provide budget stability through investment and liability reduction"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2023"
identifier: "HB 251"
citation: "Montana HB 251 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Appropriations (see also: State Finance)", "Bond Issues", "Public", "State Finance (see also: Appropriations; Taxation Subjects)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Llew Jones"]
version_count: 28
action_count: 64
vote_count: 10
first_action: "2022-07-26T18:16:57+00:00"
last_action: "2023-03-13T22:17:58+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/94222001-51af-4378-9680-c8cd068a8324"
source_url: "https://bills.legmt.gov/#/bill/20231/LC0108"
source_hash: "2ef8a9b65e8b89c86b7611c36a473ca0ee9a2b51ce3c5b3c1efa4af8934b9b34"
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 HB 251 (2023) — Provide budget stability through investment and liability reduction

## Version chain

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

1. **HB0251.001.002_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6061)
2. **HB0251.001.002_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6074)
3. **HB0251.001.003_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6056)
4. **HB0251.001.003_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6067)
5. **HB0251.001.004_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6059)
6. **HB0251.001.004_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6072)
7. **HB0251.001.005_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6064)
8. **HB0251.001.005_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6055)
9. **HB0251.001.006_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6060)
10. **HB0251.001.006_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6071)
11. **HB0251.001.007_combo_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6073)
12. **HB0251.001.007_combo_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6068)
13. **HB0251.002.001.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6075)
14. **HB0251.002.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6057)
15. **HB0251.002.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6065)
16. **HB0251.002.002.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6076)
17. **HB0251.002.002_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6066)
18. **HB0251.002.002_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6058)
19. **HB0251.003.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6069)
20. **HB0251.003.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6062)
21. **HB0251.003.003.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6077)
22. **HB0251.003.003_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6070)
23. **HB0251.003.003_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6063)
24. **HB0251003CWS18821.slc.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=10375)
25. **HB0251_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6080)
26. **HB0251_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6081)
27. **HB0251_3.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6082)
28. **HB0251_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6083)

## Votes

- (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended — **16–7** (pass) · lower
- (H) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Carried — **97–3** (pass) · lower
- (H) 3rd Reading Passed — **70–25** (pass) · lower
- (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred — **13–6** (pass) · upper
- (H) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Failed — **32–68** (fail) · lower
- (S) 3rd Reading Concurred — **34–16** (pass) · upper
- (S) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Failed — **16–34** (fail) · upper
- (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed — **14–7** (pass) · lower
- (H) 2nd Reading Passed as Amended — **69–31** (pass) · lower
- (S) 2nd Reading Concurred — **34–16** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Llew Jones — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-03-13T22:17:58+00:00** Chapter Number Assigned `became-law`
- **2023-03-13T22:10:42+00:00** (H) Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-03-13T14:25:00+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2023-03-11T00:04:00+00:00** (S) Signed by President `passage`
- **2023-03-10T23:04:00+00:00** (H) Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2023-03-09T18:50:10+00:00** (C) Printed - Enrolled Version Available `enrolled`
- **2023-03-09T18:50:09+00:00** (H) Returned from Enrolling
- **2023-03-09T14:58:02+00:00** (H) Sent to Enrolling
- **2023-03-02T20:30:19+00:00** (S) Returned to House
- **2023-03-01T20:31:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-03-01T17:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-02-28T21:23:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2023-02-28T21:21:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Failed `amendment-failure, failure, reading-2`
- **2023-02-28T20:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2023-02-24T20:21:00+00:00** (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred
- **2023-02-23T16:00:00+00:00** (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred
- **2023-02-14T22:00:41+00:00** (S) Hearing
- **2023-02-06T20:25:00+00:00** (S) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2023-02-06T19:05:24+00:00** (S) Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-03T23:16:00+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Senate
- **2023-02-03T22:46:40+00:00** (H) Revised Fiscal Note Printed
- **2023-02-03T21:09:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-02-03T20:18:00+00:00** (H) Revised Fiscal Note Signed
- **2023-02-03T20:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-02-02T23:19:48+00:00** (H) Revised Fiscal Note Received `receipt`
- **2023-02-01T22:54:21+00:00** (C) Printed - New Version Available
- **2023-02-01T22:13:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Passed as Amended `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2023-02-01T21:57:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Carried `reading-2`
- **2023-02-01T21:56:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Failed `amendment-failure, failure, reading-2`
- **2023-02-01T20:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2023-01-31T01:27:45+00:00** (H) Revised Fiscal Note Requested
- **2023-01-30T21:45:21+00:00** (C) Printed - New Version Available
- **2023-01-30T20:11:00+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended `committee-passage`
- **2023-01-28T00:16:00+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended `committee-passage`
- **2023-01-27T00:40:40+00:00** (C) Amendments Available
- **2023-01-24T22:00:00+00:00** (H) Hearing
- **2023-01-23T21:51:00+00:00** (H) Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-23T20:45:00+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed `committee-passage`
- **2023-01-23T20:42:24+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed `committee-passage`
- **2023-01-19T16:42:25+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Printed
- **2023-01-19T16:42:19+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Signed
- **2023-01-19T16:00:49+00:00** (H) Hearing
- **2023-01-18T21:46:03+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Received `receipt`
- **2023-01-16T22:49:48+00:00** (C) Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2023-01-13T20:11:02+00:00** (H) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2023-01-13T18:28:02+00:00** (H) Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-13T16:51:13+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Requested
- **2023-01-13T16:19:22+00:00** (H) Introduced
- **2023-01-13T16:19:21+00:00** (C) Fiscal Note Probable
- **2023-01-13T14:50:14+00:00** (C) Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2023-01-12T00:02:30+00:00** (C) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2023-01-11T22:29:11+00:00** (C) Executive Director Final Review
- **2023-01-11T22:28:12+00:00** (C) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2023-01-11T19:05:39+00:00** (C) Draft in Assembly
- **2023-01-11T17:02:16+00:00** (C) Executive Director Review
- **2023-01-10T23:29:57+00:00** (C) Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2023-01-10T23:29:56+00:00** (C) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2023-01-10T20:56:23+00:00** (C) Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2023-01-10T20:27:13+00:00** (C) Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2023-01-10T18:59:09+00:00** (C) Draft in Edit
- **2023-01-10T17:50:13+00:00** (C) Draft in Legal Review
- **2023-01-05T19:08:33+00:00** (C) Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2022-11-10T16:44:43+00:00** (C) Draft On Hold
- **2022-07-26T18:16:57+00:00** (C) Draft Request Received `receipt`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/94222001-51af-4378-9680-c8cd068a8324`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).