---
type: "Bill"
title: "Require interest on criminal restitution and fines"
description: "Require interest on criminal restitution and fines"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2023"
identifier: "HB 541"
citation: "Montana HB 541 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Courts (see also: Judges and Justices; Juries and Jurors)", "Crimes"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Brandon Ler"]
version_count: 14
action_count: 67
vote_count: 9
first_action: "2022-12-03T18:46:44+00:00"
last_action: "2023-05-19T16:58:50+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/9ae73417-05eb-4707-b024-36c0b0459c19"
source_url: "https://bills.legmt.gov/#/bill/20231/LC2273"
source_hash: "952567d054e51ef631195ff7bfbfe41781c5c83b7541697f0ce67d52b0dc3197"
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 541 (2023) — Require interest on criminal restitution and fines

## Version chain

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

1. **HB0541.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed (1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8613)
2. **HB0541.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8611)
3. **HB0541.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full (1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8614)
4. **HB0541.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8612)
5. **HB0541.002.001.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8616)
6. **HB0541.002.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8610)
7. **HB0541.002.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8608)
8. **HB0541.003.001.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8615)
9. **HB0541.003.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8607)
10. **HB0541.003.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8609)
11. **HB0541_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8621)
12. **HB0541_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8622)
13. **HB0541_3.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8620)
14. **HB0541_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=8619)

## Votes

- (H) 3rd Reading Passed — **68–30** (pass) · lower
- (H) 2nd Reading Passed as Amended — **69–31** (pass) · lower
- (S) 3rd Reading Concurred — **29–21** (pass) · upper
- (H) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Carried — **98–2** (pass) · lower
- (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed — **16–7** (pass) · lower
- (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred — **6–5** (pass) · upper
- (S) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Failed — **15–34** (fail) · upper
- (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended — **13–6** (pass) · lower
- (S) 2nd Reading Concurred — **31–19** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Brandon Ler — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-05-19T16:58:50+00:00** Chapter Number Assigned `became-law`
- **2023-05-18T23:01:51+00:00** (H) Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-08T16:20:00+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2023-05-04T18:00:00+00:00** (S) Signed by President `passage`
- **2023-04-29T20:00:00+00:00** (H) Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2023-04-23T19:10:27+00:00** (C) Printed - Enrolled Version Available `enrolled`
- **2023-04-23T19:10:26+00:00** (H) Returned from Enrolling
- **2023-04-20T15:18:07+00:00** (H) Sent to Enrolling
- **2023-04-19T02:35:00+00:00** (S) Returned to House
- **2023-04-18T22:07:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-04-18T19:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-04-17T19:44:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2023-04-17T19:41:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Failed `amendment-failure, failure, reading-2`
- **2023-04-17T16:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2023-04-12T19:21:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Pass Consideration `reading-2`
- **2023-04-06T19:13:00+00:00** (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred
- **2023-04-05T14:00:00+00:00** (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred
- **2023-03-30T14:00:00+00:00** (S) Hearing
- **2023-03-15T14:58:00+00:00** (S) Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-13T20:03:59+00:00** (H) Revised Fiscal Note Printed
- **2023-03-10T21:03:27+00:00** (H) Revised Fiscal Note Signed
- **2023-03-10T15:25:12+00:00** (H) Revised Fiscal Note Received `receipt`
- **2023-03-02T16:43:00+00:00** (S) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2023-03-02T03:00:00+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Senate
- **2023-03-02T02:21:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-03-01T20:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-03-01T15:19:00+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed `committee-passage`
- **2023-03-01T00:28:32+00:00** (C) Printed - New Version Available
- **2023-03-01T00:01:00+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed `committee-passage`
- **2023-03-01T00:00:00+00:00** (H) Hearing
- **2023-02-28T23:43:00+00:00** (H) Rereferred to Committee `referral-committee, referral-committee`
- **2023-02-28T23:07:01+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Passed as Amended `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2023-02-28T23:07:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Carried `reading-2`
- **2023-02-28T20:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2023-02-27T18:21:02+00:00** (H) Revised Fiscal Note Requested
- **2023-02-25T22:44:29+00:00** (C) Printed - New Version Available
- **2023-02-24T23:37:00+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended `committee-passage`
- **2023-02-24T14:00:00+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended `committee-passage`
- **2023-02-23T23:37:46+00:00** (C) Amendments Available
- **2023-02-22T14:00:55+00:00** (H) Hearing
- **2023-02-21T17:49:03+00:00** (H) Hearing Canceled
- **2023-02-21T01:35:32+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Printed
- **2023-02-20T21:58:26+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Unsigned
- **2023-02-20T18:03:29+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Received `receipt`
- **2023-02-20T14:54:47+00:00** (H) Hearing Canceled
- **2023-02-16T23:12:58+00:00** (H) Hearing Canceled
- **2023-02-16T20:31:26+00:00** (H) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2023-02-16T17:40:04+00:00** (H) Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-14T20:51:09+00:00** (C) Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2023-02-14T20:38:51+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Requested
- **2023-02-14T20:36:54+00:00** (H) Introduced
- **2023-02-13T22:38:47+00:00** (C) Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2023-02-13T19:21:13+00:00** (C) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2023-02-11T21:20:53+00:00** (C) Executive Director Final Review
- **2023-02-11T21:20:47+00:00** (C) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2023-02-10T22:45:13+00:00** (C) Draft in Assembly
- **2023-02-10T18:38:20+00:00** (C) Executive Director Review
- **2023-02-10T16:08:01+00:00** (C) Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2023-02-10T16:08:00+00:00** (C) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2023-02-09T23:40:51+00:00** (C) Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2023-02-09T18:14:55+00:00** (C) Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2023-02-07T21:04:27+00:00** (C) Draft in Edit
- **2023-02-07T19:56:15+00:00** (C) Draft in Legal Review
- **2023-02-07T00:01:50+00:00** (C) Draft to Requester for Review
- **2023-01-18T02:47:13+00:00** (C) Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2022-12-30T22:04:38+00:00** (C) Draft On Hold
- **2022-12-03T18:46:44+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/9ae73417-05eb-4707-b024-36c0b0459c19`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).