---
type: "Bill"
title: "Revise laws related to water and coal mining"
description: "Revise laws related to water and coal mining"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2023"
identifier: "HB 576"
citation: "Montana HB 576 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Dams (same as: Water)", "Environmental Protection", "Mining and Minerals (see also: Oil and Gas)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Rhonda Knudsen"]
version_count: 20
action_count: 63
vote_count: 16
first_action: "2022-11-29T20:38:54+00:00"
last_action: "2023-05-22T20:47:10+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/dfe822db-d586-4f1d-b6ba-18df6a12700a"
source_url: "https://bills.legmt.gov/#/bill/20231/LC1611"
source_hash: "072982f6b10136e9261d7170fc5356cc21216161684534c27f78eed596de8b75"
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 576 (2023) — Revise laws related to water and coal mining

## Version chain

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

1. **HB0576.001.001.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9025)
2. **HB0576.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9012)
3. **HB0576.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9023)
4. **HB0576.001.002_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9020)
5. **HB0576.001.002_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9022)
6. **HB0576.001.003_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9013)
7. **HB0576.001.003_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9015)
8. **HB0576.001.005_Amendments-in-Context-final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9017)
9. **HB0576.001.006_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9014)
10. **HB0576.001.007_combo_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9021)
11. **HB0576.001.007_combo_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9016)
12. **HB0576.002.001.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9024)
13. **HB0576.002.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9018)
14. **HB0576.002.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9019)
15. **HB0576_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9029)
16. **HB0576_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9030)
17. **HB0576_3.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9028)
18. **HB0576_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9031)
19. **HB576.1.3-emails.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9027)
20. **HB576.1.5-emails.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=9026)

## Votes

- (H) 2nd Reading Senate Amendments Not Concurred — **70–29** (pass) · lower
- (S) Tabled in Committee — **9–2** (pass) · upper
- (S) 3rd Reading Free Conference Committee Report Adopted — **33–16** (pass) · upper
- (S) Taken from Table in Committee — **6–4** (pass) · upper
- (S) 2nd Reading Free Conference Committee Report Adopted — **33–17** (pass) · upper
- (S) Free Conference Committee Report Received — **4–2** (pass) · upper
- (H) 2nd Reading Passed — **69–31** (pass) · lower
- (S) 3rd Reading Concurred — **33–17** (pass) · upper
- (H) Free Conference Committee Report Received — **4–2** (pass) · lower
- (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended — **6–5** (pass) · upper
- (H) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Failed — **31–68** (fail) · lower
- (S) 2nd Reading Concurred — **33–17** (pass) · upper
- (H) 3rd Reading Free Conference Committee Report Adopted — **71–23** (pass) · lower
- (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed — **10–5** (pass) · lower
- (H) 3rd Reading Passed — **69–30** (pass) · lower
- (H) 2nd Reading Free Conference Committee Report Adopted — **75–25** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Rhonda Knudsen — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-05-22T20:47:10+00:00** Chapter Number Assigned `became-law`
- **2023-05-19T20:26:08+00:00** (H) Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-11T21:00:00+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2023-05-11T18:40:00+00:00** (S) Signed by President `passage`
- **2023-05-11T17:00:00+00:00** (H) Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2023-05-03T20:41:31+00:00** (C) Printed - Enrolled Version Available `enrolled`
- **2023-05-03T20:41:30+00:00** (H) Returned from Enrolling
- **2023-05-02T15:19:17+00:00** (C) Printed - New Version Available
- **2023-05-02T15:11:24+00:00** (H) Sent to Enrolling
- **2023-05-01T20:31:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Free Conference Committee Report Adopted
- **2023-05-01T20:30:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-05-01T20:00:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Free Conference Committee Report Adopted
- **2023-05-01T19:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-04-29T15:50:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Free Conference Committee Report Adopted `reading-2`
- **2023-04-29T15:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2023-04-28T20:34:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Free Conference Committee Report Adopted `reading-2`
- **2023-04-28T19:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2023-04-25T22:00:02+00:00** (H) Free Conference Committee Report Received `receipt`
- **2023-04-25T22:00:01+00:00** (S) Free Conference Committee Report Received `receipt`
- **2023-04-25T22:00:00+00:00** (S) Hearing
- **2023-04-24T23:43:00+00:00** (S) Free Conference Committee Appointed
- **2023-04-21T21:29:00+00:00** (H) Free Conference Committee Appointed
- **2023-04-21T20:44:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Senate Amendments Not Concurred `reading-2`
- **2023-04-19T02:13:00+00:00** (S) Returned to House with Amendments
- **2023-04-18T22:08:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-04-18T20:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-04-18T01:49:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2023-04-17T22:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2023-04-17T18:35:51+00:00** (C) Printed - New Version Available
- **2023-04-15T03:07:00+00:00** (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended
- **2023-04-14T21:00:01+00:00** (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended
- **2023-04-14T21:00:00+00:00** (S) Taken from Table in Committee
- **2023-04-12T21:00:00+00:00** (S) Tabled in Committee `amendment-deferral`
- **2023-03-29T21:00:00+00:00** (S) Hearing
- **2023-03-14T14:19:44+00:00** (S) Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-10T00:13:53+00:00** (S) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2023-03-03T17:19:39+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Senate
- **2023-03-03T04:18:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-03-01T18:42:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2023-03-01T18:36:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Failed `amendment-failure, failure, reading-2`
- **2023-03-01T16:17:20+00:00** (C) Amendments Available
- **2023-02-23T20:21:00+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed `committee-passage`
- **2023-02-22T23:13:00+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed `committee-passage`
- **2023-02-22T22:00:21+00:00** (H) Hearing
- **2023-02-16T20:31:43+00:00** (H) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2023-02-16T17:53:28+00:00** (H) Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-16T05:05:40+00:00** (C) Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2023-02-16T01:36:33+00:00** (H) Introduced
- **2023-02-14T22:04:03+00:00** (C) Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2023-02-09T17:58:04+00:00** (C) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2023-02-09T14:37:59+00:00** (C) Executive Director Final Review
- **2023-02-09T14:37:56+00:00** (C) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2023-02-09T13:37:48+00:00** (C) Draft in Assembly
- **2023-02-09T13:25:21+00:00** (C) Executive Director Review
- **2023-02-08T19:26:24+00:00** (C) Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2023-02-08T19:26:23+00:00** (C) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2023-02-08T17:04:59+00:00** (C) Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2023-02-07T00:22:44+00:00** (C) Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2023-02-03T18:46:15+00:00** (C) Draft in Edit
- **2023-02-02T18:39:10+00:00** (C) Draft in Legal Review
- **2023-01-11T20:39:48+00:00** (C) Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2023-01-09T17:57:30+00:00** (C) Draft On Hold
- **2022-11-29T20:38:54+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/dfe822db-d586-4f1d-b6ba-18df6a12700a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).