---
type: "Bill"
title: "Authorize legislative officer intervention in declaratory judgment action"
description: "Authorize legislative officer intervention in declaratory judgment action"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2023"
identifier: "SB 278"
citation: "Montana SB 278 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Civil Procedure", "Courts (see also: Judges and Justices; Juries and Jurors)", "Legislature"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Steve Fitzpatrick"]
version_count: 20
action_count: 52
vote_count: 9
first_action: "2022-10-03T19:07:36+00:00"
last_action: "2023-05-22T21:19:03+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/476d8823-3ed6-4f3f-9b2f-c9857ab21835"
source_url: "https://bills.legmt.gov/#/bill/20231/LC0585"
source_hash: "9314407e8f7faa55a75db3aead1cbd8f6161bfae8cd01863e7bf04c37bd1419b"
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 278 (2023) — Authorize legislative officer intervention in declaratory judgment action

## Version chain

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

1. **SB0278.001.001.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6997)
2. **SB0278.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=7000)
3. **SB0278.002.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6992)
4. **SB0278.002.002_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6994)
5. **SB0278.002.003_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6999)
6. **SB0278.002.004_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6993)
7. **SB0278.002.004_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6998)
8. **SB0278.003.001(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=12195)
9. **SB0278.003.001.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=12194)
10. **SB0278.003.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6995)
11. **SB0278.003.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6996)
12. **SB0278001SCS12595.slc.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6984)
13. **SB0278002SCS.slc.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6983)
14. **SB0278002SCS12595.slc.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6985)
15. **SB0278002SCS20718.slc.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6986)
16. **SB0278_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6974)
17. **SB0278_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6973)
18. **SB0278_3.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6972)
19. **SB0278_4.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6970)
20. **SB0278_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=6971)

## Votes

- (H) 3rd Reading Concurred — **65–32** (pass) · lower
- (S) 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by House — **34–16** (pass) · upper
- (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended — **11–5** (pass) · lower
- (S) 3rd Reading Passed — **34–16** (pass) · upper
- (H) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Carried — **67–33** (pass) · lower
- (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended — **11–0** (pass) · upper
- (H) 2nd Reading Concurred as Amended — **68–32** (pass) · lower
- (S) 2nd Reading House Amendments Concurred — **34–16** (pass) · upper
- (S) 2nd Reading Passed — **34–16** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Steve Fitzpatrick — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-05-22T21:19:03+00:00** Chapter Number Assigned `became-law`
- **2023-05-19T18:40:00+00:00** (S) Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-11T22:00:00+00:00** (S) Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2023-05-11T20:30:00+00:00** (H) Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2023-05-04T17:00:00+00:00** (S) Signed by President `passage`
- **2023-04-25T21:43:59+00:00** (C) Printed - Enrolled Version Available `enrolled`
- **2023-04-25T21:43:58+00:00** (S) Returned from Enrolling
- **2023-04-22T12:45:45+00:00** (S) Sent to Enrolling
- **2023-04-21T19:41:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by House `passage, passage, reading-3, reading-3`
- **2023-04-21T19:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-04-20T20:10:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading House Amendments Concurred `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage, reading-2, reading-2`
- **2023-04-20T19:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2023-04-18T14:31:41+00:00** (H) Returned to Senate with Amendments
- **2023-04-18T00:43:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-04-17T19:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2023-04-12T20:34:12+00:00** (C) Printed - New Version Available
- **2023-04-12T15:29:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Concurred as Amended `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2023-04-12T15:22:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Carried `reading-2`
- **2023-04-12T14:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2023-04-06T15:40:47+00:00** (C) Printed - New Version Available
- **2023-04-05T22:04:00+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended
- **2023-04-05T18:00:00+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended
- **2023-03-24T18:00:00+00:00** (H) Hearing
- **2023-03-17T18:19:29+00:00** (H) Hearing Canceled
- **2023-03-14T19:34:01+00:00** (H) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2023-03-14T01:08:23+00:00** (H) Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-27T22:47:51+00:00** (S) Transmitted to House
- **2023-02-24T22:41:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-02-23T21:37:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2023-02-20T21:12:47+00:00** (C) Printed - New Version Available
- **2023-02-20T20:35:00+00:00** (S) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended `committee-passage`
- **2023-02-17T16:00:00+00:00** (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended `committee-passage`
- **2023-02-13T21:41:01+00:00** (C) Amendments Available
- **2023-02-09T16:00:04+00:00** (S) Hearing
- **2023-02-06T20:16:00+00:00** (S) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2023-02-06T19:08:25+00:00** (C) Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2023-02-06T19:04:19+00:00** (S) Referred to Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-06T16:49:49+00:00** (S) Introduced
- **2023-02-06T16:46:22+00:00** (C) Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2023-02-04T21:57:40+00:00** (C) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2023-02-04T15:46:36+00:00** (C) Executive Director Final Review
- **2023-02-04T15:46:31+00:00** (C) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2023-02-03T21:25:25+00:00** (C) Draft in Assembly
- **2023-02-03T19:34:14+00:00** (C) Executive Director Review
- **2023-02-03T17:13:43+00:00** (C) Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2023-02-03T17:13:42+00:00** (C) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2023-02-03T00:00:26+00:00** (C) Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2023-02-02T23:06:54+00:00** (C) Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2023-01-31T20:37:29+00:00** (C) Draft in Edit
- **2023-01-23T17:02:51+00:00** (C) Draft in Legal Review
- **2023-01-23T15:25:45+00:00** (C) Draft to Requester for Review
- **2022-10-03T19:07:36+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/476d8823-3ed6-4f3f-9b2f-c9857ab21835`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).