---
type: "Bill"
title: "Revise when a party in a proceeding is entitled to jury trial"
description: "Revise when a party in a proceeding is entitled to jury trial"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2025"
identifier: "HB 480"
citation: "Montana HB 480 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Ballot Issues", "Courts", "Judges and Justices"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Brandon Ler"]
version_count: 34
action_count: 52
vote_count: 11
first_action: "2024-12-13T14:00:44+00:00"
last_action: "2025-05-19T21:55:17+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/522bd183-7ff1-4ae1-aed8-4230b66b1099"
source_url: "https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2936?open_tab=sum"
source_hash: "5079fa3ac46e2f0d15d312b136b955f70bf539144bdcdfafb1c8d4b0d596cea1"
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 480 (2025) — Revise when a party in a proceeding is entitled to jury trial

## Version chain

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

1. **HB0480.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=302453)
2. **HB0480_1(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=282053)
3. **HB0480_1(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=289952)
4. **HB0480_1(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=303866)
5. **HB0480_1(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=304265)
6. **HB0480_1(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=304266)
7. **HB0480_1(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=304268)
8. **HB0480_1(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=304269)
9. **HB0480_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=281726)
10. **HB0480_2(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=304271)
11. **HB0480_2(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=304272)
12. **HB0480_2(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=304285)
13. **HB0480_2(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=304293)
14. **HB0480_2(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=304295)
15. **HB0480_2(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=304298)
16. **HB0480_2(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=306051)
17. **HB0480_2(8).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=313506)
18. **HB0480_2(9).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=313507)
19. **HB0480_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=304270)
20. **HB0480_X(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=313509)
21. **HB0480_X(10).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=323266)
22. **HB0480_X(11).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=325066)
23. **HB0480_X(12).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=326751)
24. **HB0480_X(13).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=327762)
25. **HB0480_X(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=313510)
26. **HB0480_X(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=313736)
27. **HB0480_X(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=313737)
28. **HB0480_X(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=313738)
29. **HB0480_X(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=317268)
30. **HB0480_X(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=320780)
31. **HB0480_X(8).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=323264)
32. **HB0480_X(9).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=323265)
33. **HB0480_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=313508)
34. **LC2936.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=272324)

## Votes

- Do Concur — **48–50** (fail) · lower
- do_pass — **12–8** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **32–18** (pass) · upper
- ReconsAction for thrid reading - S Fitzpatrick — **54–44** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **32–17** (pass) · upper
- ReconsAction - Sullivan — **45–52** (fail) · lower
- Do Pass — **61–39** (pass) · lower
- be_concurred_in_as_amended — **5–3** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **50–49** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **55–45** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **58–40** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Brandon Ler — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-12-13T14:00:44+00:00** (LC) Drafter Assigned
- **2024-12-13T14:00:44+00:00** (LC) Draft On Hold
- **2024-12-20T20:44:42+00:00** (LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2024-12-20T20:45:56+00:00** (LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2024-12-20T20:46:09+00:00** (LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2024-12-21T22:35:13+00:00** (LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2025-01-16T21:02:25+00:00** (LC) Draft in Legal Review
- **2025-01-17T13:43:04+00:00** (LC) Draft in Edit
- **2025-01-17T15:59:14+00:00** (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2025-01-17T16:27:04+00:00** (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2025-01-17T16:31:32+00:00** (LC) Draft in Assembly
- **2025-01-17T17:41:23+00:00** (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2025-02-12T15:09:44+00:00** (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2025-02-12T22:33:48+00:00** (H) Introduced
- **2025-02-13T18:03:16+00:00** (H) Referred to Committee - (H) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-13T19:41:47+00:00** (H) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2025-02-13T21:41:00+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) Judiciary
- **2025-02-17T16:05:35+00:00** (H) Hearing Canceled - (H) Judiciary
- **2025-02-17T16:29:28+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) Judiciary
- **2025-02-21T19:44:29+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (H) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-21T22:14:47+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed - (H) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-26T22:18:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Pass Consideration `reading-2`
- **2025-02-27T20:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-02-27T20:51:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-02-28T20:29:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-02-28T20:40:46+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Senate
- **2025-02-28T23:00:00+00:00** (S) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2025-02-28T23:11:01+00:00** (S) Referred to Committee - (S) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-18T15:17:13+00:00** (S) Hearing - (S) Judiciary
- **2025-04-03T18:09:19+00:00** (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended - (S) Judiciary
- **2025-04-03T20:30:00+00:00** (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended - (S) Judiciary
- **2025-04-05T14:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-04-05T15:22:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-04-07T18:06:02+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Requested
- **2025-04-07T19:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-04-07T21:47:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-04-07T23:51:17+00:00** (S) Returned to House with Amendments
- **2025-04-15T19:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-04-15T20:01:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Senate Amendments Concurred `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage, reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-04-16T19:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-04-16T21:03:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Not Passed as Amended by Senate `reading-3`
- **2025-04-17T22:30:00+00:00** (H) Reconsidered Previous Action; Remains in 3rd Reading Process `reading-3`
- **2025-04-18T16:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-04-18T17:22:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by Senate `passage, passage, reading-3, reading-3`
- **2025-04-18T18:30:00+00:00** (H) Reconsidered Previous Action; Remains in 3rd Reading Process `reading-3`
- **2025-04-18T19:10:07+00:00** (H) Sent to Enrolling
- **2025-04-20T14:44:20+00:00** (H) Returned from Enrolling
- **2025-05-06T19:25:34+00:00** (H) Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2025-05-07T18:00:11+00:00** (S) Signed by President `passage`
- **2025-05-07T19:57:00+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2025-05-13T18:37:00+00:00** (H) Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2025-05-19T21:55:17+00:00** 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/522bd183-7ff1-4ae1-aed8-4230b66b1099`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).