---
type: "Bill"
title: "Generally revise child abuse and neglect laws"
description: "Generally revise child abuse and neglect laws"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2025"
identifier: "SB 256"
citation: "Montana SB 256 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Civil Procedure", "Courts", "Family Law", "Minors", "Social Services"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Dennis Lenz"]
version_count: 28
action_count: 48
vote_count: 8
first_action: "2024-11-06T22:07:10+00:00"
last_action: "2025-04-17T20:34:53+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f7403123-2a57-486f-a58e-6d61b10c1e1c"
source_url: "https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC0925?open_tab=sum"
source_hash: "e4fbd5523b58e81866061992178b072f0b9cf90857503b9a8214ba9f2731fb1f"
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 256 (2025) — Generally revise child abuse and neglect laws

## Version chain

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

1. **LC0925.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=277261)
2. **SB0256.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=294448)
3. **SB0256.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=294449)
4. **SB0256_1(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=279292)
5. **SB0256_1(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=285756)
6. **SB0256_1(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=295129)
7. **SB0256_1(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=295522)
8. **SB0256_1(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=295523)
9. **SB0256_1(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=295524)
10. **SB0256_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=278131)
11. **SB0256_2(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=295526)
12. **SB0256_2(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=295527)
13. **SB0256_2(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=295550)
14. **SB0256_2(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=295552)
15. **SB0256_2(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=295554)
16. **SB0256_2(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=298463)
17. **SB0256_2(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=300490)
18. **SB0256_2(8).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=300491)
19. **SB0256_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=295525)
20. **SB0256_X(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=316588)
21. **SB0256_X(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=317456)
22. **SB0256_X(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=317457)
23. **SB0256_X(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=317458)
24. **SB0256_X(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=320865)
25. **SB0256_X(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=324343)
26. **SB0256_X(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=326026)
27. **SB0256_X(8).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=327443)
28. **SB0256_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=310633)

## Votes

- do_pass — **7–4** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **27–23** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **99–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **31–19** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **97–0** (pass) · lower
- be_concurred_in_as_amended — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **48–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **47–1** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Dennis Lenz — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-11-06T22:07:10+00:00** (LC) Drafter Assigned
- **2024-11-07T22:59:54+00:00** (LC) Draft On Hold
- **2024-11-27T05:51:02+00:00** (LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2025-01-09T05:12:19+00:00** (LC) Draft On Hold
- **2025-01-17T23:15:12+00:00** (LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2025-01-29T16:02:45+00:00** (LC) Draft in Legal Review
- **2025-01-29T22:40:54+00:00** (LC) Draft in Edit
- **2025-01-30T04:50:54+00:00** (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2025-01-30T16:16:16+00:00** (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2025-01-31T15:22:46+00:00** (LC) Draft in Assembly
- **2025-01-31T17:05:30+00:00** (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2025-02-03T15:40:15+00:00** (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2025-02-03T15:53:10+00:00** (S) Introduced
- **2025-02-03T20:16:00+00:00** (S) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2025-02-05T17:27:25+00:00** (S) Referred to Committee - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-05T20:42:45+00:00** (S) Hearing - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
- **2025-02-14T23:33:51+00:00** (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-15T15:22:00+00:00** (S) Committee Report--Bill Passed - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-20T11:15:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-02-20T19:15:32+00:00** (S) Fiscal Note Requested
- **2025-02-20T21:47:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-02-21T11:15:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-02-21T21:19:57+00:00** (S) Fiscal Note Received `receipt`
- **2025-02-21T21:33:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-02-21T22:30:01+00:00** (S) Transmitted to House
- **2025-02-22T01:16:37+00:00** (S) Fiscal Note Signed
- **2025-02-22T15:13:31+00:00** (H) Referred to Committee - (H) Human Services `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-22T16:10:30+00:00** (H) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2025-02-24T16:27:23+00:00** (S) Fiscal Note Printed
- **2025-03-05T22:22:56+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) Human Services
- **2025-03-18T23:36:29+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended - (H) Human Services
- **2025-03-19T19:35:00+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended - (H) Human Services
- **2025-03-24T19:30:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-03-24T21:52:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-03-25T19:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-03-25T19:35:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-03-25T22:00:54+00:00** (H) Returned to Senate with Amendments
- **2025-03-27T19:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-03-27T19:27:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading House Amendments Concurred `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage, reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-03-28T19:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-03-28T21:19:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by House `passage, passage, reading-3, reading-3`
- **2025-03-28T22:30:28+00:00** (S) Sent to Enrolling
- **2025-03-30T17:27:30+00:00** (S) Returned from Enrolling
- **2025-04-02T18:00:52+00:00** (S) Signed by President `passage`
- **2025-04-08T15:45:31+00:00** (H) Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2025-04-08T22:56:08+00:00** (S) Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2025-04-16T18:00:07+00:00** (S) Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2025-04-17T20:34:53+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/f7403123-2a57-486f-a58e-6d61b10c1e1c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).