---
type: "Bill"
title: "Enhance penalty for crime against vulnerable person"
description: "Enhance penalty for crime against vulnerable person"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2025"
identifier: "SB 296"
citation: "Montana SB 296 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Crimes", "Criminal Procedure", "Minors", "Senior Citizens"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Mike Yakawich"]
version_count: 41
action_count: 51
vote_count: 9
first_action: "2024-11-29T14:57:59+00:00"
last_action: "2025-05-13T13:17:13+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/697ef822-0323-44c6-80fa-e437c3cb7cc3"
source_url: "https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2085?open_tab=sum"
source_hash: "a78a2cef124307254543324ac67f644cb60d84f02747adb46e037948f7ebd96e"
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 296 (2025) — Enhance penalty for crime against vulnerable person

## Version chain

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

1. **LC2085.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=279387)
2. **SB0296.001.002_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=298168)
3. **SB0296.001.003_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=298898)
4. **SB0296.001.003_Amendments-in-Context_final-not condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299209)
5. **SB0296_1(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=282010)
6. **SB0296_1(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=290437)
7. **SB0296_1(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299207)
8. **SB0296_1(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299645)
9. **SB0296_1(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299646)
10. **SB0296_1(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299647)
11. **SB0296_1(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299648)
12. **SB0296_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=280710)
13. **SB0296_2(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299650)
14. **SB0296_2(10).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=311338)
15. **SB0296_2(11).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=311340)
16. **SB0296_2(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299652)
17. **SB0296_2(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299653)
18. **SB0296_2(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299717)
19. **SB0296_2(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299718)
20. **SB0296_2(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299719)
21. **SB0296_2(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299720)
22. **SB0296_2(8).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299724)
23. **SB0296_2(9).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307991)
24. **SB0296_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=299649)
25. **SB0296_X(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=311342)
26. **SB0296_X(10).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=320660)
27. **SB0296_X(11).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=322646)
28. **SB0296_X(12).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=322647)
29. **SB0296_X(13).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=322648)
30. **SB0296_X(14).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=322652)
31. **SB0296_X(15).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=324943)
32. **SB0296_X(16).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=326487)
33. **SB0296_X(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=311343)
34. **SB0296_X(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=312271)
35. **SB0296_X(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=312272)
36. **SB0296_X(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=312609)
37. **SB0296_X(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=312610)
38. **SB0296_X(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=312619)
39. **SB0296_X(8).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=312620)
40. **SB0296_X(9).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=317094)
41. **SB0296_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=311341)

## Votes

- Do Concur — **98–0** (pass) · lower
- do_pass — **11–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **42–6** (pass) · upper
- be_concurred_in_as_amended — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **50–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **50–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **28–22** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **98–0** (pass) · lower
- be_concurred_in — **22–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Mike Yakawich — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-11-29T14:57:59+00:00** (LC) Drafter Assigned
- **2025-02-04T04:29:11+00:00** (LC) Draft in Legal Review
- **2025-02-04T21:37:57+00:00** (LC) Draft in Edit
- **2025-02-05T21:37:55+00:00** (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2025-02-06T17:33:34+00:00** (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2025-02-06T21:59:06+00:00** (LC) Draft in Assembly
- **2025-02-07T14:22:58+00:00** (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2025-02-10T15:06:24+00:00** (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2025-02-11T15:05:40+00:00** (S) Introduced
- **2025-02-11T20:11:22+00:00** (S) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2025-02-12T23:26:22+00:00** (S) Referred to Committee - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-12T23:53:04+00:00** (S) Fiscal Note Requested
- **2025-02-13T20:31:10+00:00** (S) Hearing - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
- **2025-02-21T21:25:28+00:00** (S) Fiscal Note Received `receipt`
- **2025-02-21T23:00:22+00:00** (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-22T01:22:36+00:00** (S) Fiscal Note Signed
- **2025-02-24T16:30:54+00:00** (S) Fiscal Note Printed
- **2025-02-24T20:31:00+00:00** (S) Committee Report--Bill Passed - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-28T09:37:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-02-28T21:21:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-03-01T09:37:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-03-01T15:27:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-03-01T17:11:15+00:00** (S) Transmitted to House
- **2025-03-03T17:23:38+00:00** (H) Referred to Committee - (H) Human Services `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-03T20:15:13+00:00** (H) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2025-03-05T22:23:15+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) Human Services
- **2025-03-27T00:13:49+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended - (H) Human Services
- **2025-03-27T19:23:00+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended - (H) Human Services
- **2025-04-01T18:50:19+00:00** (S) Revised Fiscal Note Received `receipt`
- **2025-04-01T22:04:57+00:00** (S) Revised Fiscal Note Signed
- **2025-04-02T15:52:02+00:00** (S) Revised Fiscal Note Printed
- **2025-04-08T19:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-04-08T19:23:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-04-08T21:10:23+00:00** (H) Rereferred to Committee - (H) Appropriations `referral-committee, referral-committee`
- **2025-04-08T21:16:10+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) Appropriations
- **2025-04-09T16:39:36+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred - (H) Appropriations
- **2025-04-09T22:21:00+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Concurred - (H) Appropriations
- **2025-04-10T14:30:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-04-10T14:54:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-04-10T17:21:41+00:00** (H) Returned to Senate with Amendments
- **2025-04-12T15:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-04-12T16:39:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading House Amendments Concurred `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage, reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-04-14T16:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-04-14T17:48:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by House `passage, passage, reading-3, reading-3`
- **2025-04-15T21:50:53+00:00** (S) Sent to Enrolling
- **2025-04-17T05:17:44+00:00** (S) Returned from Enrolling
- **2025-04-22T23:00:10+00:00** (S) Signed by President `passage`
- **2025-05-01T18:00:14+00:00** (H) Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2025-05-01T18:36:33+00:00** (S) Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2025-05-09T02:37:00+00:00** (S) Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2025-05-13T13:17:13+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/697ef822-0323-44c6-80fa-e437c3cb7cc3`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).