---
type: "Bill"
title: "Requiring substitution of district court judges by random selection"
description: "Requiring substitution of district court judges by random selection"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2025"
identifier: "SB 41"
citation: "Montana SB 41 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Courts", "Judges and Justices"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Daniel Emrich"]
version_count: 34
action_count: 40
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2024-11-15T16:28:58+00:00"
last_action: "2025-05-08T21:35:54+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/22d7fe4e-3342-408d-a48c-404edbcf376e"
source_url: "https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1435?open_tab=sum"
source_hash: "701ae18866e80d501cfe8de8c5b9f5459369c66afb01c2fa0b010275c3534793"
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 41 (2025) — Requiring substitution of district court judges by random selection

## Version chain

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

1. **LC1435.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=266616)
2. **SB0041.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=273780)
3. **SB0041.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=273779)
4. **SB0041_1(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=267814)
5. **SB0041_1(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=274324)
6. **SB0041_1(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=274326)
7. **SB0041_1(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=274327)
8. **SB0041_1(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=274328)
9. **SB0041_1(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=275558)
10. **SB0041_1(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=276599)
11. **SB0041_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=267813)
12. **SB0041_2(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=274330)
13. **SB0041_2(10).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=306320)
14. **SB0041_2(11).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=309056)
15. **SB0041_2(12).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=309061)
16. **SB0041_2(13).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=309062)
17. **SB0041_2(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=274336)
18. **SB0041_2(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=274338)
19. **SB0041_2(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=274364)
20. **SB0041_2(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=274365)
21. **SB0041_2(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=274369)
22. **SB0041_2(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=275564)
23. **SB0041_2(8).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=276605)
24. **SB0041_2(9).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=277166)
25. **SB0041_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=274329)
26. **SB0041_X(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=316871)
27. **SB0041_X(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=320447)
28. **SB0041_X(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=321735)
29. **SB0041_X(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=321736)
30. **SB0041_X(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=321737)
31. **SB0041_X(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=324723)
32. **SB0041_X(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=326233)
33. **SB0041_X(8).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=326990)
34. **SB0041_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=310934)

## Votes

- Do Concur — **56–43** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **32–17** (pass) · upper
- be_concurred_in — **12–8** (pass) · lower
- do_pass_as_amended — **6–3** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **32–18** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **56–42** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Daniel Emrich — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-11-15T16:28:58+00:00** (LC) Drafter Assigned
- **2024-11-19T20:31:47+00:00** (LC) Draft in Legal Review
- **2024-11-22T23:17:39+00:00** (LC) Draft in Edit
- **2024-12-02T17:29:13+00:00** (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2024-12-02T20:52:55+00:00** (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2024-12-04T18:45:10+00:00** (LC) Draft in Assembly
- **2024-12-06T20:07:11+00:00** (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2024-12-12T16:59:41+00:00** (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2024-12-12T17:55:00+00:00** (S) Introduced
- **2025-01-06T21:40:00+00:00** (S) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2025-01-07T21:41:00+00:00** (S) Referred to Committee - (S) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2025-01-10T19:12:16+00:00** (S) Hearing - (S) Judiciary
- **2025-01-23T18:28:28+00:00** (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended - (S) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2025-01-24T21:41:00+00:00** (S) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended - (S) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2025-01-28T20:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-01-28T21:07:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-01-29T20:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-01-29T21:59:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-01-29T22:47:05+00:00** (S) Transmitted to House
- **2025-01-30T17:12:43+00:00** (H) Referred to Committee - (H) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2025-01-30T20:14:01+00:00** (H) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2025-02-18T19:29:30+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Requested
- **2025-02-19T21:47:57+00:00** (S) Fiscal Note Requested
- **2025-02-24T21:48:04+00:00** (S) Fiscal Note Received `receipt`
- **2025-02-26T01:46:43+00:00** (S) Fiscal Note Unsigned
- **2025-02-26T15:22:05+00:00** (S) Fiscal Note Printed
- **2025-04-03T20:37:04+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) Judiciary
- **2025-04-08T16:58:03+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred - (H) Judiciary
- **2025-04-08T21:19:00+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Concurred - (H) Judiciary
- **2025-04-10T14:30:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-04-10T16:19:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-04-11T21:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-04-11T23:27:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-04-11T23:28:17+00:00** (S) Sent to Enrolling
- **2025-04-12T15:56:11+00:00** (S) Returned from Enrolling
- **2025-04-21T22:00:51+00:00** (S) Signed by President `passage`
- **2025-04-25T21:15:16+00:00** (H) Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2025-04-25T22:00:05+00:00** (S) Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2025-05-05T18:21:00+00:00** (S) Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2025-05-08T21:35:54+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/22d7fe4e-3342-408d-a48c-404edbcf376e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).