Senate Bill No. 160

Introduced By _______________________________________________________________________________



A Bill for an Act entitled: "An Act authorizing a name change petition to proceed on a sealed-record basis when probable cause is shown that the safety of the petitioner is at risk; amending section

27-31-201, MCA; and providing an immediate effective date and an applicability date."



Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Montana:



Section 1.  Section 27-31-201, MCA, is amended to read:

"27-31-201.   Order setting hearing date -- notice -- safety. (1) When a petition setting out the matters contained in 27-31-101 or 27-31-102 is filed, the court or judge may appoint a time for hearing the petition. Except as provided in subsection subsections (2) and (3), notice of the time and place of hearing the petition must be published for 4 successive weeks in some newspaper published in the county, if a newspaper be is printed therein, but if no in the county. If a newspaper be is not printed in the county, a copy of such the notice must be posted in at least three public places in the county for a like period 4 successive weeks.

(2)  No publication Publication is not required for a change of name of a minor under 27-31-101 if both parents and all legal guardians consent in writing.

(3) The court may allow a petition to proceed on a sealed-record basis when probable cause is shown that the safety of the petitioner is at risk."



NEW SECTION. Section 2.  Applicability. [Section 1] applies to petitions filed on or after [the effective date of this act].



NEW SECTION. Section 3.  Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.

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