Rules, Montana Legislature

	Montana Legislature	2013 Session
	2013 Rules -- House

Appendix
   (1) Except as provided in subsections (2) through (4), legislation dealing with an enumerated subject must be referred to a standing committee as follows:   Agriculture: Agriculture; country of origin labeling for products; crops; crop insurance; farm subsidies; fuel produced from grain; grazing (other than state land leases); irrigation; livestock; poultry; and weed control.
   Appropriations: Appropriations for the Legislature, general government, and bonding, including supplemental appropriations and the coal severance tax.
   Business and Labor: Alcohol regulation other than taxation; associations; corporations; credit transactions; employment; financial institutions; gambling; insurance; labor unions; partnerships; private sector pensions and pension plans; professions and occupations other than the practice of law; salaries and wages; sales; secured transactions; securities regulation other than criminal provisions; sports other than hunting, fishing, and competition water sports; trade regulation; unemployment insurance; the Uniform Commercial Code; and workers' compensation.
   Education: Higher education; home schools; K-12 education; religion in schools; school buildings and other structures; school libraries and university system libraries; school safety; school sports; school staff other than teachers; school transportation; students; teachers; and vocational education and training.
   Ethics: Ethical standards applicable to members, officers, and employees of the House and ethical standards for lobbyists.
   Federal Relations, Energy, and Telecommunications: Energy generation and transmission; Indian reservations; international relations; interstate cooperation and compacts, except those relating to law enforcement and water compacts; relations with the federal government; relations with sovereign Indian tribes; telecommunications; and utilities other than municipal utilities.
   Fish, Wildlife, and Parks: Fish; fishing; hunting; outdoor recreation; parks other than those owned by local governments; relations with federal and state governments concerning fish and wildlife; Virginia City and Nevada City; water sports; and wildlife.
   Human Services: Developmentally disabled persons; disabled persons; health; health and disability insurance; housing; human services; mental illness or incapacity; retirement other than pensions and pension plans; senior citizens; tobacco regulation other than taxation; and welfare.
   Judiciary: Abortion; arbitration and mediation; civil procedure; constitutional amendments; consumer protection; contracts; corrections; courts; criminal law; criminal procedure; discrimination; evidence; family law; fees imposed by or relating to the court system; guaranty; human rights; impeachment; indemnity; judicial system; landlord and tenant; law enforcement; liability and immunity from liability; minors; practice of law; privacy; property law; religion other than in schools; state law library; surety; torts; and trusts and estates.
   Legislative Administration: Interim committees and matters related to legislative administration, staffing patterns, budgets, equipment, operations, and expenditures.
   Local Government: Cities; consolidated governments; counties; libraries and parks owned or operated by local governments; local development; local government finance and revenue; local government officers and employees, local planning; special districts and other political subdivisions, except school districts; towns; and zoning.
   Natural Resources: Board of Land Commissioners; dams, except for electrical generation; emission standards; environmental protection; extractive activities; fires and fire protection, except for a local government fire department; forests and forestry; hazardous waste; mines and mining; natural gas; natural resources; oil; pollution; solid waste; state land, except state parks; water and water rights; water bodies and water courses; and water compacts.
   Rules: House rules; joint rules; legislative procedure; jurisdictions of committees; and rules of decorum.
   State Administration: Administrative rules; arts and antiquities; ballots; elections; initiative and referendum procedures; military affairs; public contracts and procurement; public employee retirement systems; state buildings; state employees; state employee benefits; state equipment and property, except state lands and state parks; state government generally; state-owned libraries other than the state law library; veterans; and voting.
   Taxation: Taxes other than fuel taxes.
   Transportation: Fuel taxes; highways; railroads; roads; traffic regulation; transportation generally; vehicles; and vehicle safety.
   (2) If a select committee is created to address a specific subject, then bills relating to that subject must be assigned to the select committee.
   (3) (a) If legislation deals with more than one subject and the subjects are assigned to more than one committee, the bill must be assigned to a class one committee before a class two committee and to a class two committee before a class three committee. If there is a conflict of subjects between the same class of committees, then the bill must be assigned by the Speaker.
   (b) If a bill contains substantive provisions dealing with policy and an appropriation, the bill must be referred to the committee with jurisdiction over the subject addressed in the policy provisions. If the bill is reported from the committee to which it was assigned, the Speaker may rerefer the bill to the Appropriations Committee. The referral must be announced to the House. The rereferral does not require action or approval by the House, but may be overturned by a majority vote.
   (4) If a committee chair upon consultation with the vice chair determines that the committee cannot effectively process all bills assigned to the committee because of time limitations, the chair shall, in writing, request the Speaker to reassign specific bills. The Speaker shall reassign the bills to an appropriate committee. The reassignments must be announced to the House. The reassignments do not require action or approval by the House, but may be overturned by a three-fifths vote.