_____________ bill NO. _____________

INTRODUCED BY _________________________________________________

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT generally revising laws related to forestry and AGRICULTURe; providing for abandonment of certain equipment; revising criteria for attorney general litigation on federal forest management projects; Providing for an abandoned interest fee; AMENDING SECTION 76-13-154, MCA; and PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Disposition of abandoned machinery, construction equipment, and farm equipment. (1) If two or more persons own a piece of machinery, construction equipment, or farm equipment and one person elects to abandon the person's ownership interest in the machinery, construction equipment, or farm equipment, any other person possessing an ownership interest in the machinery, construction equipment, or farm equipment may claim ownership of the abandoned interest by giving notice to the department of revenue.

(2) If two or more persons owning a share of the machinery, construction equipment, or farm equipment claim the abandoned interest, the abandoned share must be divided equally among the persons claiming the abandoned interest.

(3) A person claiming a share of the abandoned interest shall pay the department of revenue a $25 fee.

Section 2. Section 76-13-154, MCA, is amended to read:

"76-13-154. Federal forest management projects -- attorney general authority to intervene. (1) The attorney general has the authority to intervene in litigation or appeals on federal forest management projects.

(2) The authority provided in subsection (1) includes the authority to:

(a) fulfill the purposes of Title 76, chapter 13, to intervene in litigation or appeals on federal forest management projects that could affect state fire policy or watershed protection or restoration; and

(b) intervene in litigation involving projects that lie within a landscape-scale insect and disease area designated by the U.S. department of agriculture pursuant to the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 and the Agricultural Act of 2014."

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 70, and the provisions of Title 70 apply to [section 1].

NEW SECTION. Section 4. Severability. If a part of [this act] is invalid, all valid parts that are severable from the invalid part remain in effect. If a part of [this act] is invalid in one or more of its applications, the part remains in effect in all valid applications that are severable from the invalid applications.

NEW SECTION. Section 5. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.