Senate bill NO. 416

INTRODUCED BY J. Ellis

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REVISING THE TIMELINE FOR CHANGES TO PRECINCT BOUNDARIES AFTER DISTRICTING AND APPORTIONMENT; AMENDING SECTION 13-3-102, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."

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

Section 1. Section 13-3-102, MCA, is amended to read:

"13-3-102. Change of precinct boundaries. (1) The county governing body may change the boundaries of precincts, but not within 100 days before any primary or between a general election and the primary for that election. When the changes are required to make precinct boundaries conform to legislative district boundaries following the adoption of a districting and apportionment plan under Article V, section 14, of the Montana constitution or other district boundaries changed by the districting and apportionment plan, the changing of precinct boundaries must conform to 13-3-101 and be accomplished within 45 90 days of the filing of the final plan.

(2)        All changes must be certified to the election administrator 3 days or less after the change is made.

(3)        The officials responsible for preparing a districting and apportionment plan shall consider the problems of conforming present precinct boundaries to the new districts as well as existing boundaries of wards, school districts, and other districts. The election administrator of counties involved in the plan must be consulted before adoption of the final plan."

Section 2. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.