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- About the Montana legislature
- Learn who your legislators are
- How a bill becomes a law
- How to get involved
About the Montana Legislature
The Montana Legislature, which meets for 90 days every odd-numbered year at the state Capitol in Helena, is comprised of 150 Legislators--broken down to 50 Senate seats and 100 House seats.
The 2025 legislative session began in early January and is expected to run through April (90 legislative days). The Legislature’s primary duty is to pass a balanced budget, building on the Governor’s proposed budget. Additionally, the legislature works to pass laws that impact the daily lives of Montanans on issues including the environment, reproductive and sexual health, taxes, 2S-LGBTQIA+ rights, and more.
As a “citizen’s legislature,” Montana’s legislators should come from and reflect hard-working, everyday Montanans, and this also means that it is your legislature too. We can all participate in our electoral process and voice our opinions on what matters to us.
The Montana Senate is the upper chamber of Montana’s bicameral (two-tiered) legislature featuring 50 senators from across Montana. The Montana House of Representatives is the lower house of Montana’s bicameral (two-tiered) legislature featuring 100 Representatives from across Montana.
Learn Who Your Legislators Are
Use the Legislative District lookup tool to find your Montana state Senator and Representative.
How a Bill Becomes a Bill
Bills can originate from any of the following paths:
- Individual legislators can draft and introduce legislation
- Interim Committees, made up of multiple legislators focusing on a particular issue or topic, can draft and introduce legislation
- Constituents, interest groups, and government agencies can propose topics or bring draft legislation to legislators or committees
- Court Decisions can impact existing legislation or require new legislation from the legislature
Bill Drafting Support
Montana’s Legislative Services Division, a non-partisan legislative agency, receives requests to draft bills, often either introducing new code (law) or amending current code, turning ideas into proper legal written documents for consideration by the legislature.
Upon drafting, the bill may collect sponsor(s), legislators committed to endorsing the bill and ushering it through the legislative process, including formally introducing it by filing it with the Chief Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate.
How Bills are Introduced and Passed:
Once a bill is introduced, there is a long and bureaucratic process to determine what committee(s) should hear the bill, whether the bill requires additional research or public input, disagreements between the House and the Senate on the bill itself, and more—all of which can slow things down.
How to Get Involved
Speak Out On The Issues
Advocate on the issues you are passionate about and connect with family, friends, and other community members on issues important to you and them. We are stronger together.
Learn Who Your Legislators Are
Use the Legislative District lookup tool to find your Montana state Senator and Representative.
Learn About the Issues
- Read news sources from local journalists and outlets, including Montana Public Radio, the Montana Free Press and High Country News, to learn about candidates and elected officials.
- Visit Votesmart.org's tool to see how your opinions align with your elected officials. It also has an archive of speeches, and an easy to understand rating system by other organizations.
- Access the Campaign Electronic Reporting System dashboard to look into campaign contributions for specific candidates, PACs, businesses, etc.
- Explore Ballotopedia.org's in-depth historical information about all past committees your elected officials have served on, bills they have sponsored, and campaign finance information.
Contact Your Legislator: Call, Email, Write, & Meet
- Each Legislator will have a phone number, email, and address available online. You can also call the Montana Legislature Information Desk at 406-444-4800.
- Name the bill number you are supporting or opposing
- Share your story, opinion, and data. Use templates from the ACLU of Montana and other organizations you support, but edit and personalize them.
- Begin and end with an action, e.g.: “Vote No on SB19.”
Follow Your Legislators on Social Media
- Many Legislators have Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts providing you access into their opinions, beliefs, and life.
- This provides up-to-date information and another space to advocate for your beliefs and connect with other community members
- Use the above “Contact Your Legislator” strategy on Social Media.
Give Testimony during the Legislative Session
Montanans are able to provide testimony remotely through zoom or written comment, as well as in-person testimony at the Helena Capitol during Committee Hearings. Find more information and the process here.
Not sure how to testify, or want help deciding what to say? Catalyst Montana, an organization that “uplifts low-income and marginalized Montanans through community organizing, policy advocacy, research, and leadership development,” can help!
- Catalyst "Office" Hours via Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84997948451)
- Weekly on Tuesdays, 5pm-6pm via Zoom; entirely drop in, no registration needed
- This is an opportunity for folks to ask any and all questions about the Montana Legislative Session. Catalyst can help people draft or practice testimony, figure out what a bill means.
- Catalyst phone banks throughout the session
- These will be at various points throughout the session, aiming for 2 per month and these will be on varying issues depending on what's happening
- Fill out this EveryAction registration form, which will be updated as Catalyst adds new dates for phone banks, to get involved
Attend Rallies, Sit-Ins, & Protests
- Direct Action is sometimes a necessary and effective tool to oppose aggressive efforts to expand government and attacks on marginalized communities.
Other Ways To Be Involved
- Follow the ACLU of Montana’s Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
- Sign up for our Action Alerts
- Organize and participate in social media advocacy
- Write a letter to the Editor
- Write an op-ed
