Bill
LC 474
Summary of LC 474: Generally Revise Montana Human Rights Laws Bill OverviewLC 474 is a draft bill that aimed to make several revisions to Montana's human rights laws. The bill ulti
LC 474 is a draft bill that aimed to make several revisions to Montana's human rights laws. The bill ultimately died in the legislative process and was not enacted into law.
The main provisions of the draft bill included:
Expanding Protected Classes: The bill would have added "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" as protected characteristics under the Montana Human Rights Act, prohibiting discrimination based on these factors.
Strengthening Enforcement: LC 474 proposed increasing fines and penalties for violations of the Human Rights Act, and granting the Montana Human Rights Commission greater investigative and enforcement powers.
Addressing Housing Discrimination: The bill sought to explicitly prohibit discrimination in housing based on an individual's source of income, such as housing vouchers or public assistance.
Protections for Reproductive Healthcare: The draft legislation aimed to bar employers from discriminating against employees based on their personal reproductive health decisions or use of reproductive healthcare services.
If enacted, LC 474 would have expanded legal protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals in Montana, as well as those utilizing certain types of public assistance or reproductive healthcare. The strengthened enforcement mechanisms could have made the state's human rights laws more effective.
However, the bill did not advance through the legislative process and therefore did not become law. Montana's human rights statutes remain unchanged from their prior version, maintaining more limited anti-discrimination protections compared to the provisions proposed in LC 474.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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