Grow Montana’s current 2025 legislative session priority bills include:
- LC 3215: Interim study on farmers markets and food systems (Grow Montana supports and is the lead organization on this bill)
- LC 1004: Generally revise Monana Local Food Choice Act (Grow Montana is actively following this bill and will make a determination on its position once bill language is available)
- LC 1013: Generally revise laws related to Cottage Food Act (Grow Montana is actively following this bill and will make a determination on its position once bill language is available)
Below are the bills Grow Montana is supporting, opposing, and following at the 69th Montana Legislative session. Click each box to view bill details, including the bills sponsor, bill text (if available), and bill progress.
This list will be updated weekly, and action alerts will be shared through the Grow Montana Newsletter. If you are interested in receiving action alerts, please sign at: Action Alerts.
SB 155: Create a Food Safety Panel
Bill Sponsor: Daniel Emrich
Grow Montana Position: Following
Bill Summary:
The bill establishes a new Panel on Food Safety within the Department of Agriculture, consisting of three members appointed by the governor, who must possess scientific expertise in various fields related to food safety. The panel is tasked with studying the cumulative effects of food additives and colors, advising the Department of Agriculture on limiting the availability of foods containing additives or colors deemed to have negative toxic effects. The panel will meet quarterly and serve without compensation, although they may receive reimbursement for expenses.
Additionally, the bill amends existing laws to grant the Department of Agriculture the authority to adopt rules regarding food additives, including the ability to limit the availability of food containing harmful additives as identified by the panel. The Department is required to enforce these rules in coordination with the United States Food and Drug Administration. The amendments also clarify the process for establishing rules related to food additives, ensuring that any proposed regulations are supported by sufficient data to demonstrate their necessity and safety for public health.
Statutes affected:
LC Text: 50-31-108, 80-1-102
LC 666: Providing a study on food security and agricultral prosperity
LC 1004: General Revise Montana Local Food Choice Act
LC 1011 Generally revise the Montana food laws
LC 1013: Generally revise laws related to Cottage Food Act
LC 1221: Address food security on college campuses
LC 1226: Generally revise Montana SNAP program laws
LC 1430: Create a food safety panel
LC 1629: Resolution supporting Montana’s beef producers
LC 1806: Generally revise non profit laws
LC 1807: Generally revise non profit laws
LC 1912: Generally revise SNAP laws
Bill Sponsor: Josh Kassmier
Link to Bill Progress:
Link to Bill Language (forthcoming)
Grow Montana Position: Following
LC 1956: Generally revise laws relating to mobile food vendors
LC 3215: Interim study on farmers markets and food systems
Bill Sponsor: Bruce “Butch” Gillespie
Link to Bill Language (forthcoming)
Grow Montana Position: Support
LC 3248: Generally revise agriculture laws
LC 3250: Provide for country of origin placarding laws
LC 3338: Montana Food First
LC 3735: Establish a farm to food bank program
LC 907: Prohibiting the state from awarding grants to non-profits
