Bill > HB249

This bill updates Montana's existing laws related to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana to explicitly include digital versions of government-issued identification alongside physical identification. The bill modifies three sections of state law to clarify that when checking age for purchasing age-restricted items, businesses can now use either physical or digital versions of government or tribal-issued identification. The bill maintains existing privacy protections, requiring businesses that scan identification (whether physical or digital) to use the data only to verify age, prohibit transferring or selling the data, and permanently delete any scanned data or metadata within 180 days. This change reflects the increasing prevalence of digital identification methods, ensuring that digital IDs are treated the same as physical IDs for age verification purposes in contexts like purchasing tobacco products, marijuana, and other age-restricted items. The legislation aims to provide consistency and clarity in how identification is used across these regulated industries while preserving consumer data privacy.

Business and Industry, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1631