Bill > HB743

This bill establishes comprehensive reporting requirements for cases involving exploitation of incapacitated persons or vulnerable adults in Montana. The bill requires the Department of Public Health and Human Services to forward credible reports of alleged exploitation to the county attorney where the victim resides, and mandates that county attorneys submit detailed annual reports to the Attorney General by July 1st. These reports must include specific information such as unique case identifiers, dates of initial reports, charge filing dates, prosecution decisions, conviction outcomes, and the number of referrals received. The Attorney General is tasked with creating a standardized reporting form and must subsequently submit an annual report to the Law and Justice Interim Committee by September 1st, providing aggregated information about case statuses, prosecutions, and declinations across counties. Additionally, the bill modifies the content requirements for exploitation reports, now requiring the inclusion of the reporter's telephone number. The legislation also includes provisions for potential coordination with another bill (House Bill No. 532) and allows the Attorney General to request investigative findings from departments and county attorneys for cases that were declined prosecution, ensuring a thorough review of potential exploitation cases.

Justice

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC3424