MT HB852

Establishes a 2-year statute of limitations for surety bail bonds, after which bonds must be automatically exonerated and discharged regardless of case status

Grants surety bail bond insurance producers authority to arrest and detain defendants without a court-issued warrant or forfeiture when they have probable cause the defendant will fail to appear or has violated release conditions

Requires courts to notify surety bail bond agents within 10 working days of a defendant's failure to appear; failure to provide timely notice renders forfeiture invalid and discharges the bond

Prohibits jails and detention centers from charging fees for bail bond processing, including credit card fees, and requires free phone access for inmates to contact attorneys and licensed bail bond agents

Bars judges from requiring bail bond agents to appear in court after a bond is executed, from rejecting valid bonds without evidence of fraud, and from altering contractual terms between agents and defendants