MT SB76

Amends Section 85-2-307, MCA to change the criteria for the 60-day vs. 120-day preliminary determination timeline from whether the department has prepared technical analyses to whether the applicant has completed a preapplication meeting

Requires the department to issue a preliminary determination and hold a hearing when denying an application, rather than simply adopting the draft preliminary determination as final

Changes the deadline for issuing preliminary determinations from 30 days after publication of public comment notice to 30 days after close of the public comment period

Effective immediately upon passage and approval

Introduced by Senator S. Vinton at the request of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation