Text of MT HB 635 (2025)
Revise human rights laws to prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion programs
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As introduced
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69th Legislature 2025
HB 635.1
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Authorized Print Version – HB 635
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HOUSE BILL NO. 635
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INTRODUCED BY G. NIKOLAKAKOS, S. FITZPATRICK, B. LER
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A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT REVISING HUMAN RIGHTS LAWS; PROHIBITING STATE OR
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FROM FUNDING, ESTABLISHING, OR SUPPORTING DIVERSITY,
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EQUITY, AND INCLUSION PROGRAMS; AND DEFINING "DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
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PROGRAM".”
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
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NEW SECTION. Section 1. Prohibition of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in state and
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local government -- definition. (1) A state or local government agency may not:
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(a)
require an employee to engage in a diversity, equity, and inclusion program;
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(b)
spend public funds on a diversity, equity, and inclusion program;
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(c)
spend public funds to acquire services, supplies, information technology, or goods for a
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diversity, equity, and inclusion program; or
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(d)
establish, support, sustain, or employ an office or individual whose duties include coordinating,
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creating, developing, designing, implementing, organizing, or promoting a diversity, equity, and inclusion
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program.
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(2)
Nothing in this section may be construed:
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(a)
to prohibit a state or local government agency from adopting a policy or program to comply with
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federal law, with Title 49, chapters 2 and 3, or with applicable court orders;
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(b)
to limit policies or programs designed to advance the educational goals set forth in Article X,
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section 1(2), of the Montana constitution; or
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(c)
to interfere with the sovereignty of tribal nations, reservations, or education pertaining to the
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history of Montana's Indian people.
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(3)
This section does not preclude a state or local government agency from offering training on
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sexual harassment or from operating an office or employing staff whose purpose is to ensure compliance with
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69th Legislature 2025
HB 635.1
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Authorized Print Version – HB 635
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federal law, with Title 49, chapters 2 and 3, or with applicable court orders.
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(4)
For the purposes of this section, "diversity, equity, and inclusion program" means a program
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that requires an employee of a state or local government agency to participate in or attend a training,
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orientation, workshop, therapy, or similar activity that focuses on any of the following:
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(a)
describing or exposing structures, systems, relations of power, privilege, or subordination on
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the basis of race, sex, color, gender, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation;
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(b)
describing methods to identify, dismantle, or oppose structures, systems, relations of power,
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privilege, or subordination on the basis of race, sex, color, gender, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual
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orientation;
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(c)
justifying differential treatment or benefit on the basis of race, sex, color, gender, ethnicity,
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gender identity, or sexual orientation; or
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(d)
advancing theories of unconscious or implicit bias, cultural appropriation, transgenderism,
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microaggression, microinvalidation, group marginalization, antiracism, systemic oppression, ethnocentrism,
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structural racism or inequity, social justice, disparate impact, gender identity or theory, or any concept
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substantially related to any of these theories.
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NEW SECTION. Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as a new
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chapter in Title 49, and the provisions of Title 49 apply to [section 1].
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