Montana SB 212 (2025) – Right to Compute Act
Montana · Mont. SB 212, 69th Leg., 2025 Reg. Sess., signed Apr. 17, 2025
Montana became the first state to enshrine a constitutional right to compute, guaranteeing residents the right to own and use computational resources including AI hardware, software, and data processing tools. Any government regulation restricting these rights must meet a strict scrutiny standard.
Technical detail
Mont. SB 212, 69th Leg. (2025), signed by Gov. Gianforte Apr. 17, 2025; creates Montana Right to Compute Act; grounds ownership and use of computational resources (including AI tools) in Mont. Const. property and free expression rights; requires government restrictions to be demonstrably necessary and narrowly tailored to a compelling interest.
Who is protected: Montana residents and businesses seeking to own or use AI and computing resources
Who must comply: Montana state and local government entities seeking to regulate AI or computing
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Montana |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2025-04-17 |
| Enacted | 2025-04-17 |
| Citation | Mont. SB 212, 69th Leg., 2025 Reg. Sess., signed Apr. 17, 2025 |
| Enforced by | Courts (constitutional challenge mechanism) |
| Penalties | Not applicable — creates a right rather than a restriction |
| Topics | government use of AI |
| Last verified | 2026-06-12 |
| Official source | Montana Becomes First State to Enshrine 'Right to Compute' Into Law – Montana Newsroom ↗ |
More AI rules in Montana
- Montana MCDPA · In effect
- MT Election Deepfake Law · In effect
- Montana SB 413 (crime to share explicit deepfakes) · In effect
- Montana HB 514 (sextortion deepfakes in privacy crime) · In effect
- Montana HB 178 (limits on government AI use) · In effect
- Montana HB 513 (property right in voice & likeness vs. deepfakes) · In effect
Related government use of AI rules elsewhere
- CA EO N-6-26 (AI Workforce) · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Arkansas public entity AI/ADS policy mandate (Act 848, 2025) · In effect
- One-year moratorium on data center development (Inver Grove Heights MN) · In effect
- FERC order directing PJM and other grid operators to reform · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- San Marcos citywide data center ban (Land Use Matrix amendme · In effect
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