Montana State Government

[2] Like the federal government and 48 other states, Montana has a bicameral legislature composed of two chambers, a 100-member House of Representatives and a 50-member Senate.

In addition, state law allows for the legislature to be convened in special session by the governor or at the written request of a majority of the members.

As of 2005, the Montana Legislature has been convened in special session thirty times in its history.

Acknowledging the importance of providing for an orderly arrangement in the administrative organization of state government, the number of principal departments from which all executive and administrative offices, boards, bureaus, commissions, agencies and instrumentalities of the executive branch (except for the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, and auditor) must perform their respective functions, powers, and duties, is constitutionally limited to not more than 20 principal departments.

Provision is made within the state constitution for the establishment of temporary commissions not allocated within a department.