Montana Implements New Laws: Refrigerators, Internet And More

A New Refrigerator Or Freezer For The New Year?

A new directive from the Energy Policy and Conservation Act is updating standards for refrigerators, freezers and refrigerator freezers.

Why The New Policy From The EPCA?

According to Bloomberg Law, the standards for these appliances haven't been upgraded in over a decade.  The new standards are projected to save consumers $36.4 billion dollars over the next 30 years. The savings will represent an 11% drop in energy use over the products currently being used by consumers.

It's expected to bring cumulative emission reductions of around 101 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the combined annual emissions of 12.7 million homes.  Changes must be made by January 2029 or 2030, depending on your type of refrigerator or freezer.

No, the refrigerator/freezer police will not be going house to house.  This is very similar to the lightbulb law last year.

This Is In Addition To A Pile Of New Laws For Montana In The New Year

According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the directive from the EPCA is in addition to many new laws this year:

• Senate Bill 544, Internet Accessibility (The Porn Hub bill) Read more on SB 544 Here
• House Bill 221, revising laws related to capitol gains taxes
• Senate Bill 121, changing the upper tax bracket from 6.5% to 5.9%
• Senate Bill 399, scaling down Montana's 7 tax brackets to 2 tax brackets
• House Bill 8, which revises laws related to Montana National Guard life insurance and court
• House Bill 114, which revises timelines for water right permits and changes process
• House Bill 240, which updated "outdated references" for family education savings program laws
• House Bill 263, which revised insurance coverage for prescription eyedrop refills
• House Bill 333, which generally revised motorized recreation laws
• House Bill 439, which created a GVW fee for electric vehicles and hybrids being permanently registered in the state
• House Bill 612, which revised insurance requirements for diabetes self-management
• Part of Senate Bill 104, which exempted retired military pensions from state income tax