Sign Up
HB 127 Montana House · 2025 Regular Session

Revise laws related to the fire suppression account

HB 127 revises laws related to Montana's fire suppression account, which funds various activities like fire suppression costs, fuel reduction, and forest restoration. The bill removes a specific date reference, making an annual statutory appropriation for fire preparedness an ongoing allocation from the account. It also establishes new reporting requirements, mandating that the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) submit annual expenditure reports to a legislative committee. These changes affect the DNRC's financial management and legislative oversight of funds used for fire-related activities.
Issues: ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds forest restoration and fire suppression activities, supporting conservation efforts through ongoing appropriations and reporting requirements.85% confidence
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
Apr 2025
Introduced Jan 7, 2025 Signed Apr 18, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB0127_1(7).pdf → HB0127_X.pdf · 5 edits
MODERATE
This bill updates the Montana Fire Suppression Account by removing specific date references from statutory appropriations, allowing the account balance to fluctuate based on legislative transfers rather than fixed historical dates. It also establishes new reporting requirements for the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to track how funds are spent. Finally, it sets an immediate effective date for these changes.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of the Fire Suppression Account by adding 'fire preparedness' as an allowable use of funds and clarifies that funds can be used for litigation related to federal forest projects, while removing outdated date constraints on fund transfers.
FISCAL

Removed specific date references from statutory appropriations, allowing the account balance to be adjusted based on current legislative transfers and general revenue percentages rather than fixed historical dates.

Added 'fire preparedness' as a new allowable use of funds within the Fire Suppression Account.

Expanded allowable uses to include support for collaborative groups and local governments engaged in litigation related to federal forest projects.

REQUIREMENT

Established a new requirement for the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to report expenditures by specific fund categories to the budget committee by November 1 of each fiscal year.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date of the act from a future date to immediate upon passage and approval.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 2, 2025 · House Jan 24, 2025

How they voted

36–14
Passed
Total votes 50
Apr 2, 2025
D Democratic18
18 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican32
18 Yea 14 Nay
56% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
43
Key actions
9
Committee
6
Apr 17, 2025
Signed into law
(H) Signed by Governor
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Signed by President
upper
Apr 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Signed by Speaker
lower
Apr 2, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (36-14)
senate
Feb 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Report - (S) Natural Resources
upper
Feb 10, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Natural Resources
upper
Jan 27, 2025
Committee
(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Natural Resources
upper
Jan 24, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (96-1-3)
house
Jan 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Natural Resources
lower
Jan 17, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Natural Resources
lower
Jan 8, 2025
Committee
(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Natural Resources
lower
Jan 7, 2025
Introduced
(H) Introduced
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Llew Jones
Llew Jones
RRepublican
MT
18