HB 228 Montana House · 2025 Regular Session

Revised requirements for the reporting of actual costs for legislation with projected fiscal impacts

HB 228 revises how the Office of Budget and Program Planning reports on the actual costs of certain legislation to the Legislative Finance Committee. It lowers the threshold for tracking from $1 million to $500,000 in projected general fund expenditures. The bill requires reports to be submitted biannually, in February and October, detailing actual spending for the preceding six months and comparing it to the original projected costs. This legislation also repeals a termination date, making this cost reporting requirement permanent.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Jan 15, 2025 Signed May 19, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 9 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB0228_X(14).pdf HB0228_X(15).pdf · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended to remove a requirement for biannual (every six months) reporting, simplifying the process to an annual report. The reporting threshold for bills requiring cost analysis was lowered from $1 million to $500,000, expanding the number of bills subject to scrutiny. Additionally, the bill's termination date was repealed, meaning the reporting requirement will continue indefinitely rather than ending on a specific date.
Scope change
The bill now applies to a wider range of legislation by lowering the expenditure threshold from $1 million to $500,000, and the requirement is now permanent instead of temporary.
REQUIREMENT

Changed the reporting frequency from every six months to once per year.

ELIGIBILITY

Lowered the minimum expenditure threshold for bills requiring a fiscal report from $1 million to $500,000.

TIMELINE

Removed the specific termination date for the reporting requirement, making it a permanent provision.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 25, 2025 · House Apr 25, 2025

How they voted

481
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 50
Apr 25, 2025
D Democratic18
18 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican32
30 Yea 1 Nay 1
93% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
50
Key actions
10
Committee
6
Amendments
1
May 13, 2025
Signed into law
(H) Signed by Governor
lower
May 6, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Signed by President
upper
May 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Signed by Speaker
lower
Apr 25, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (48-1-1)
senate
Apr 17, 2025
Introduced
(H) Returned with Governor's Amendments
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Signed by President
upper
Apr 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Signed by Speaker
lower
Mar 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Report - (S) Finance and Claims
upper
Mar 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Finance and Claims
upper
Feb 14, 2025
Committee
(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Finance and Claims
upper
Jan 31, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Appropriations
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Appropriations
lower
Jan 16, 2025
Committee
(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Appropriations
lower
Jan 15, 2025
Introduced
(H) Introduced
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Bill Mercer
Bill Mercer
RRepublican
MT
52