HB 340: Establish Montana's BEST program to bolster educator support and training - Montana

HB0340_X(2).pdf → HB0340_X(3).pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was finalized and enrolled for the 69th Legislature, removing draft markers and formatting inconsistencies. Substantively, the list of required program features was renumbered to fix a skipped item, and the legislature clarified that the funding is a one-time appropriation rather than part of the ongoing base budget. The termination date was set to June 30, 2031.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on teacher mentorship programs, but the funding mechanism is explicitly defined as a one-time appropriation.

REQUIREMENT

Renumbered the list of program requirements from (b) through (h) to (d) through (j) to correct a skipped item and ensure all criteria are properly listed.

FISCAL

Clarified that the appropriation is a one-time-only payment and is not considered part of the ongoing base budget for future sessions.

TIMELINE

Established a specific termination date of June 30, 2031, for the act.

TECHNICAL

Removed draft indicators, blank lines, and formatting errors to finalize the enrolled version of the bill.

HB0340_3(9).pdf → HB0340_X.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was converted from a draft version to an enrolled, final version, adding official certification signatures and correcting formatting inconsistencies in the header. The substantive policy content regarding the Montana B.E.S.T. teacher training program, including funding amounts, program requirements, and effective dates, remains unchanged.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's policy application is unchanged; only the document's legal status and formatting were updated.

TECHNICAL

Added official certification text, signatures for the Chief Clerk, Speaker of the House, and President of the Senate to signify the bill is enrolled and passed.

Corrected the header layout to align the legislative session year with the bill number and removed redundant introductory text from the main body.

Removed draft-specific markers and inconsistent spacing found in the original version.

HB0340_2(14).pdf → HB0340_3.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill number was updated from HB 340.2 to HB 340.3, indicating a new version of the legislation. A critical funding change was made, reclassifying a specific appropriation from an ongoing annual base to a one-time-only payment. Minor capitalization adjustments were also made to the text of the Office of Public Instruction.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on teacher effectiveness funding, but the financial commitment has changed from recurring to a single payment.

FISCAL

The appropriation for the Office of Public Instruction was changed from an ongoing annual base to a one-time-only payment.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was updated from HB 340.2 to HB 340.3.

Capitalization was added to 'Office' in the phrase 'Office of Public Instruction'.

HB0340_2(7).pdf → HB0340_2(8).pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

This bill outlines a new mentorship program to support early-career teachers, requiring the Office of Public Instruction to create a system based on best practices. The bill specifies funding amounts for stipends and administrative costs, mandates annual reporting, and defines 'early career teacher' as someone new to the field or within their first three years of teaching. The changes primarily involve formatting adjustments to the text layout and minor spacing corrections without altering the substantive policy or funding levels.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting adjustments were made to line spacing and indentation throughout the document, such as removing extra spaces before section headers and aligning subsection letters.

The header page layout was slightly adjusted, with minor changes to the spacing around the legislature year and bill number.

HB0340_2(4).pdf → HB0340_2(5).pdf · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to expand the teacher effectiveness program by adding specific requirements for mentor training, digital communication platforms, and in-person regional gatherings. It also updated the funding structure to include stipends for both mentor and early-career teachers, capped administrative costs at 15%, and defined 'early career teacher' as someone in their first three years. Finally, the bill was extended to terminate on June 30, 2031, and designated as an ongoing base for future legislative sessions.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a general program description to include specific operational requirements for mentor support, technology platforms, and in-person interaction opportunities.

REQUIREMENT

Added mandatory requirements for robust mentor training, a digital platform for remote communication, and opportunities for in-person regional gatherings.

FISCAL

Established specific funding allocations: $2,500 stipends for mentors, $600 stipends for early-career teachers (with a $300 minimum from the school district), and a 15% cap on administrative costs.

Clarified that the $1 million appropriation is intended to be considered part of the ongoing base for the next legislative session.

DEFINITION

Defined 'early career teacher' as a teacher who is new to the field or within their first three years of teaching.

TIMELINE

Extended the termination date of the act from an unspecified previous date to June 30, 2031.

HB0340_1(5).pdf → HB0340_2.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from HB 340.1 to HB 340.2 and its title was updated to include a 'termination date' in addition to an effective date. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a new Section 5, which mandates that the program ends on June 30, 2031. The text of the program requirements and funding amounts remains unchanged.

Scope change

The bill's scope is now explicitly limited by a fixed end date of June 30, 2031, whereas the previous version did not specify a termination date.

TIMELINE

Added a new Section 5 establishing a termination date of June 30, 2031, setting a specific limit on how long the program will operate.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill's title to reflect the addition of the termination date provision.

Changed the bill number from HB 340.1 to HB 340.2, likely indicating a revision or amendment in the legislative process.

LC1778.pdf → HB0340_1.pdf · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill was renamed from LC1778 to HB 340 and had its sponsor list updated to reflect the current legislative session. The substantive policy content, including program requirements, funding amounts, and effective dates, remained unchanged.

Scope change

None; the bill's scope and applicability are identical to the previous version.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was changed from LC1778 to HB 340, and the list of sponsoring legislators was updated to reflect the current session.

Establish Montana's BEST program to bolster educator support and training

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors