Creating the Montana endowment for early childhood and related structure

This bill creates the Montana Endowment for Early Childhood, a permanent fund earning interest to support early childhood programs. It establishes a seven-member board (including state agency staff and community representatives) to manage funds from a new fee on lapsed child-care facility license renewals, plus donations and other sources. The interest generated is transferred quarterly into a dedicated Montana Early Childhood Account, which funds specific services like workforce development for child-care providers, quality improvements, affordable care expansion, and emergency aid for facilities. These funds cannot be used for other state programs and are allocated solely to early childhood initiatives benefiting families and providers across Montana.