Create a pollinator health task force

Montana's LC 655 creates a 14-member Pollinator Health Task Force to develop a statewide strategy for protecting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The task force includes representatives from agriculture (fruit, seed, berry industries), conservation groups, Montana tribes, universities, beekeepers, and pesticide distributors, with specific requirements for membership composition. It must produce a report detailing research plans, public education initiatives, habitat improvement strategies, and recommendations for legislative or budgetary changes to support pollinators. The bill appropriates $50,000 from the general fund for the task force's work during the 2025-2027 biennium, requiring the final report to be submitted to the 70th Legislature. This bill directly affects Montana's agricultural economy (which relies on pollinators for crops valued at $34 billion nationally) and ecosystems dependent on pollinator health.