SB 171 Montana Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Transfer a portion of ending fund balance into the coal trust fund

SB 171 requires that 10% of excess state general fund revenue, after meeting budget stability and capital projects fund thresholds, be transferred to the Montana coal severance tax permanent fund (coal trust fund). This bill amends Montana's budget law to direct a portion of surplus funds - specifically, funds exceeding established reserve levels - to the coal trust fund instead of remaining in the general fund. The transfer applies when the budget stabilization reserve fund and capital projects fund exceed 16% and 12% of general revenue appropriations, respectively. The coal trust fund, which supports coal-related programs, would receive this additional funding without altering the state's primary budget processes.
Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Feb 2025
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action May 23, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

LC4312.pdf SB0171_1.pdf · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was renumbered from LC 4312 to SB 171.1 and updated with the primary sponsor's name, D. Fern. The text of the legislation itself remains unchanged, indicating these are primarily administrative updates for the official Senate record.
TECHNICAL

Removed the original bill number LC 4312 from the header and page footers.

Added the new bill number SB 171.1 to the header and page footers.

Added the name of the primary sponsor, D. Fern, to the bill introduction line.

Updated page footers to reflect the new bill number and authorized print version status.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 11, 2025

How they voted

3218
Passed
Total votes 50
Feb 11, 2025
D Democratic18
18 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican32
14 Yea 18 Nay
56% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
29
Key actions
3
Committee
4
Amendments
1
Apr 8, 2025
Amended
(H) Tabled in Committee - (H) Appropriations
lower
Feb 12, 2025
Committee
(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Appropriations
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (32-18)
senate
Feb 5, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Report - (S) Finance and Claims
upper
Feb 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Finance and Claims
upper
Jan 21, 2025
Committee
(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Finance and Claims
upper
Jan 17, 2025
Introduced
(S) Introduced
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Dave Fern
Dave Fern
DDemocratic
MT
2