SB 487: Revising laws related to the Montana end of watch trust - Montana

SB0487_X(7).pdf → SB0487_X(8).pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill makes minor formatting adjustments to the list of amended sections in the title and clarifies the source of funds for the End of Watch Trust Fund fee. It also adds a closing quotation mark to a sentence regarding investment instructions and removes a redundant period from a definition of permanent incapacity. These changes refine the text for clarity and consistency without altering the substantive policy, funding amounts, or eligibility criteria.

TECHNICAL

The list of amended sections in the bill title was shortened by removing the full number '2045' to maintain consistent formatting with the preceding section numbers.

The phrase 'interest and earnings appropriated to the department from the trust' was restructured to improve readability by placing 'department' earlier in the sentence.

A missing closing quotation mark was added to the sentence instructing the board of investments on how to manage deposited funds.

An unnecessary period was removed from the end of the definition regarding an individual's inability to perform gainful work.

SB0487_2(12).pdf → SB0487_X.pdf · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates the Montana End of Watch Trust to allow the Department of Justice to charge administrative fees and adopt detailed rules for managing the fund. It clarifies that payments are not guaranteed rights but depend on board approval and appeals. The bill also refines definitions for 'catastrophic injury' and 'law enforcement officer' to ensure consistency with other state laws regarding disability and public safety roles.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include explicit rulemaking authority for the Department of Justice and clarified the non-guaranteed nature of trust payments, while maintaining the core purpose of supporting officers injured in the line of duty.

REQUIREMENT

Added authority for the Department of Justice to assess administrative fees up to 15% of trust earnings to fund operations.

Added explicit authority for the Department of Justice to adopt specific rules covering payment distribution, application approval, appeals, and record retention.

ELIGIBILITY

Clarified that receiving payments from the trust is not a guaranteed or entitled right but requires board approval.

DEFINITION

Refined the definition of 'catastrophic injury' to align with standard workers' compensation definitions of permanent and total disability.

Updated the definition of 'law enforcement officer' to include specific certifications and roles, ensuring clarity on who qualifies for benefits.

SB0487_2(6).pdf → SB0487_2(7).pdf · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill underwent minor formatting adjustments to correct the numbering sequence of subsections within the trust fund provisions. These changes renumbered items to follow a consistent (1), (2), (3) format, ensuring the legislative text is organized logically without altering the actual policy content or legal obligations.

TECHNICAL

Corrected the numbering sequence of subsections regarding trust fund transfers and investments to ensure consistent formatting.

SB0487_2(4).pdf → SB0487_2(5).pdf · 1 edit

MINOR

The amendment removes a redundant letter 'c' from the section header and adjusts the formatting of the compensation clause. This change clarifies the text by eliminating a likely typographical error without altering the legal meaning or scope of the bill.

TECHNICAL

Removed a redundant 'c' from the section header and adjusted spacing to correct a formatting inconsistency.

SB0487_2(3).pdf → SB0487_2(4).pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text underwent significant renumbering and formatting adjustments, shifting definitions from lines 6-9 to lines 7-10. Additionally, the section defining the 'Montana end of watch trust' was reformatted with inconsistent capitalization, alternating between standard sentence case and all-caps for specific subsections. No substantive policy changes, funding amounts, or eligibility criteria were altered.

TECHNICAL

The numbering sequence for definitions was shifted, moving the definition of 'PERMANENT TOTAL DISABILITY' to a new line 7 and renumbering subsequent lines.

The text for the 'Montana end of watch trust' section was reformatted with inconsistent capitalization, switching between standard sentence case and all-caps for different subsections.

Line breaks and spacing within the bill text were adjusted, resulting in a different visual layout without changing the underlying legal meaning.

SB0487_1(8).pdf → SB0487_2.pdf · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reformatted to include an immediate effective date and updated the fee assessment language to clarify that funds come from interest and earnings. The definition of 'catastrophic injury' was expanded to include physical bodily injuries, and the list of eligible law enforcement officers was broadened to include tribal authorities. The trust fund rules were modified to allow the use of unexpended interest for litigation expenses when administrative fees are insufficient.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include tribal authorities as eligible employers for law enforcement officers.

TIMELINE

Added an immediate effective date to the legislation.

FISCAL

Clarified that fees are assessed on interest and earnings from the trust fund rather than the total appropriated amount.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded the definition of eligible law enforcement officers to include those employed by state-based tribal authorities.

DEFINITION

Broadened the definition of 'catastrophic injury' to explicitly include physical bodily injuries.

REQUIREMENT

Authorized the use of unexpended interest in excess of the principal for trust-related litigation expenses if administrative fees are insufficient.

LC0030.pdf → SB0487_1.pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from LC 0030 to SB 487 and updated to reflect its status as an authorized print version. The substantive content regarding the Montana End of Watch Trust remains unchanged, with no modifications to eligibility, funding, or operational requirements.

TECHNICAL

Bill number changed from LC 0030 to SB 487 and sponsor name added as B. Usher.

Page headers updated to reflect the new bill number and authorized print version status.

Revising laws related to the Montana end of watch trust

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors