SB 77: Require conservation districts to comply with state procurement laws - Montana

SB0077_X(3).pdf → SB0077_X(4).pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to remove the repeal of existing procurement laws, meaning those laws will remain in effect alongside new requirements. The scope of the bill was expanded to include a new section addressing service contracts and updated codification instructions. Key changes include adding specific thresholds for purchasing techniques and limited solicitations, and clarifying that contracts must be canceled if funds are unavailable for continuation.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded by adding new provisions for service contracts and updating the list of amended sections to include 76-15-1012.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the repeal of sections 76-15-1004, 76-15-1013, and 76-15-1014, ensuring these existing laws remain active.

Added a new provision requiring contracts to be canceled if funds are not available to support continuation in a subsequent fiscal period.

Added specific monetary thresholds for using purchase techniques (under $10,000) and limited solicitation procedures ($10,000 to $100,000) for other contracts.

TECHNICAL

Added a new Section 7 Repealer to formally repeal section 76-15-1004 and updated Section 8 with codification instructions.

SB0077_2(4).pdf → SB0077_X.pdf · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Montana's conservation district procurement laws to align with state public procurement standards, ensuring these districts follow the same bidding and contract rules as other state entities. It clarifies thresholds for direct negotiation versus competitive bidding, adds specific requirements for advertising contracts, and repeals an outdated section on service contracts.

Scope change

The bill expands the applicability of state procurement laws to conservation districts, requiring them to comply with Title 18, Chapter 8, Part 2 when using state funds.

REQUIREMENT

Conservation districts must now comply with state procurement laws when spending state-funded grants and loans.

Contracts for architectural, engineering, and land surveying services are now subject to specific state public procurement requirements.

Advertising requirements for bids and proposals were updated to include specific publication timelines and evaluation criteria.

Thresholds for direct negotiation and limited solicitation were clarified, with specific dollar limits ($10,000 and $100,000) defining when competitive bidding is required.

The previous standalone section regarding service contracts was repealed and its content integrated into the updated procurement framework.

SB0077_1(10).pdf → SB0077_2.pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to clarify that conservation districts must comply with state procurement laws specifically when spending state-funded grants and loans, rather than all available funds. Additionally, the bill reorganized the repeal of existing sections, removing the repeal of the 'Service contracts' section (76-15-1004) and the 'Cooperative purchasing contracts' section (76-15-1014), while retaining the repeal of other specific sections.

Scope change

The scope of procurement compliance was narrowed to apply only to state-funded grants and loans, and the bill's impact on existing service and cooperative purchasing contracts was reduced by removing their repeal.

FISCAL

The requirement to follow state procurement laws now applies only when expending state-funded grants and loans, instead of all available funding.

SCOPE

The repeal of Section 76-15-1004 (Service contracts) was removed, meaning those contracts are no longer automatically repealed by this bill.

The repeal of Section 76-15-1014 (Cooperative purchasing contracts) was removed, meaning those contracts remain in effect.

TECHNICAL

The bill's title was updated to reflect that it is amending specific sections rather than repealing all of them.

LC0537.pdf → SB0077_1.pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from LC 537 to SB 77 and updated to reflect the 69th Legislature of 2025. The primary change is the identification of the sponsor, who is now listed as G. Lammers, replacing the previous placeholder text. These are technical and formatting updates that formalize the bill's introduction and tracking number.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was changed from LC 537 to SB 77, and the legislature year was confirmed as 2025.

The sponsor field was updated to explicitly name G. Lammers instead of leaving it blank.

Require conservation districts to comply with state procurement laws

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