HB 906 amends existing Montana property tax rebate laws to provide financial relief to homeowners by increasing rebate amounts for principal residences occupied in 2022 and 2023. The bill allows eligible taxpayers who owned and lived in their homes for at least seven months during those years to receive up to $319 for 2022 and $330 for 2023, or the full amount of taxes paid if it is less than those limits. Property owners must submit claims electronically or by mail between August 15 and October 1 each year, and the state will mail notices to potential claimants by June 30 of the following year. The legislation also clarifies definitions for principal residences and outlines procedures for handling claims from deceased taxpayers or those in revocable trusts.
HB 747 permits day-care centers that care for children under one year of age or those at higher risk of severe illness from communicable diseases to adopt a policy regarding whether they accept children with certain immunization exemptions. The bill requires these day-care centers to notify parents or guardians if such a policy is adopted. This allows specific day-care centers to determine their own stance on accepting children with exemptions from required immunizations, impacting both the centers and families seeking childcare.
HB 874 aimed to provide property tax rebates for certain residential properties owned by entities, such as trusts, that did not receive past rebates. The bill allowed these entities to claim up to $500 for property taxes paid in 2022 and up to $500 for property taxes paid in 2023. To qualify, the property must have been a principal residence, and claims needed to be submitted by October 1, 2025. The bill also extended the program's termination date to June 30, 2026.
HB 640 would revise the Firefighters' Unified Retirement System (FURS) to allow certain airport authority employees to participate. The bill defines "public safety officer" as an airport authority employee who serves as both a full-paid firefighter and a sworn peace officer. It would permit airport authorities to elect to join FURS for these public safety officers, who are currently covered by the Public Employees' Retirement System. Existing eligible employees would have 90 days to choose whether to remain in PERS or join FURS.
HB 749 proposed to revise the procurement process for state contracts related to public assistance and human services programs. It would have required applicable state departments to use a scoring system that gives priority to contractors based on specific criteria. These criteria included a provider's demonstrated experience within the service area, their length of time operating in the state, their ability to leverage existing relationships, and the number of in-state jobs they propose to create or maintain. This bill aimed to influence how contracts for services such as housing and energy assistance are awarded.
HB 779 aimed to revise discrimination laws by adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of "antisemitism." It would have required the Department of Labor and Industry to consider this definition when reviewing discrimination complaints. Additionally, the bill proposed that this definition be considered for sentence enhancement in cases where offenses are committed due to a victim's race, religion, or national origin. It also would have explicitly recognized antisemitism, as defined by the IHRA, as a form of discrimination under the state's civil rights laws.
HB 799 expands the definition of who can vote in local mill levy elections for counties, cities, school districts, and other taxing entities. It allows individuals who own property within the taxing jurisdiction to vote, even if they do not reside there. These property owners must hold title and provide proof of tax payment. Each individual is limited to one vote per election, regardless of the number of properties they own within the district.
HB 704 seeks to revise Montana's groundwater laws by establishing temporary "closure" and "monitoring" areas in specific regions. In designated closure areas, including the Gallatin, Helena, Bitterroot, and Missoula Valleys, new groundwater use generally requires a permit, with limited exceptions for small-scale uses like individual homes or stockwater. All new groundwater appropriations in both closure and monitoring areas (such as Flathead and Billings) would require metering and annual reporting of water usage. These provisions are intended to gather data and manage groundwater resources pending a comprehensive study, directly affecting individuals and entities seeking to use groundwater in these regions.
House Bill 700 (HB 700) proposes to shorten the maximum amortization period for statewide defined benefit public employee retirement systems from 30 years to 25 years. This change directly affects the funding requirements for various public employee retirement plans, including those for general public employees, judges, highway patrol officers, sheriffs, police officers, firefighters, and teachers. The bill specifies that contributions must be sufficient to cover future benefits and amortize unfunded liabilities over this shorter 25-year period. Additionally, it establishes that no new benefits can be added to these systems unless they can amortize within 25 years or less and are projected to be fully funded.
HB 916 aimed to provide property tax assistance specifically for primary residences. The bill proposed to fund this relief by revising the allocation of revenue generated from the state's lodging tax. This mechanism would have redirected a portion of the lodging tax proceeds, which are currently distributed to various state programs supporting tourism, historical preservation, and state parks, towards property tax relief for homeowners.
HB 673 proposes to revise donor privacy laws for certain political contributions in Montana. The bill establishes that the identity of individuals who contribute less than $1,000 to organizations designated as 501(c)(4) under federal tax law will remain confidential and not subject to public disclosure. It directs the Commissioner of Political Practices to adopt rules to implement this confidentiality provision and makes conforming changes to existing campaign finance disclosure requirements.
HB 402 proposes to designate Wolf Point, Montana, as the official site for the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center. This bill amends existing law to establish Wolf Point as the permanent location for the hall of fame. It directs the Department of Commerce and the Department of Transportation to identify Wolf Point as this site on official state maps and to update road signs accordingly when they are replaced.
