HB 756 revises the criteria for making recommendations for grants awarded under the Montana Historic Preservation Grant Program. This affects eligible entities like historic sites, historical societies, and history museums seeking funding for preservation projects. The bill adds new criteria for grant recommendations, including protecting a building's structure and utility systems, and the expected ongoing economic benefit to the state. It also requires projects to provide significant public access and use, and specifies that for-profit entities must provide a dollar-for-dollar match for grant funding received.
House Bill 725 amends state law regarding precinct committee representatives for political parties. It establishes a new rule that an individual cannot be appointed or elected to serve as a committee representative for more than one political party during the same 2-year term. This change directly affects individuals who hold or seek to hold these representative positions, ensuring they represent only a single party at a time. The bill revises Section 13-38-201 of the Montana Code Annotated, which governs the election or appointment of these representatives.
HB 863 generally revises state finance laws and provides an appropriation. The bill amends various definitions within state finance, such as "base budget," "general revenue appropriations," and "present law base." These changes affect how state agencies, the governor, and the legislature understand and apply financial terms when budgeting and managing public funds.
HB 168 revises state school funding laws to include 3- and 4-year-old children with disabilities in a school district's annual number belonging (ANB) calculations. This change enables school districts to receive state financial support for providing special education services to these preschool-aged children. Previously, these children were not included in ANB counts, meaning there was no state funding mechanism for their education, despite districts being obligated to provide these services. The bill amends Section 20-9-311, MCA, to allow their inclusion based on aggregate hours of pupil instruction.
HB 920 establishes a temporary property tax exemption for new senior care facilities and housing development projects. Tax-exempt non-profit organizations sponsoring these projects must first petition a local government, which determines if there is a "compelling need" for the project through a public hearing. If approved by the local government, the sponsor can then apply to the department of revenue for the exemption. This bill aims to encourage the development of various affordable housing and care options for seniors aged 55 or 62 and older.
HB 145 revises the fee for nonresident base hunting licenses. It increases the cost for nonresident hunters to obtain this prerequisite license from $15 to $100 per license year. A significant portion of this increased fee, specifically $90, will now be allocated to fund hunting access programs. Resident base hunting license fees remain unchanged.
HB 492 revises municipal zoning laws by setting new limits on the minimum parking space requirements local governments can impose on new developments. The bill generally caps required parking for residential units at one space per unit and for commercial spaces at one space per 5,000 square feet, with specific exemptions for certain types of projects like affordable housing or smaller commercial spaces. If a city or town chooses to require more parking than these new limits, it must compensate the developer or property owner for the real cost of constructing the additional spaces. This legislation directly affects municipal zoning authorities and developers within those areas.
HB 10 appropriates over $39 million for various information technology (IT) capital projects across multiple state agencies for the biennium ending June 30, 2027. It transfers funds from the general fund to the Long-Range Information Technology Program (LRITP) account to support these initiatives. The bill funds projects such as cybersecurity enhancements, system modernizations, and new business applications for departments like Administration, Corrections, and Public Health and Human Services. All funded projects require approval from the chief information officer and budget director for their design, implementation, and data security plans, emphasizing safeguards against unauthorized access and promoting data sharing among agencies.
HB 590 revises laws related to electronic health records, affecting health carriers, healthcare providers, and patients. It requires health carriers to establish and maintain specific application programming interfaces (APIs) for patient and provider access to health information, adhering to federal standards. Additionally, the bill prohibits healthcare providers from "information blocking" and mandates the disclosure of certain sensitive test results, such as those indicating malignancy or genetic markers, to a patient's electronic health record within 72 hours of finalization.
HB 527 revises the process for county election administrators to create written plans for elections conducted by mail. The bill eliminates the requirement for the Secretary of State to approve these plans. Instead, it mandates that county election administrators post their mail election plans on the county election office website at least 60 days before the election. If the plan is not posted by this deadline, the election automatically defaults to a traditional polling place election, directly affecting how voters will cast their ballots.
House Bill 866 allows the term "emotional disability" to be used instead of "emotional disturbance" as it relates to special education services within the Montana Code Annotated and Administrative Rules of Montana. This change directly affects how special education needs are referred to in state documents and communications. The bill also appropriates $100 to the Office of Public Instruction to inform the public about this permissible terminology change in its publications. This act is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2025.
HB 588 revises existing transportation laws by establishing a legal definition for "motorized scooter." The bill also provides specific regulations for the operation and use of these devices. It achieves this by amending various sections of the Montana Code Annotated to integrate motorized scooters into the state's vehicle and traffic laws.
