Budget & Taxes

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 904: Revise capital gains taxation

This bill proposes changes to Montana's capital gains tax structure, which would affect taxpayers earning income from investments such as stocks or real estate. Under the proposed changes, net long-term capital gains would be taxed at lower rates of 3.0% or 4.1% for income up to certain thresholds, while income exceeding $1 million for joint filers or $500,000 for other filers would be taxed at the standard rate of 5.9%. The bill also includes provisions to adjust tax brackets annually for inflation and defines specific income thresholds that determine how capital gains are taxed. The legislation would take effect on January 1, 2026, though it did not advance further in the legislative process before its deadline.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill reduces capital gains tax rates for lower income brackets, providing tax relief and promoting fiscal responsibility for middle/lower income taxpayers.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 243: Provide tax credit for volunteer first responders

HB 243 proposed a new state income tax credit for qualified volunteer emergency first responders. This credit would apply to individuals providing active, uncompensated volunteer service as firefighters, EMTs, auxiliary officers, or search and rescue volunteers. The credit amount would be the lesser of $15 per hour of service or $1,500 annually. If the credit exceeds a taxpayer's liability, the excess amount would be refunded. The bill's stated purpose was to retain existing volunteers and recruit new ones, with an applicability date for income tax years beginning January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax credit reducing liability for volunteer first responders, aligning with tax relief for lower-income groups under individual income taxation.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 842: Legislative referendum on sales tax to fund education

HB 842 proposed a legislative referendum for Montana voters to decide on establishing a statewide sales tax. If approved by voters, this bill would allow the legislature to enact a sales tax not exceeding 4%. The revenue generated from this sales tax would be exclusively used to reduce property taxes that fund public schools and the Montana university system. The proposed sales tax would apply to final goods and services but include exemptions for necessities such as housing, groceries, fuel, health care, and utilities. The bill was to be submitted to qualified electors at the November 2026 general election for approval.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProposes sales tax to fund education, reducing property taxes on schools/universities, providing tax relief for homeowners and supporting public education funding.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates sales tax revenue to fund public schools/university system by reducing property taxes, directly advancing school finance through new dedicated funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 25: Require exempt entities to report beneficial use of property

HB 25 proposed that entities typically exempt from property taxes, such as government bodies or charities, would need to report annually to the Department of Revenue. This report would be required if they lease their property to a non-exempt entity or for a non-exempt use, and would include a description of the leased property and a copy of the lease agreement. If the beneficial use of the property was not properly reported, it would become subject to property taxation. The bill aimed to ensure that properties used for non-exempt purposes are appropriately taxed, even if owned by an exempt organization.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCloses tax loophole for exempt entities by requiring reporting of leased property, ensuring proper tax compliance and preventing tax avoidance on non-exempt uses.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 163: Provide for health care preceptor individual income tax credit

HB 163 proposed creating a new individual income tax credit for health care professionals who volunteer as preceptors in Montana. The bill would allow licensed preceptors to claim a $1,000 credit for each eligible clinical rotation, up to a maximum of $5,000 per tax year, provided they do not receive compensation for their supervisory role. An eligible clinical rotation requires a minimum of 100 hours of direct supervised training for students in various graduate-level health care programs within the state. This nonrefundable credit aimed to support preceptors who educate advanced practice registered nursing, medical, physician assistant, and other health care students.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates a $1,000 individual income tax credit for health care preceptors, providing direct tax relief and reducing taxable income under tax policy.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProvides tax credit to incentivize healthcare preceptors, strengthening workforce development for clinical training in health services.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 905: Providing for a refund of property taxes for failure to abate a public nuisance

This Montana bill allows property owners to request a refund of property taxes if their local government fails to address public nuisances like illegal camping, loitering, or substance use on their property. Property owners must document expenses they incurred to mitigate these issues, and the refund amount cannot exceed the taxes they paid for the prior year. Local governments have 30 days to accept or reject refund applications, and if they reject the request, property owners can sue in court with the government bearing the burden of proof. The state treasurer will withhold refund amounts from local government entitlement payments, and the bill includes rules to prevent abuse while allowing property owners to apply annually as long as the nuisance persists.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides property tax refunds when local governments fail to address nuisances, offering financial relief to property owners and promoting fiscal accountability.75% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 537: Provide for a birth day tax credit for the birth of a child

HB 537 proposed creating a new "birth day" tax credit for resident taxpayers in Montana upon the birth of a child. The credit would be up to $3,000, or the total of the taxpayer's Montana income taxes, federal income taxes, and FICA contributions, whichever is less. This credit would be refundable, allowing taxpayers to receive a refund even if they have no state tax liability. The credit amount would be reduced for higher-income taxpayers and capped at $1,500 in certain situations, such as for parents filing separately or unmarried parents sharing custody. If passed, it would have applied to income tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides refundable tax credit reducing tax burden for new parents, aligning with tax relief for middle/lower income families through direct financial support.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 213: Revise residential and commercial property tax rate

HB 213 proposed to revise the property tax rates for Class Four residential and commercial properties. These properties include most residential homes, rental units, and commercial buildings. The bill would lower the tax rate for most residential properties from 1.35% to 0.76% of their market value. It also adjusted the tax rate calculation for single-family homes valued over $1.5 million and for commercial properties, changing their multiplier from 1.4 to 1.35 times the standard residential rate. If passed, these changes would have applied retroactively to tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesLowers property tax rates for most residential properties, providing tax relief to middle-income homeowners per bill's explicit rate reduction from 1.35% to 0.76%.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingLowers property tax rate for residential properties (1.35% to 0.76%), reducing costs for homeowners and rental units, advancing housing affordability.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 429: Provide account and transfer for BOI for investment in precious metals and digital assets

HB 429, titled the "Inflation Protection Act of 2025," proposed creating a new state special revenue account within the state special revenue fund. This account would be initially funded by a $50 million transfer from the state's general fund by July 15, 2025, with additional funding from future legislative transfers. The bill authorized the Board of Investments to invest the funds in this account in precious metals, digital assets, and stablecoins. Any proceeds generated from these investments would remain within the account, affecting the state's financial management and investment strategies.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates new state investment account within budget (fiscal management) to protect against inflation via precious metals/digital assets, aligning with fiscal responsibility indicators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 950: Establishing a Montana trade office in Israel

House Bill 950 sought to establish and maintain a Montana trade office in Israel, staffed by the Department of Commerce. The office's primary goal was to promote trade, tourism, and cultural exchange between Montana and Israel. It aimed to strengthen ties and expand opportunities in areas such as agriculture, technology, security, and educational programs. The bill proposed appropriating $500,000 from the general fund for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, to fund the office. This act was intended to be effective July 1, 2025, and terminate on June 30, 2033.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly appropriates $500,000 from general fund for trade office, directly allocating state budget resources to fund a new program.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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