HB 11 appropriates money from the Montana coal endowment special revenue account to the Department of Commerce for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025. This bill authorizes over $20 million in grants for specific water and wastewater infrastructure projects in various towns, cities, and water/sewer districts across Montana. Additionally, it allocates over $3.5 million for bridge projects in several counties. The grants are conditional upon recipients meeting specified requirements and the availability of funds, with deadlines for project completion to maintain eligibility.
This bill (LC 3737) revises Montana Medicaid dental service rules by eliminating an annual payment cap for standard adult dental care. It requires a minimum 10% annual increase in provider payment rates for adult dental services during fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The law directly affects Medicaid dental providers and adult Medicaid recipients in Montana by ensuring higher, predictable payments for covered services. The changes take effect July 1, 2025.
HB 385 proposed establishing the School Mental Health Promotion Pilot Program, administered by the Office of Public Instruction. This program would have provided grants to Montana school districts to implement innovative, student-led, and locally determined initiatives aimed at improving student mental health. Districts applying for grants would have needed to demonstrate specific needs, broad community support in their application development, and plans for mental health promotion activities and program evaluation. The bill proposed annual grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 for a two-year period, with $250,000 appropriated annually from the general fund. The program was set to terminate on June 30, 2029.
HB 835 proposes to extend the at-home infant care program, which provides financial assistance to low-income families where a parent cares for their infant full-time. The bill would increase the eligible age of infants from under 2 years to under 3 years, and extend the maximum duration a family can receive assistance from 24 months to 36 months. It also includes an appropriation of $2 million annually from the general fund to the department of public health and human services to support the program. This legislation aims to provide extended financial support for eligible low-income families choosing at-home infant care.
This bill (LC 3802) expands Montana's Medicaid Buy-In Program to include children with disabilities who were previously ineligible due to asset limits. It removes the $30,000 resource threshold for children under 19 with disabilities seeking coverage through the program, aligning their eligibility criteria with those for adults with disabilities under Section 53-6-195. The change directly affects families of children with disabilities who exceed the prior asset limit but meet income requirements. The bill amends Montana Code Annotated sections 53-6-113 and 53-6-195 to implement this policy change, with funding provided through an appropriation.
HB 881 proposed to revise the existing Medicaid buy-in program to include children with disabilities. This would expand eligibility for the program, allowing more children with disabilities to access Medicaid services. The bill also included an appropriation and extended rulemaking authority for the relevant department to implement these changes. It aimed to amend specific sections of Montana law concerning Medicaid administration and eligibility requirements.
Senate Bill 257 revises the permit laws for the Smith River waterway. It increases the cost for nonresidents to purchase a bonus point for the Smith River permit lottery from $50 to $125. This change directly affects nonresidents applying for permits to float and camp on the Smith River. The additional revenue generated from these bonus points will be deposited into the Smith River corridor enhancement account, which funds projects to protect and improve the river's natural beauty, recreational values, fisheries, and wildlife habitat.
This bill revises Montana's disability parking permit eligibility to include pregnant women as a qualifying condition. A pregnant woman may obtain a temporary disability parking permit for up to one year by providing certification from a licensed physician, certified midwife, or licensed advanced practice registered nurse. The state will collect a $10 fee for this permit, with funds deposited into the state general fund. This change directly affects pregnant women in Montana who require temporary parking accommodations due to pregnancy-related mobility needs.
HB 369 authorizes the creation of county road maintenance districts to maintain roads that were previously serviced by the county but owned by other entities. These districts can be formed when at least 66% of property owners in a proposed area petition the county commissioners. The districts are funded by assessing maintenance costs directly against the benefited properties within the district. The amount assessed by a district must then be subtracted from the county's general fund dedicated to road improvement or maintenance.
This bill creates a state-funded mobile home park emergency relocation account to help tenants who must move due to a park's change in use (e.g., redevelopment). Tenants renting mobile homes in Montana can receive up to $10,000 for single-section or $15,000 for multi-section mobile homes to cover moving costs, or 50% of that amount if abandoning the home. The account is funded by annual $1.50 assessments per $100 of a mobile home's taxable value (paid like property tax) and campground license fees. Eligibility requires the tenant to be notified before a change-in-use notice and not to have already relocated within the park. The Department of Commerce manages the account and disburses funds per the bill's rules.
