This bill (LC 958) authorizes a specific transfer of funds between two state education accounts to prevent funding cuts for public schools. It directs the state treasurer to move excess money from the School Facility and Technology Account to the School Major Maintenance Aid Account if the first account has sufficient funds to cover debt service without proration (funding cuts) and transferring funds would avoid proration in the second account. This directly affects Montana public schools that rely on these state funding streams for facility maintenance and technology. The provision ensures schools receive full funding by strategically reallocating existing resources within the state budget structure.
This Montana bill (LC 4235) directly affects travelers holding airline travel credits. It prohibits expiration dates on such credits, ensures the credit's value belongs to the person holding it (not the airline), and bans fees that reduce the credit's value. Travelers with credits worth less than $5 can request cash redemption. Additionally, the bill imposes a $1 fee on airline tickets to/from Montana, with revenue funding human trafficking prevention efforts at the Department of Justice.
This bill requires Montana's Insurance Commissioner to create a free, searchable website listing all licensed insurance companies and agents. The site must organize listings by insurance type (like auto or home), include search functions, and display the list in a randomized order daily. It prohibits fees for insurers to be listed, advertising on the site, or the commissioner accepting compensation to promote specific companies. The state appropriates $10,000 to fund this website's development and maintenance. The primary effect is to help consumers easily find and compare insurance options.
Montana's LC 3618 would create a state-run trade office in Israel to promote economic partnerships between Montana businesses and Israeli companies. The office, staffed by at least one person, aims to boost trade in key Montana-aligned sectors like agriculture (pulse crops, meats), technology (photonics, quantum computing), and cultural exchanges. It allocates $500,000 from the general fund for the 2025-2027 biennium, with the office terminating on June 30, 2033. The bill explicitly states the office is for promotional purposes only, not to regulate commerce, and seeks to strengthen economic ties with Israel as a global leader in relevant industries.
Montana bill LC 461 revises how lodging facility use tax revenue is distributed, directly affecting the Department of Commerce, regional tourism groups, and state agencies. The bill requires 60.2% of the tax revenue (after a 4% deduction for state agency lodging costs) to fund tourism programs through the Department of Commerce, with specific allocations: 28.6% for tourism media and promotions, 14.3% for rural and tribal tourism, 15.3% for tourism grants, and smaller portions for historical sites, parks, and emergency lodging. It also mandates that cities or regions receiving funds must submit approved marketing plans, or funds redirect to regional tourism corporations. The bill repeals outdated language (Section 90-1-122, MCA) and adds reporting requirements for heritage preservation funds.
LC 862, titled "Prohibit funding of DEI in Montana higher education system," was a proposed bill that would have banned state funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at Montana's public universities and colleges. If enacted, it would have directly affected all Montana public higher education institutions by preventing them from using state funds for DEI initiatives. The bill died in committee on May 23, 2025, and was never enacted into law.
LC 3807 aimed to restore a pay benefit for certain state employees who had lost eligibility for longevity pay - a compensation increase based on long service. The bill would have amended state policies to reinstate this benefit for the affected employees. However, the bill did not advance beyond the drafting stage and was not introduced for legislative consideration. It died in process on May 23, 2025, without becoming law.
This bill (LC 1868) sought to increase funding for an existing program that provides low-interest loans to build or purchase multi-family housing in communities impacted by coal industry decline. The program uses dedicated funds from the coal trust, which was established to support economic recovery in former coal regions. The additional funding would have expanded the program’s capacity to assist residents and developers in these areas. However, the bill died in committee on May 27, 2025, without becoming law.
HB 611 revises the process for determining the salaries of several elected state officials in Montana, including the Governor, Attorney General, and State Auditor. The Department of Administration is required to conduct a biennial salary survey comparing these officials' salaries to those in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Idaho. If the average salary from the surveyed states is higher, that average will become the new salary for the Montana official, effective July 1 of the following year. This bill also clarifies that the State Auditor serves as the ex officio Commissioner of Insurance and Securities, with the salary changes for the State Auditor taking effect on January 1, 2028.
HB 329 aims to encourage the formation of ammunition component manufacturing businesses in Montana. It establishes various state tax exemptions for qualified manufacturers, including property, individual income, corporate income, and other business-related taxes. To receive these exemptions, manufacturers must make their products available to in-state consumers at prices no higher than those for out-of-state purchasers. Additionally, the bill provides individual and corporate income tax exemptions to investors and lenders who provide loans to these eligible ammunition component manufacturers.
