HB 457 aimed to modify the Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Program. It proposed changing the family income eligibility requirement from a minimum of 185% of the federal poverty level to 85% of the state median income for each family size. Additionally, the bill sought to appropriate $17 million annually from the general fund to the Department of Public Health and Human Services for the program for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025.
The provided bill text, identified as Senate Bill 382, focuses on revising laws related to immunization exemptions, which differs from the title "Establish the specie legal tender act" for HB 382.
Based on the provided text, this bill mandates that various entities, including state agencies, schools, child care facilities, and licensed health care providers, must accept religious or informed consent exemptions for required immunizations, injections, or medications for employment or attendance. It establishes that denying such an exemption is an unlawful discriminatory practice. Non-compliant entities could face a loss of state funding, and individuals denied an exemption may file complaints and seek compensatory damages. The bill also clarifies and strengthens the existing provisions for religious, medical, and informed consent exemptions for school attendance.
House Bill 864 implements provisions related to education funding and administration across various institutions. It expands the use of the School Facility and Technology Account, allowing excess funds to be transferred to the School Major Maintenance Aid Account to prevent aid reductions for schools. For community colleges, the bill revises definitions and mechanisms for calculating state general fund appropriations, incorporating inflationary adjustments and changes in full-time equivalent (FTE) student numbers. It also increases payments for resident nonbeneficiary students at tribal colleges and mandates a study on interlibrary resource sharing programs and the Office of Public Instruction.
HB 151 revises education laws related to recruitment, retention, and the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind. The bill makes educational sign language interpreters eligible for the quality educator payment and loan assistance program. It also expands the types of educational entities that can receive incentives for meeting starting teacher pay benchmarks and participate in the teacher residency program. Finally, it allows the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind to transport resident students between their homes and the school using a school bus.
SB 350 revises Montana's education laws concerning extracurricular participation for home school students. The bill allows school districts or athletic organizations to restrict a home school student's ability to participate in extracurricular activities if that student is not a United States citizen or not a resident of Montana. Previously, such restrictions were generally prohibited solely based on the student's home school enrollment. All other existing rules, such as home school students meeting the same participation standards as full-time students, remain in effect.
HB 343 requires school districts to establish a program allowing students to be released from regular school attendance for religious instruction, upon written request from a parent or guardian. This program must provide at least one hour of released time per week for religious instruction. The bill also mandates that school districts adopt a policy to award academic credit for completed religious instruction courses. Credit evaluation must be based on secular criteria, such as class hours and course materials, without regard to the religious content. Public school property or funds cannot be used for the religious instruction itself.
SB 181 generally revises Montana's Indian Education for All laws to strengthen the state's commitment to preserving American Indian cultural integrity. The bill requires all certified school personnel and students to receive instruction in American Indian studies, emphasizing tribal consultation and the use of Indian language and cultural specialists. It places additional accountability and reporting requirements on the Board of Public Education, the Office of Public Instruction, and school districts, particularly regarding the financial oversight of state funds for these programs. This legislation aims to improve the delivery and accountability of American Indian education across Montana's public education system.
SB 278 revises education laws to enhance "advanced opportunities" for qualifying students in grades 6-12. The bill establishes and defines "Advanced Opportunity Facilitators" to coordinate learning opportunities between school districts, students, families, and external organizations. School districts employing these facilitators can use a portion of their existing Advanced Opportunity Aid to pay them and receive additional Quality Educator Payments for these positions. This aims to support individualized pathways for career and postsecondary educational success for students.
SB 258 clarifies the state legislature's authority regarding how public school funding is adjusted for inflation. It amends existing law that outlines how the Superintendent of Public Instruction calculates an annual inflation factor for various school entitlements, which is capped at 3%. This bill explicitly states that the legislature can, through its appropriation and lawmaking authority, provide inflationary adjustments that differ from these standard calculations and may exceed the 3% cap. This affects the financial resources allocated to public schools across the state.
HB 359 revises the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) laws concerning retired teachers returning to work. It temporarily reduces the required break-in-service period for retired teachers from 150 to 120 days if they retired on or after January 1, 2024. The bill also creates an exception, allowing retired teachers to work for up to 45 days during this break-in-service period specifically to mentor new teachers. These provisions, which also extend existing temporary rules, are effective until June 30, 2029, after which the previous requirements will apply.
