Education

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 445: Revise laws to promote the teaching of cursive writing in schools

HB 445 aimed to revise the legislative goals for public education in Montana. The bill sought to encourage public elementary and secondary schools to provide instruction in reading and writing cursive handwriting to all students. This instruction was intended to develop cognitive and fine motor skills and ensure students could read original historical documents, such as the United States Constitution. It would have amended current law to incorporate this as an explicit goal for the state's public school system.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates cursive instruction to develop cognitive skills and historical literacy, advancing curriculum standards per legislative goals.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 51: Increase MUS-RP supplemental contribution to TRS

HB 51 proposes to increase the supplemental employer contribution rate paid by employers within the Montana University System (MUS) to the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS). Currently, MUS employers contribute 4.72% of the total compensation for employees participating in the MUS Retirement Program. This bill would raise that contribution rate to 14.21%. The increased contributions are intended to help amortize the past service liability of the Teachers' Retirement System for university system members by July 1, 2033, with the changes taking effect on July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases retirement contributions for university teachers, strengthening teacher benefits within higher education funding system.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases employer retirement contributions (4.72% to 14.21%) for MUS teachers, expanding their retirement benefits as part of employment standards.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 841: Constitutional amendment to use sales tax revenue for education

HB 841 proposed a constitutional amendment in Montana to change the allocation of state sales or use tax revenue. It would have required that revenue from a statewide sales tax, capped at 4%, be used primarily to reduce property taxes funding public schools and the Montana University System. The bill allowed for this revenue to be appropriated for other purposes if three-fourths of the legislature voted to do so. If approved by voters in November 2026, the amendment would have taken effect on July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects sales tax revenue to fund public schools and university system, reducing property tax burden for education, aligning with funding essential programs.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates sales tax revenue (capped at 4%) to fund public schools and university system, directly increasing education funding through constitutional amendment.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 385: Establishing the school mental health promotion pilot program

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesFunds school mental health pilot program through grants, directly addressing appropriations in state budget allocation.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides grants for school mental health programs, enhancing student well-being and support services within K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill allocates grants to school districts for student mental health promotion initiatives, directly advancing mental health services through funding and program implementation.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 405: Increase on-schedule reimbursement rates for school transportation

HB 405 proposed to increase the maximum reimbursement rates that school districts receive from state and county sources for student transportation. The bill specifically raised the per-mile rates for school buses of different passenger capacities, as well as for non-bus mileage. The intent was to lower school district property taxes designated for transportation expenses. These changes would have applied to school district transportation budgets starting July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly increases state reimbursement to lower school district property taxes, providing direct tax relief for local communities.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases state reimbursement rates for school transportation, reducing district costs and supporting school finance under education funding.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationIncreases reimbursement rates for school bus transportation infrastructure, directly funding school district transportation operations per bill summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 457: Revise best beginnings eligibility

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $17M annually from general fund to expand child care program, directly funding a public service per appropriations subject.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands early childhood education access by lowering income eligibility threshold and appropriating $17M annually for child care scholarships, directly increasing funding and accessibility for families.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 508: Emphasize media literacy in legislative goals for education

HB 508 aimed to establish media literacy as a legislative goal for Montana's public elementary and secondary schools. The bill proposed amending state law to include strengthening media literacy within the state's educational objectives. This would involve teaching students to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using various forms of communication. Additionally, it sought to help students reduce their susceptibility to disinformation, misinformation, propaganda, and indoctrination. The overall goal was to integrate these media literacy skills into the learning environment for all public school students.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly adds media literacy to educational objectives, strengthening student skills in analyzing media and combating disinformation per legislative goals.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyTeaches media literacy to combat disinformation, enhancing digital literacy skills related to technology use and information technology education.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 265: Provide Over-BASE levy authority consistent with inflation adopted by the legislature

HB 265 proposed changes to how Montana school districts manage their general fund budgets, primarily affecting school boards and local taxpayers. The bill would have allowed school boards to increase a previously voter-approved local property tax levy (an "over-BASE levy") by the same inflationary adjustment provided by the legislature for state school funding. This adjustment would not require a new vote from district electors, provided the increase was solely due to the legislative inflation adjustment and stayed within overall budget limits. The bill aimed to improve the alignment of school funding with the defined "basic system" and ensure annual inflationary adjustments are included in the funding formula.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllows automatic property tax levy increases tied to inflation for school funding, preventing underfunding without new voter approval, aligning with fiscal responsibility and essential program funding.92% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllows automatic inflation-adjusted property tax increases for school districts, maintaining stable funding without new voter approval.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 209: Prove income tax credit for nonpublic school expenses such as private or homeschool tuition

HB 209 proposed creating a state income tax credit for taxpayers covering nonpublic school education expenses. This credit would apply to qualifying students attending private schools or being homeschooled. Eligible expenses include tuition, textbooks, extracurricular activities, and other specific educational costs like therapies or vocational programs. The credit amount would be limited to the lesser of the expenses paid or 44.7% of a set state rate, and it could not exceed the taxpayer's overall tax liability.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesCreates tax credit reducing state revenue, weakening fiscal management by limiting tax income without direct public service funding.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates tax credit for nonpublic school expenses, expanding educational access options through financial support for private/homeschooling.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 922: Generally revise education tax credit laws

HB 922 proposes to establish a new education tax credit for resident taxpayers who are parents or legal guardians of children attending nonpublic schools. This bill would allow a $250 credit per eligible student each year, applied against the taxpayer's income tax liability. Any unused credit could be carried forward for up to three years. The legislation also revises the review schedule for existing tax credits and aims to provide parity in aggregate limits for educational programs in public and nonpublic school settings.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEstablishes tax credit reducing income tax liability for education expenses, providing tax relief per bill's tax credit provisions.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates $250 tax credit per nonpublic school student, expanding educational access and financial support for families using private schools.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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