Education

introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 20, 2025

LC 3014: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws

This bill revises Montana's early literacy intervention laws to expand support for children at risk of not meeting reading and math proficiency standards by the end of third grade. It allows school districts to offer classroom-based, home-based, or Jumpstart programs to eligible children identified through research-based evaluations, while also broadening the definition of scholastic literacy to include mathematics and numeracy. The legislation permits districts to enroll up to one on-target student for every three eligible students in certain intervention programs and requires parental consent for evaluations. Additionally, the bill mandates ongoing collaboration between state education agencies and school districts to collect outcome data and refine intervention strategies for improved effectiveness.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands early literacy intervention support, broadens literacy definition to include math, and allows multiple program types to help students meet proficiency standards.90% confidence

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 28, 2025

LC 1779: Revise laws regarding targeted early numeracy intervention

This bill expands Montana's early childhood education system by adding numeracy, or early math skills, to the existing targeted intervention programs that previously focused only on literacy. It allows schools greater flexibility in evaluating children for these intervention programs and updates reporting requirements to better track outcomes. The legislation directly affects school districts, educators, and families by broadening the scope of support available for young learners who struggle with foundational academic skills.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands early childhood education by adding numeracy to intervention programs, increasing support for young learners and educational access.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood

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died · Montana · Legislature Jan 15, 2025

LC 1860: Provide income tax relief for property taxes paid

This bill creates a new Montana tax credit for renters under 62 with household income below $45,000 who pay rent-equivalent property taxes, allowing them to claim up to $1,200 or $1,750 depending on their rent-to-income ratio. It also permits qualifying teachers to exclude certain earned income when calculating their eligibility for this credit. The legislation increases the residential property tax credit for elderly taxpayers and adjusts the income thresholds where these credits begin to phase out. Additionally, the bill schedules periodic reviews of various state tax credits starting in 2025 to assess their effectiveness and impact on taxpayers.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides income tax relief for renters and elderly taxpayers, directly addressing tax policy to reduce financial burden on specific groups.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allows qualifying teachers to exclude certain earned income for tax credit eligibility, providing financial relief to educators.70% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill provides tax credits for renters and elderly property owners, directly supporting affordable housing and tenant financial relief.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Property Tax Tax Credits Landlords Property Taxes Renters

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 4, 2025

LC 1522: Enact the "Free to Speak Act"

This bill, known as the "Free to Speak Act," protects students and employees in Montana public schools and state institutions from disciplinary or employment consequences if they refuse to use certain names or pronouns for others. It specifically prohibits schools from penalizing individuals who decline to identify their own pronouns or address others using names or pronouns inconsistent with the other person's legal sex. The law also establishes a private right of action, allowing harmed individuals to sue public schools or the state for damages and attorney fees if these protections are violated.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill restricts educational policies by limiting how schools can address gender identity issues, potentially impacting inclusive curriculum and student support programs.85% confidence

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 24, 2025

LC 2182: Revise contract laws relating to student athletes

This bill requires that contracts related to college student-athlete rights, including compensation for the use of their name, image, and likeness, must be in writing to be legally valid. It prohibits colleges and athletic organizations from preventing student-athletes from earning such compensation or from penalizing them for exercising these rights, while allowing schools to use athletes' likenesses in their own agreements. The legislation also mandates that student-athletes disclose any such contracts to their institution and clarifies that schools may negotiate on behalf of athletes regarding name, image, and likeness deals. Additionally, the bill amends existing contract law statutes to specifically include these athlete agreements under the requirement that they be written and signed.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill protects student-athlete rights and compensation, enhancing educational access and opportunities for college students.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 25, 2025

LC 1406: Generally revise unemployment laws relating to non-professional employees of educational institutions

This bill amends Montana's unemployment insurance laws to allow non-professional employees of educational institutions to claim unemployment benefits under federal guidelines. It specifically changes how benefits are calculated for workers who are not in instructional, research, or principal administrative roles, removing restrictions that previously prevented them from receiving benefits during breaks between academic terms. The key provision ensures that if a non-professional employee is denied benefits due to a reasonable expectation of returning to work, they may receive retroactive payments if they were not offered employment for the next term. This change aligns state law with federal standards for non-professional staff while maintaining existing rules for professional academic and administrative employees.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands unemployment benefits for non-professional education workers, protecting their access to benefits during academic breaks and strengthening educational workforce support.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill expands unemployment benefits for non-professional education workers, strengthening worker protections and financial security during academic breaks.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Unemployment

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Dec 27, 2024

LC 566: Extend the use of funding for lead-in-schools appropriated in 2023

This bill extends the use of lead-in-schools funding that was originally appropriated in 2023, allowing schools to continue using these funds until the money is fully spent or the projects are finished. It amends existing state law by adding a new subsection that reappropriates the funds for their original purposes rather than requiring them to be used within a specific timeframe. The change directly affects Montana school districts that received lead-in-schools funding and need additional time to complete their projects. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage and approval, ensuring no interruption to ongoing work.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill extends funding availability for lead-in-schools, ensuring continued financial support for essential school infrastructure projects and preventing waste of appropriated funds.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill extends lead-in-schools funding, allowing schools to complete infrastructure projects and maintain access to critical renovation resources.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Dec 31, 2024

LC 984: Revise calculation of state education levies

This bill limits how much property taxes can grow for Montana's state education levies, specifically capping the increase at 3% above the prior year's revenue for certain state-mandated school taxes. It directly affects school districts and other governmental entities that collect property taxes for education purposes by restricting how many mills (tax rates) they can impose. The bill removes the ability to carry forward unused tax authority for specific state education mills and clarifies how newly taxable property and inflation adjustments are calculated. Local governments can still vote to raise additional taxes beyond these limits, but the state-mandated education portion is now strictly capped to prevent revenue growth exceeding the 3% threshold.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill limits property tax growth for education levies by capping increases at 3% and removing carryforward authority, restricting state education funding mechanisms.85% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill caps property tax growth for education levies at 3%, limiting school districts' ability to raise funds and restricts unused tax authority carryover, potentially reducing available school resources.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Property Tax School Funding

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 12, 2025

LC 2328: Extend the grow your own grant program

This bill extends the Montana Grow Your Own grant program through June 30, 2029, and adds postsecondary institutions as eligible recipients of startup grants to help develop teacher training pipelines. The legislation removes the requirement for grant recipients to convert scholarships to loans if they do not teach in shortage areas within specified timeframes, while maintaining the existing five-year and ten-year service commitments. It also expands eligibility for scholarship recipients to include those who earned at least six postsecondary credits in education while in high school or live in communities with educator shortages. The bill appropriates $500,000 for the 2025-2026 biennium to fund these expanded program activities.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill extends teacher training grants, expands eligibility, and removes loan conversion requirements to strengthen educator pipeline and educational access95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid Teachers

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 15, 2025

LC 1211: Generally revise education laws related to out-of-district attendance.

This bill revises Montana's education laws to clarify how students can attend schools outside their district of residence. It allows parents to request out-of-district enrollment while establishing clear rules for when school boards can deny these requests, such as when accepting a student would exceed classroom capacity, violate safety standards, or jeopardize the district's accreditation. The legislation also clarifies that families are generally responsible for transportation costs unless the receiving district chooses to provide it, and it removes the requirement that students seeking remote instruction must apply to the nearest district offering such services. Additionally, the bill updates reporting requirements for school districts and clarifies tuition responsibilities for nonoperating districts and partial-year attendance.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands educational access by clarifying out-of-district attendance rules, allowing more student mobility while maintaining reasonable safeguards for districts.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice School Transportation

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