This bill revises how Montana allocates marijuana tax revenue, directing funds to specific state accounts after covering department operating costs. It requires 10% of excess funds to support addiction treatment programs (HEART account), 20% for wildlife habitat projects, 4% each to state parks/trails, and 31% for law enforcement grants to local police departments. Additional allocations include $300,000 for drug detection canines (ending 2025), 1.5% for sexual assault evidence kits, and 0.25% to homeless shelter support. These changes amend existing tax distribution rules under Montana law, affecting state agencies including wildlife, public health, and law enforcement. The bill does not change marijuana taxation rates but specifies new spending priorities for existing revenue.
House Bill 353 grants the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks the authority to manage the collection of naturally shed antlers and horns from elk, deer, and antelope, as well as those with a skull or portion of a skull attached. The bill establishes new licensing requirements, instituting a $10 Class F-1 license for residents and a $50 Class F-2 license for nonresidents who collect these items. Landowners, their immediate family, and employees are exempt from needing a license when collecting on their own land. This legislation also provides the department with rulemaking authority, implements a waiting period for nonresidents, and revises criminal acts related to possessing sheds.
HB 256 proposed creating the Montana Water Development State Special Revenue Account to fund water-related projects and infrastructure. This new account would be established with gifts, legislative transfers, and $100 million transferred from the state's general fund over two years. The earnings from this account would be distributed, with 90% allocated to the water storage state special revenue account for state-owned water storage projects. The remaining 10% would go to the natural resources projects state special revenue account to support water storage pilot projects and dam inspections, ultimately affecting water infrastructure and safety across Montana.
HB 139 aimed to revise laws related to mule deer buck hunting in Montana, directly affecting hunters and the state's Fish, Wildlife & Parks commission. The bill would have restricted the commission's ability to close mule deer buck hunting during the general rifle season in November. Specifically, it would have prohibited closures in more than 20% of hunting districts per season, for more than two years within a six-year period in any district, or prior to November 6 in any district. These new restrictions would not have applied to any district closures already in place before December 1, 2024.
HB 127 revises laws related to Montana's fire suppression account, which funds various activities like fire suppression costs, fuel reduction, and forest restoration. The bill removes a specific date reference, making an annual statutory appropriation for fire preparedness an ongoing allocation from the account. It also establishes new reporting requirements, mandating that the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) submit annual expenditure reports to a legislative committee. These changes affect the DNRC's financial management and legislative oversight of funds used for fire-related activities.
HB 580 clarifies Montana's water right abandonment laws, directly affecting individuals and entities holding water rights. The bill specifies that reducing or ceasing the use of a water right during a drought does not automatically signify an intent to abandon that right. This protection applies if the area is experiencing a moderate (D1) or worse drought, or if the nonuse aligns with an official drought plan. The legislation aims to prevent water rights from being lost solely due to conservation efforts during dry periods.
SB 403 would have granted Montana's Fish and Wildlife Commission the authority to set the specific dates and duration for the state's annual muzzleloader heritage hunting season, replacing a previously fixed schedule. This change would directly affect hunters using traditional muzzleloading rifles for deer and elk during this designated season. The bill would have allowed the Commission to adjust the season dates and length based on wildlife management needs, rather than requiring it to follow a fixed timeline (e.g., "second Saturday after regular season for 9 days"). The season itself would have permitted hunting deer or elk with muzzleloaders using specific ammunition and firearm types, as defined by existing regulations.
HB 283 would allow Montana's wildlife commission to issue one male mountain sheep and one male Shiras moose hunting license annually through a lottery or auction, instead of traditional methods. Hunters seeking these licenses would enter the lottery, and any proceeds from sales would fund conservation efforts for these species, with wildlife groups allowed to retain up to 10% of proceeds to cover lottery costs. The bill specifies that all remaining funds must directly benefit mountain sheep and moose management, supplementing existing department budgets. Note: This bill was vetoed by the governor and the legislature failed to override the veto, so it is not currently law.
This bill redefines which energy infrastructure qualifies as "class fourteen property" for tax purposes in Montana, directly affecting developers and owners of specific renewable energy and carbon capture facilities. It expands the existing definition to include new categories like sustainable aviation fuel production facilities (added in subsection bb) and clarifies criteria for transmission lines (subsections x, y, z). The key change is expanding eligibility for this special tax classification to cover more renewable energy projects and infrastructure, without altering the tax rate itself. This affects entities building qualifying wind, biomass, geothermal, storage, and carbon capture facilities that commenced construction after specified dates. The bill amends Montana Code Annotated §15-6-157 to reflect these updated definitions.
HB 559, which was withdrawn on February 21, 2025, proposed establishing two weekly "commercial fishing, guiding, and outfitting-free days" on specific Montana rivers (including the Bitterroot, Clark Fork, Madison, and Yellowstone) between May 30 and Labor Day. It would have required the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to designate stretches of these rivers where commercial operations are prohibited on two days weekly (one must be Saturday), aiming to reduce overcrowding. The bill directly affected commercial fishing outfitters, guides, and recreational users by altering access during peak summer months. Rulemaking was required by May 15, 2026, but the bill was withdrawn before committee action.
