Rep. Marta Bertoglio

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 94 aimed to revise Montana's laws concerning the confidentiality of tax records. It proposed allowing the Department of Revenue to share individual tax return information with the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance. This information sharing was intended to assist the Commissioner in investigating, detecting, and preventing noncompliance, fraud, and abuse under state securities and insurance laws.

Maddy summaryHB 85 reinstates former employer contribution rates for four specific public employee retirement systems: the Judges', Highway Patrol Officers', Sheriffs', and Game Wardens' and Peace Officers' Retirement Systems. This directly impacts the governmental entities that employ these personnel and contribute to their pensions. The bill also amends the state's property tax levy calculation procedures, outlining how local governments determine their maximum mill levies based on factors like prior year assessments and newly taxable property. It specifically exempts certain levies, such as those funding the sheriffs' retirement system, from these new

Maddy summaryHB 566 revises the decennial study that assesses the long-term care needs of veterans in Montana. It transfers primary responsibility for conducting this study from the Department of Public Health and Human Services to the Montana Veterans' Affairs Division. The bill mandates the involvement of stakeholders, such as veterans' outreach organizations, and expands the study's scope to include various care needs and the necessity of additional state veterans' cemeteries. It also establishes new requirements for a study plan, budget estimate, and regular reporting to an interim committee.

Maddy summaryHB 740 revises laws affecting pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and other entities involved in prescription drug dispensing and reimbursement. The bill establishes new restrictions on how PBMs can audit pharmacies and recoup funds, such as prohibiting recoupment for clerical errors without actual financial harm and banning the use of extrapolation in calculations. It also updates regulations for Maximum Allowable Cost (MAC) lists and reference pricing, requiring PBMs to ensure drugs on MAC lists are available and to frequently update and disclose pricing information to pharmacies.

Maddy summaryHB 189 revises the eligibility requirements for reimbursement from the petroleum tank release cleanup fund. It primarily changes the date for which cleanup expenses can be reimbursed, extending it from April 13, 1989, to January 1, 1984, for certain owners and operators of petroleum storage tanks. This adjustment allows for the reimbursement of older cleanup costs for releases from eligible tanks. The bill also extends rulemaking authority related to these provisions.

Maddy summaryHB 88 revises laws concerning unclaimed property, allowing the Department of Revenue to automatically return certain property to its owners. This automatic return is permitted for unclaimed property valued at $1,000 or less. The administrator can directly pay or deliver this property if they can verify the apparent owner's identity and address, waiving the usual requirement for a formal claim.

Maddy summaryHB 67 revises and clarifies administrative and tax qualification provisions for the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS). The bill directly affects TRS members, their employers, and beneficiaries by updating regulations for employer reporting duties, elective membership deferral, and the purchase of deferred elective service. It also revises mandatory distribution rules to conform with federal law and clarifies disability retirement allowance calculations. Additionally, the bill provides updated definitions for terms used within the TRS, such as "earned compensation."

Maddy summaryHB 81 amends Montana law to move supervision of the Veterans' Affairs Division Administrator from the Board of Veterans' Affairs to the Adjutant General. This directly affects the administrator role, who implements veterans' services like claim assistance and benefit advocacy. The bill changes Section 10-2-102, MCA, to require the Adjutant General (part of the Department of Military Affairs) to hire and oversee the administrator, aligning veterans' affairs with military oversight. The Department of Military Affairs requested this change to streamline administrative responsibility.