HB 457 Montana House · 2025 Regular Session

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.
Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 12, 2025 Last action May 20, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

LC2106.pdf HB0457_1.pdf · 1 edit
MINOR
The bill text was updated to reflect the official House Bill number (HB 457) and the full list of sponsoring legislators. The core policy content regarding child care eligibility, funding amounts, and effective dates remains unchanged.
TECHNICAL

The header was updated to change the bill identifier from LC2106 to HB 457 and added the names of the legislators who introduced the bill.

Floor votes · House Mar 21, 2025

How they voted

914
Passed · 5 other
Total votes 100
Mar 21, 2025
D Democratic42
35 Yea 4 Nay 3
83% Yea
R Republican58
56 Yea 2
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
23
Key actions
3
Committee
3
Mar 21, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (91-4-5)
house
Feb 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Human Services
lower
Feb 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Human Services
lower
Feb 12, 2025
Committee
(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Human Services
lower
Feb 12, 2025
Introduced
(H) Introduced
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Jonathan Karlen
Jonathan Karlen
DDemocratic
MT
98