HB 848 Montana House · 2025 Regular Session

Provide funding for regional rail authorities

HB 848 aimed to provide dedicated funding for regional rail authorities in the state. The bill proposed creating a "Big Sky Rail Account" within the state special revenue fund, which would receive a portion of rental car sales and use tax proceeds. The Department of Transportation would then annually distribute these funds to eligible regional rail authorities. These authorities could use the money for administrative costs, matching federal grants, fostering partnerships, and planning, developing, and operating rail projects and services, such as enhancing safety, improving stations, and exploring new train routes.
Bill status died 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
Governor
Introduced Mar 19, 2025 Last action May 22, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 6 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB0848_3(3).pdf HB0848_3(4).pdf · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill adds a new requirement for the Department of Revenue to deposit the first $2 million of annual tax collections into a specific account, while the remaining funds go to the general fund. It also updates the list of laws that are authorized to make permanent, 'statutory appropriations' without needing annual legislative approval.
Scope change
The scope of the bill was expanded to include a new funding mechanism for the first $2 million of tax revenue and to clarify which specific statutes have permanent spending authority.
FISCAL

Requires the first $2 million of annual taxes, penalties, and interest collected by the Department of Revenue to be deposited into a specific account, with the remainder going to the general fund.

DEFINITION

Defines 'statutory appropriation' as spending authorized by permanent law that does not require a biennial legislative appropriation or budget amendment.

REQUIREMENT

Updates the list of specific Montana Code Annotated sections that are the only laws containing statutory appropriations, ensuring future spending authority is clearly defined.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 15, 2025 · House Apr 5, 2025

How they voted

3216
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 50
Apr 15, 2025
D Democratic18
5 Yea 13 Nay
72% Nay
R Republican32
27 Yea 3 Nay 2
84% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
53
Key actions
8
Committee
9
Apr 15, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (32-16-2)
senate
Apr 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Report - (S) Highways and Transportation
upper
Apr 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Highways and Transportation
upper
Apr 7, 2025
Committee
(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Highways and Transportation
upper
Apr 5, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (63-35-2)
house
Apr 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Appropriations
lower
Apr 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Appropriations
lower
Mar 31, 2025
Committee
(H) Rereferred to Committee - (H) Appropriations
lower
Mar 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Transportation
lower
Mar 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Transportation
lower
Mar 20, 2025
Committee
(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Transportation
lower
Mar 19, 2025
Introduced
(H) Introduced
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Denise Baum
Denise Baum
DDemocratic
MT
45