This bill (LC 3453) requires Montana's Department of Justice, Department of Corrections, and Judicial Branch to collaborate by October 1, 2025, to determine the most efficient method for providing criminal history data of district court offenders (from the past five fiscal years and all future convictions) to the state's Criminal Justice Data Warehouse. If the agencies cannot reach agreement, the Department of Corrections must provide this data directly. The bill amends Section 44-7-126, MCA, to clarify data-sharing responsibilities, ensure offender names are linked to their records, and allocates $2,000 to each agency for the collaboration effort. It directly affects state criminal justice agencies and the centralized data system used for policy and operational decisions.
This joint resolution (LC 2312) requests an interim study to examine training and qualifications for law enforcement investigators in Montana. It specifically focuses on whether agencies have enough officers with advanced skills for serious crimes like homicides and sexual assaults - addressing gaps noted in the Montana Law Enforcement Employment Survey. The study will review existing training opportunities, survey agencies about qualified investigators, and explore ways to increase qualified personnel. The findings must be reported to the 70th Legislature by September 2026. This is a procedural request for analysis, not a policy change.
This bill (LC 1170) creates a "large taxpayer reserve account" for Montana cities and counties. It requires local governments to deposit 10% of revenue from newly taxable property (excluding class four) into this account annually. Funds can only be spent if a "large taxpayer" (top 20% of taxable value in the jurisdiction) permanently leaves or their property value drops by 25% or more, then used for bond payments, temporary tax reductions, attracting new businesses, job expansion, or related infrastructure. The bill also revises property tax calculation rules to increase the inflation cap used for levy limits and adjusts how newly taxable property affects tax rates.
This joint resolution (LC 4307) requests an interim study to examine ways to increase housing density and affordability in Montana. It directs the Legislative Council to investigate methods for incentivizing denser housing developments, reviewing state programs supporting housing units, analyzing tax impacts on homeowners and developments, and identifying infrastructure funding solutions. The study must include input from developers, local governments, and housing advocates, and report findings to the 70th Legislature by September 15, 2026. This resolution does not create new laws but focuses on gathering data to inform future housing policy decisions.
This bill requires Montana schools to create cardiac emergency response plans for youth sports, effective for the 2026-2027 school year. It mandates that coaches obtain CPR/AED certification, hold annual informational meetings with parents and athletes about cardiac arrest symptoms, and immediately remove athletes showing warning signs. Athletes removed for potential cardiac issues must receive written medical clearance before returning to play. The bill also clarifies that purchasing automatic defibrillators for school safety is an allowable expense under state funding rules.
This bill freezes Montana property tax values for 2025 and 2026 at the 2024 level for all taxable property. It directly affects property owners by preventing annual reassessment increases during those years, unless the Department of Revenue determines a property's value has decreased since 2024. The bill mandates using the 2024 value for tax calculations in 2025 and 2026, with the exception of properties showing a lower value in 2025. It applies retroactively to 2025 taxes and terminates after December 31, 2026.
This bill establishes a dedicated Water Division Court in Montana to handle water rights disputes, directly affecting water users, districts, and irrigation systems. It creates a formal court structure with judges appointed by the governor (replacing current processes), clarifies jurisdiction for water rights enforcement, and revises procedures for complaints by dissatisfied water users. Key provisions include defining court authority over water distribution supervision, streamlining judicial review for permit decisions under Title 85, and amending 25+ Montana Code sections related to water courts and commissioners. The bill aims to create a more consistent, specialized system for resolving water rights conflicts across the state.
This bill (LC 958) authorizes a specific transfer of funds between two state education accounts to prevent funding cuts for public schools. It directs the state treasurer to move excess money from the School Facility and Technology Account to the School Major Maintenance Aid Account if the first account has sufficient funds to cover debt service without proration (funding cuts) and transferring funds would avoid proration in the second account. This directly affects Montana public schools that rely on these state funding streams for facility maintenance and technology. The provision ensures schools receive full funding by strategically reallocating existing resources within the state budget structure.
This bill changes Montana's special education terminology by allowing "emotional disability" to replace "emotional disturbance" in state law and regulations, aligning with the federal definition (34 CFR 300.8(c)(4)). It provides $100 from the general fund to the Office of Public Instruction to update publications about special education services by July 1, 2025. The change affects how schools document and provide services for students with emotional needs under Montana's special education framework.
This bill revises Montana's gambling laws by expanding the definition of "internet gambling" to explicitly include online casinos, while creating an exception for online casinos that do not use traditional currency (allowing cryptocurrency transactions). It changes how fines from gambling violations are handled, directing them to the Department of Justice's budget instead of previous allocations, and updates criminal penalties to specify both misdemeanor and felony offenses. The bill directly affects online casino operators (particularly those using cryptocurrency), the Department of Justice (managing fines), and gambling enforcement agencies (applying new penalties). These changes aim to modernize regulatory definitions and enforcement mechanisms within Montana's gambling framework.
This joint resolution honors Montana's 9,106 educational support professionals - such as paraprofessionals, secretaries, IT staff, and special-needs assistants - who work in public schools. It designates April 3, 2025, as "Educational Support Professionals Day" to recognize their daily contributions to student safety, learning, and school operations. The resolution celebrates their role in supporting all students, including those with disabilities, and acknowledges their vital impact on Montana's educational environment. It is a ceremonial recognition with no new policy or funding changes.
This bill establishes a new income-based tax credit for Montana individual taxpayers with low-to-moderate income. It provides a credit equal to 4.7% of taxable income, but phases out completely when income exceeds specific thresholds ($2,000 for joint filers, $1,500 for heads of household, and $1,000 for other individual filers). The credit reduces tax liability but is unavailable for dependents, trusts, or taxpayers exceeding the phaseout income levels. The bill also requires the credit to be reviewed every eight years as part of Montana's broader tax credit review process.
