House Resolution 7 (HR 7) requests that members of the Montana State Legislature, when introducing or amending bills to include new spending, also identify existing programs from which funds would be reallocated to cover those new appropriations. This means any bill proposing new expenditures would need to specify how those funds would be offset within the state budget.
HB 154 would have created a new tax credit for Montana renters and homeowners with household incomes under $150,000. The credit would equal 75% of either property taxes paid (for homeowners) or 15% of rent paid (for renters), minus an income-based percentage (ranging from 1% to 9.5%). To qualify, residents needed to have lived in Montana for at least 9 months and occupied a home or rental for 6 months during the tax year. The bill died in committee in May 2025 without becoming law.
HJ 60 is a joint resolution requesting an interim committee study on kratom's effects and potential regulation in Montana. It directs the committee to investigate kratom's health benefits and risks, distribution methods in Montana, federal and other states' policies, and current state agency powers related to kratom. The study, required to conclude by September 2026, will examine kratom's use, health impacts, and regulatory approaches before making recommendations. This resolution does not create new laws or regulations but seeks information to inform future decisions.
HJ 71 is a joint resolution requesting an interim study of how federal funding changes could impact Montana's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). It directs the Legislative Finance Committee to analyze effects on DEQ operations, programs (like water quality and waste management), and 376 positions funded partly or fully by federal dollars. The study would examine potential budget shortfalls, program reductions, and workforce impacts if federal funding decreases. The committee was required to report findings to the 70th Legislature by September 15, 2026. This is a procedural resolution, not a law, focused solely on gathering information about federal funding risks.
HB 581 revises Montana law to allow city police chiefs to appoint full-time, paid "special services officers" as court officers, rather than restricting appointments to part-time or volunteer roles. The bill updates definitions in Montana law to clarify that special services officers (who perform non-patrol duties requiring specialized skills) may now be appointed as court officers under supervision. This directly affects municipal courts and police departments, enabling them to use officers with specialized training for court duties like serving process or attending sessions. The change requires officers to be authorized to carry firearms and work under the police chief’s direction, as specified in amended sections 3-6-303 and 7-32-201 of Montana Code.
HB 274 sought to establish a medical respite care program in Montana for homeless individuals who are eligible for Medicaid. This program would have provided short-term housing in residential facilities with supportive medical services for those recovering from illness or injury but not requiring hospitalization. Services would have included treatment plan monitoring, medication management, immunizations, discharge planning, and transportation for medical appointments. The bill directed the Department of Public Health and Human Services to seek federal approval for the program and to report annually on its costs and the number of individuals served.
HB 93 sought to establish a system for compensating individuals who were wrongly convicted of felony crimes and later exonerated. It would allow eligible claimants, defined as those imprisoned for felonies they did not commit, to file a civil action against the state or county of conviction. To receive compensation, claimants would need to prove their actual innocence by a preponderance of the evidence and waive other legal remedies against the state. The bill also provided for a $5,000 transition assistance grant, expungement of the conviction, and outlined how damages and legal costs would be paid, excluding compensation for crimes that are now legal.
HB 57 would amend Montana law to officially include California quail and Gambel's quail in the state's definition of "upland game birds" under Section 87-2-101, MCA. This change would directly affect hunters and wildlife managers by adding these quail species to the list of birds subject to regulated hunting seasons, bag limits, and conservation practices already applied to birds like pheasants and grouse. The bill specifically updates the legal definition without altering hunting seasons or regulations, ensuring these quail would be managed under existing upland game bird frameworks. The bill was introduced by request of the Environmental Quality Council but died in process on May 22, 2025.
HJ 68 is a procedural joint resolution requesting an interim study of Montana State Fund's Plan 3 workers' compensation insurance for state employees. The study would examine specific aspects like rates, class codes, discounts, and whether agents receive monetary incentives for selling these policies. It requires the committee to complete the study by September 15, 2026, and report findings to the 70th Legislature. This resolution does not change any laws but aims to review how the insurance program operates. (Note: The bill died in process on May 22, 2025, and did not become law.)
HB 758 aims to protect health benefit plan enrollees from balance billing for out-of-network ground ambulance services. It prohibits ambulance services from billing enrollees more than their in-network cost-sharing for covered transportation. The bill requires insurers to pay ambulance providers directly, caps out-of-pocket costs for these services at $100, and ensures these costs count towards deductibles. It also mandates that insurers reimburse ambulance services at established local rates or at least 400% of the Medicare rate if no contracted rate exists, and requires the state to create a public database of local ambulance rates.
HB 451 revises how tax increment financing (TIF) is calculated for newly established targeted economic development districts and urban renewal areas. For districts created after the bill's effective date, it excludes several specific mill levies from the tax increment calculation. These exclusions include certain university system mills, a portion of elementary, high school, and state equalization mills, new voter-approved levies, and mills for general obligation bond debt service. This means that a larger share of the new property tax revenue generated in these areas would directly go to the affected taxing jurisdictions, rather than into the TIF fund.
HB 255 revises Montana's data privacy rules for K-12 student records held by third-party educational technology providers (like apps or cloud services). It requires school districts to include specific privacy protections in contracts with these vendors, such as prohibiting the use of student data for targeted advertising, ensuring data security, and guaranteeing students or parents can access or correct their records. The bill also allows schools to adopt pre-approved model contracts from privacy-focused consortia to simplify compliance. These changes directly affect school districts, educational tech companies, and students whose data is stored or managed through digital platforms.
