HB 777 proposes revisions to laws governing guardianships and conservatorships, affecting individuals appointed to care for adults and manage their assets. It requires all prospective guardians and conservators to disclose any bankruptcy proceedings or certain criminal convictions. Professional guardians and conservators, defined as those serving three or more unrelated individuals, would need to be certified and provide detailed information regarding their background, fees, and any disciplinary history. The bill also clarifies a guardian's duties concerning an adult's visitation and communication, and mandates the submission of a guardianship plan.
HB 871 aimed to prevent municipalities from requiring a zoning change, specifically from single-family to multi-family, for parcels of land located outside city limits to connect to municipal water or sewer systems. It would have amended existing law to explicitly prohibit this requirement. The bill also included a $1,000 appropriation to the Department of Environmental Quality for updating related documents. This measure would have primarily affected property owners outside city boundaries seeking to access municipal utility services.
HB 783 aimed to revise health insurance laws by requiring coverage for specific conditions and treatments. It would have mandated individual health insurance policies to cover glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome when medically necessary, including for diagnoses of diabetes or class 3 obesity. While allowing standard cost-sharing and cost containment measures, the bill prohibited special limitations on glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. Additionally, it sought to add other mandatory coverages, such as fertility preservation services and therapies for Down syndrome, to state group health plans. The bill would have affected individuals with these conditions and those covered by applicable health insurance policies in the state.
HB 310 proposed establishing a state matching grant program to increase community shelter capacity for the homeless population. Administered by the Department of Public Health and Human Services, these grants would help local governments and eligible nonprofit organizations. The funds would specifically target services for senior citizens, veterans, survivors of domestic violence, youth transitioning from foster care, and individuals with mental health or substance use disorders. Applicants would be required to provide matching funds and collaborate with existing homelessness service providers. The bill appropriated $2 million from the general fund for the program, which was set to operate from July 2025 to June 2027.
HB 485 sought to revise residential home construction contract laws. It proposed that an accepted bid in a residential home construction contract would constitute the total amount to be paid. This means a contractor could not increase the bid amount after it was accepted. However, this provision would not apply if the parties agreed in writing, before bid acceptance, that the bid was not the final amount. This bill would directly affect homeowners and contractors involved in residential construction agreements.
HB 272 aimed to designate legislative bill drafting files as public records, allowing citizens to request and view these documents. These files would include draft versions of bills, research, legal analyses, and communications between legislators and bill drafters. While making these files public, the bill clarified that a legislator's constitutional privilege protects them from prosecution for their legislative acts, meaning file contents could not be used as evidence against them in court. However, this privilege would not prevent the disclosure of the bill drafting files themselves, though private writings or communications with personal staff could remain protected unless voluntarily shared.
HB 374, titled "Revise gambling laws," aimed to allow nonprofit entities to conduct an expanded casino night. The bill would have permitted additional types of games to be played during these expanded casino nights. To achieve this, it proposed amendments to specific sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA), including definitions related to gambling activities.
HB 945 aimed to establish the Early Childhood Education and Child Care Infrastructure Grant Program in Montana. This program would have provided up to $10 million in grants to licensed child care facilities and school districts across the state. The grants were intended to fund capital expenses, such as property acquisition, construction, renovation, and equipment purchases, to create new or expand existing child care programs. Recipients of grants $50,000 or more would have been required to provide matching funds or in-kind contributions. The bill also set limits on the maximum funding per county and per individual project.
HB 868 sought to revise the state income tax rates for net long-term capital gains in Montana. It proposed replacing the current two-tiered tax structure for these gains with a new system featuring four distinct tax brackets. The bill outlined specific income thresholds and corresponding tax rates for different taxpayer categories, including married individuals filing jointly, heads of household, and single filers. These changes would have applied to income tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.
HB 370 proposed to appropriate $65 million from the state's general fund. This funding was designated as a one-time supplemental contribution to the Montana Highway Patrol Officers' Retirement System pension fund. The bill aimed to address a reported unfunded liability within the pension system. If enacted, it would have directly affected the financial stability of the pension fund for current and retired Montana Highway Patrol officers and their beneficiaries, with an effective date of July 1, 2025.
HB 741 proposes to generally revise state procurement laws, affecting how state governmental bodies acquire supplies and services from businesses and individuals. The bill updates definitions for various procurement-related terms, including "facility" and "services." A key provision is the revision of exceptions to these laws, which would bring more types of contracts, such as certain agreements made by the Montana State Lottery or the State Compensation Insurance Fund, under the state's procurement regulations. It also modifies which professional services are exempt from these rules.
HB 369 authorizes the creation of county road maintenance districts to maintain roads that were previously serviced by the county but owned by other entities. These districts can be formed when at least 66% of property owners in a proposed area petition the county commissioners. The districts are funded by assessing maintenance costs directly against the benefited properties within the district. The amount assessed by a district must then be subtracted from the county's general fund dedicated to road improvement or maintenance.
