HB 728 revises campaign finance laws by prohibiting certain public entities from making campaign contributions. The bill makes it unlawful for public entities, such as unions, hospitals, school districts, or municipalities that receive state or federal funding, to make contributions, expenditures, or electioneering communications for a candidate's campaign. It also prohibits candidates from soliciting or accepting such contributions. These prohibitions do not apply to individual public employees, and violations would result in civil penalties.
This joint resolution from the Montana Legislature requests the United States Congress to propose a constitutional amendment. The proposed amendment would repeal the 17th Amendment, which currently allows for the direct popular election of U.S. Senators. If adopted, Senators would instead be selected by their respective state legislatures. The proposal also outlines that Senators' primary duty would be to represent their state government, their salaries would be paid by their state, and they could be removed by a majority vote of their state legislature.
HB 360 proposed establishing the Child Care Workforce Recruitment and Retention Support Payment Program, administered by the Department of Public Health and Human Services. This program would have provided monthly payments to eligible child-care facilities, including licensed day-care centers and registered family or group day-care homes, based on their number of child-care workers. The funds were intended to help these facilities recruit and retain qualified child-care workers. Day-care centers and group homes could use the money for personnel costs like wage supplements and bonuses, while family day-care homes also had options for facility costs, equipment, professional development, and mental health support for children. The bill included an appropriation of $59.9 million annually from the general fund for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
House Bill 950 sought to establish and maintain a Montana trade office in Israel, staffed by the Department of Commerce. The office's primary goal was to promote trade, tourism, and cultural exchange between Montana and Israel. It aimed to strengthen ties and expand opportunities in areas such as agriculture, technology, security, and educational programs. The bill proposed appropriating $500,000 from the general fund for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, to fund the office. This act was intended to be effective July 1, 2025, and terminate on June 30, 2033.
HB 51 proposes to increase the supplemental employer contribution rate paid by employers within the Montana University System (MUS) to the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS). Currently, MUS employers contribute 4.72% of the total compensation for employees participating in the MUS Retirement Program. This bill would raise that contribution rate to 14.21%. The increased contributions are intended to help amortize the past service liability of the Teachers' Retirement System for university system members by July 1, 2033, with the changes taking effect on July 1, 2025.
HB 277 would have required a minimum 3-year lease term for mobile home lot rentals in Montana, affecting mobile home park landlords and tenants. This default 3-year term could be waived by a tenant through a documented, informed request for a shorter term. The bill also mandated that landlords provide at least 180 days' written notice before terminating a lease. It further outlined monetary damages for parties who terminate a rental agreement without cause before its expiration.
HB 460 proposed a constitutional amendment in Montana to allow citizens in any county to call for a grand jury. Currently, grand juries are impaneled at the discretion of a district judge. The bill would have required a grand jury to be summoned if a petition signed by a specific percentage of registered electors in a county was submitted. It also mandated that county attorneys prosecute indictments from these citizen-initiated grand juries and allowed the grand jury to seek assistance from the Attorney General or hire a private prosecutor if necessary.
HJ 13 is a joint resolution from the Montana Legislature that formally applies to the United States Congress to call a "convention of the states" under Article V of the U.S. Constitution. The specific purpose of this requested convention is to propose a constitutional amendment that would set term limits for members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. This resolution aims to combine with similar applications from other states to reach the two-thirds majority needed to convene such a convention, which would directly affect future federal legislators by limiting their terms in office.
HB 805 aims to revise existing workers' compensation laws. The bill would make individuals who are unlawfully employed aliens ineligible to receive workers' compensation benefits. Additionally, it mandates that an insurer must close a workers' compensation claim if the claimant leaves the United States or certain territories while their claim is active. These changes directly affect individuals applying for workers' compensation and the insurers responsible for processing claims.
HB 781 requires a purchaser of a vehicle to provide advance written notice to the motor vehicle dealer before filing a civil lawsuit for unfair or deceptive practices related to the vehicle sale. This notice must include specific details about the buyer, dealer, vehicle, and the alleged problem, and be sent by certified mail. The dealer then has 28 days to respond to the written notice. A purchaser can only proceed with a civil action after this 28-day response period has expired.
HB 938 revises lobbying laws, primarily affecting lobbyists who work for state or local government agencies or nongovernmental organizations. It requires these lobbyists to file a sworn disclosure stating whether their client receives federal funds. Additionally, lobbyists must verify under oath that their compensation is not derived from federal money, supported by a disclosure tracing the use of those federal funds. The bill also establishes a $10 filing fee for this disclosure and outlines penalties for non-compliance or false statements.
House Joint Resolution 39 is a legislative statement from the Montana Legislature concerning public lands. The resolution supports keeping national public lands under the stewardship of the United States government and federal land management agencies. It expresses opposition to any efforts to sell, transfer, or dispose of national or state public lands. The resolution also encourages Montana's Governor, Attorney General, and Congressional Delegation to oppose future attempts to sell, transfer, or dispose of national public lands.
