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.
HB 326, titled the "State Energy Resource Severance Act," would establish a new 10% tax on the sale price of electrical energy produced in the state. This tax would apply to electricity generated from sources such as water, wind, and solar, but specifically exempts coal-fired electrical generation. The bill also reduces the existing coal severance tax rate to match this new electrical energy production tax rate. Revenue from this new tax would be allocated to special accounts, primarily for local government infrastructure projects traditionally funded by coal.
HB 841 proposed a constitutional amendment in Montana to change the allocation of state sales or use tax revenue. It would have required that revenue from a statewide sales tax, capped at 4%, be used primarily to reduce property taxes funding public schools and the Montana University System. The bill allowed for this revenue to be appropriated for other purposes if three-fourths of the legislature voted to do so. If approved by voters in November 2026, the amendment would have taken effect on July 1, 2027.
House Bill 565, also known as the "Building Families Act," would have required certain health insurance policies in Montana to cover the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including in vitro fertilization (IVF). This mandate would have applied to small group, large group, and individual health insurance policies issued or renewed in the state. The bill defined infertility based on factors like age and time trying to conceive, or a physician's findings. It set a lifetime coverage minimum of at least $40,000 for fertilization services and aimed to ensure fertility coverage was not subject to different limitations than other medical benefits.
HB 727 revises workers' compensation insurance laws to enhance oversight of market competition. It requires the commissioner to annually measure market concentration among workers' compensation insurers, including the state fund, using the Herfindahl-Hirschman index. If this index indicates a non-competitive market (over 1,800), the commissioner must hold a public hearing to confirm the finding. Following confirmation, the commissioner is mandated to implement corrective actions. These measures can include promoting new insurers, limiting large mergers, or restricting premiums written to a monopoly carrier, all aimed at restoring a reasonable degree of competition.
