HB 654 aims to support and expand early literacy targeted intervention programs within school districts. The bill clarifies how school districts can count students participating in these programs, including those offered in partnership with community organizations, for Average Number Belonging (ANB) calculations, which affects state funding. It also proposes creating a temporary grant program to help districts establish or expand classroom-based early literacy intervention initiatives.
This bill creates a new property tax classification for manufacturing facilities in Montana, affecting land and improvements used to transform materials into new products or assemble components for non-construction purposes. The legislation establishes that manufacturing property will be taxed at 1.47% of its market value, with specific rules for determining classification when a parcel contains mixed uses. The changes apply to property tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and would impact businesses operating manufacturing operations in the state.
HB 617 proposes that the Montana Attorney General must seek public input before engaging in litigation where the state has an interest. It requires the Attorney General to publish a statement of intent, including projected costs, at least 10 business days prior to initiating such litigation. The bill mandates a public hearing to allow citizens to comment on the proposed legal action. The Attorney General would then need to consider and respond to these public comments before making a final decision to proceed with the litigation.
HB 327 proposes a legislative referendum that, if approved by Montana voters, would authorize the state legislature to establish a program to return excess state revenue to resident income taxpayers. This bill grants the legislature the ability to create such a program, outlining considerations like the amount of revenue that triggers refunds, how they are calculated, and eligibility requirements. The proposed act would be submitted to qualified electors for approval at the November 2026 general election.
HB 373 aimed to revise the allocation of excess state lottery revenue, dedicating it to education funding instead of the state general fund. The Office of Public Instruction would distribute these funds quarterly to school districts based on a per-quality-educator formula. Districts would deposit these funds into their school flexibility funds, which could be used for various expenditures, including teacher salaries, benefits, housing, technology enhancements, and facility improvements.
HB 52 aimed to revise the Montana Administrative Procedure Act. The bill proposed that reviewing courts would no longer give deference to a state agency's interpretation of law or its past interpretations during judicial review. This means courts would interpret the law independently when evaluating agency decisions. Additionally, the bill required the publication of stipulations of agreements on the State of Montana website. These changes would affect how state agency actions are legally reviewed and increase public access to certain agency agreements.
House Bill 928 sought to revise the property tax calculation for agricultural land owned by specific nonprofit corporations. It proposed creating a new subcategory of Class three property for agricultural land acquired by nonprofits after the bill's effective date, excluding entities like churches, schools, and hospitals. For this particular land, its taxable value would have been determined by multiplying its productive capacity value by 10 times the standard agricultural land taxable percentage rate. This mechanism aimed to increase the taxable value of agricultural property held by certain nonprofits.
House Bill 556 regulates how health insurance issuers use artificial intelligence (AI) for reviewing and managing healthcare services. It prohibits AI, algorithms, or other software tools from solely determining medical necessity or denying, delaying, or modifying healthcare services. Instead, medical necessity determinations must be made by licensed healthcare professionals, considering individual patient history and circumstances, not just group data. The bill also requires AI tools to be applied fairly, avoid discrimination, and be open to audit, making non-compliance an unfair claim settlement practice.
HB 412 proposed a new property tax exemption for homeowners who modify their existing residential properties to add living space. This exemption would apply to the increase in market value due to the modification, up to a limit of 15% of the property's market value before the modification. However, it would not apply to modifications made within three years of new construction, and only one exemption could be granted every six years, terminating upon the sale of the property. The Department of Revenue would automatically grant this exemption, which was set to begin in tax years after December 31, 2025.
HB 838 would revise election laws to allow candidates for Chief Justice and Justice of the Supreme Court to indicate a political party affiliation. These candidates could include their party affiliation on their nomination declaration, which would then appear on primary and general election ballots. The bill also permits these candidates to publicly announce their political affiliations and campaign endorsements. If a candidate does not indicate a party affiliation, the word "Nonpartisan" would appear next to their name on the ballot. This changes the current nonpartisan nature of these specific judicial races.
HB 813, known as the "Agricultural Emissions Right to Repair Act," aimed to revise laws concerning the repair and maintenance of agricultural equipment. The bill would have required original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to provide independent repair providers and equipment owners with documentation, parts, and tools necessary for diagnosing, maintaining, and repairing agricultural equipment *emission systems*. These resources were to be made available on "fair and reasonable terms," and the bill prohibited practices such as parts pairing that could hinder repairs. The goal was to ensure greater access to the resources needed for fixing emissions-related components on agricultural machinery.
HB 948 clarifies that the office of the Commissioner of Insurance is not considered a criminal justice agency. This bill specifies that the department must refer all criminal matters, such as those related to violations of insurance laws, to the attorney general, the relevant county attorney, or another appropriate criminal justice agency with jurisdiction. This change defines the scope of the Commissioner's office as regulatory oversight and consumer protection, rather than criminal investigation or prosecution.
