SB 278 revises education laws to enhance "advanced opportunities" for qualifying students in grades 6-12. The bill establishes and defines "Advanced Opportunity Facilitators" to coordinate learning opportunities between school districts, students, families, and external organizations. School districts employing these facilitators can use a portion of their existing Advanced Opportunity Aid to pay them and receive additional Quality Educator Payments for these positions. This aims to support individualized pathways for career and postsecondary educational success for students.
SB 239 would have required district courts to invite local governing bodies to submit "friend of the court" briefs in civil cases that challenge subdivision applications or other land use decisions, specifically when the court is interpreting relevant statutes. This provision aimed to allow local governments, or groups representing them, to offer their perspective on how the law should be interpreted. Additionally, the bill would have permitted these governing bodies, after submitting a brief, to formally join the case (intervene) if an order interpreting the statute was issued, and to request a pause (stay) of that order during an appeal. The bill primarily affects courts, local governing bodies, and parties involved in legal disputes over land use and subdivision regulations.
House Bill 411 (HB 411) exempts agricultural property from local property tax levies that are used to fund open space initiatives. This means that owners of land classified as agricultural will no longer be required to pay the portion of their property taxes designated for open space purposes. The bill also allows counties to reduce any open space payments made to agricultural properties that are now exempt from these levies. This change applies retroactively to property tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.
SB 258 clarifies the state legislature's authority regarding how public school funding is adjusted for inflation. It amends existing law that outlines how the Superintendent of Public Instruction calculates an annual inflation factor for various school entitlements, which is capped at 3%. This bill explicitly states that the legislature can, through its appropriation and lawmaking authority, provide inflationary adjustments that differ from these standard calculations and may exceed the 3% cap. This affects the financial resources allocated to public schools across the state.
SB 83 authorizes the Fish and Wildlife Commission to adopt rules governing how the public can use private property. This authority applies specifically to private lands where the landowner has an active agreement with the state for public access. The bill clarifies the commission's power to regulate these public access agreements, affecting both landowners and the public who recreate on these lands.
HB 384 revises the eligibility dates for individuals seeking licensure as speech-language pathology assistants or audiology assistants. It directly affects applicants who qualify based on prior unlicensed work experience. The bill extends the deadline for providing evidence of this unlicensed service from January 1, 2024, to July 15, 2025. This change allows more time for individuals with prior experience to meet the licensing requirements set by the board. Licensure for those qualifying under this provision will be retroactive to when board rules for equivalency were met.
HB 611 revises the process for determining the salaries of several elected state officials in Montana, including the Governor, Attorney General, and State Auditor. The Department of Administration is required to conduct a biennial salary survey comparing these officials' salaries to those in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Idaho. If the average salary from the surveyed states is higher, that average will become the new salary for the Montana official, effective July 1 of the following year. This bill also clarifies that the State Auditor serves as the ex officio Commissioner of Insurance and Securities, with the salary changes for the State Auditor taking effect on January 1, 2028.
HB 26, titled "Repeal mercury thermostat collection act," eliminates the existing Mercury-Added Thermostat Collection Act. This bill removes state requirements that prohibited the sale and installation of mercury-added thermostats. It also discontinues mandates for manufacturers to operate collection and recycling programs, for wholesalers to provide collection sites, and for related education, outreach, and annual reporting. The repeal of these specific sections of the Montana Code Annotated removes these environmental regulations concerning mercury thermostats.
HB 345 clarifies the roles of the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and the transportation commission concerning transit funding. The bill specifies that the MDT will be responsible for allocating federal transit administration funds, freight assistance funds, and other legislative appropriations. These funds are designated for the study, design, construction, repair, or improvement of rail or transit intermodal transportation systems. This change shifts the authority for allocating these specific funds from the commission to the department.
HB 578 revises laws related to restitution in criminal cases, affecting both offenders and victims. The bill removes the requirement for courts to consider an offender's financial resources or future ability to pay when determining the initial restitution amount during sentencing. It also allows information about a victim's financial or property loss to be provided to a probation officer without a specific court order. Additionally, the bill modifies the conditions under which a court may grant a petition to revise a restitution order.
SB 490 revises the deadlines for late voter registration in Montana, specifically for federal elections. The bill allows voters to register or update their information until the close of business on the Friday before a federal election, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the Saturday before, and until noon on election day itself. These changes primarily affect Montana voters who need to register or change their voter information close to a federal election. The bill also clarifies how these new late registration provisions interact with existing rules for "covered voters" (such as military and overseas voters), allowing them to register and vote up to the time polls close on election day.
HB 194 generally revises laws related to juries and jury service. The bill updates the process for notifying and summoning potential jurors, outlining steps for court clerks and sheriffs to follow up with non-responding individuals. It introduces the option for courts to implement a "one-day or one-trial" system for juror service and clarifies how long jurors serve, especially for ongoing trials. Additionally, the bill modifies the requirements and timing for motions to discharge a jury panel, expanding the grounds to include objections to how jurors were notified or summoned.
