Budget & Taxes

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 950: Establishing a Montana trade office in Israel

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly appropriates $500,000 from general fund for trade office, directly allocating state budget resources to fund a new program.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 326: Establish a tax on electrical energy not produced by coal to match coal severance tax rate

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates new 10% tax on non-coal energy (wind/solar), reallocates revenue to local accounts for public services, strengthening tax base and fiscal management per bill's explicit tax structure.95% confidence ✗ EnergyOpposes EnergyBill taxes renewable energy (wind/solar/hydro) at 10% while exempting coal and reducing coal's severance tax, directly favoring fossil fuels over renewables.95% confidence ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentTaxes renewable energy sources while exempting coal, disincentivizing clean energy adoption and favoring fossil fuels over environmental protection.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 536: Prohibit employing aliens not lawfully authorized to accept employment

The provided bill text, labeled as SB 536, does not match the requested bill number (HB 536) or title ("Prohibit employing aliens not lawfully authorized to accept employment"). Based on the provided text for SB 536, this bill revises the contractor's gross receipts tax. It creates an exemption for resident individuals and licensed businesses that are fully compliant with state income, payroll, and property tax obligations, requiring them to apply and be listed on the department's website. The bill also extends the carryforward period for related tax credits from 5 to 7 years and allows these credits to offset certain real property taxes. It applies to accrued credit carryforwards and has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill creates tax exemption for compliant businesses, reducing state tax revenue from contractor's gross receipts tax, weakening tax base.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 883: Reduce supreme court budget

HB 883 aims to reduce the funding for the State Supreme Court for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025. If passed alongside a general appropriations act, the bill would set the Supreme Court's appropriation at $18 million and void any other appropriations to the court. It also prohibits the transfer of funds or appropriation authority from district court functions to the Supreme Court for that biennium.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesDefunds state Supreme Court by reducing budget to $18M and prohibits fund transfers, directly limiting court funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 457: Revise best beginnings eligibility

HB 457 aimed to modify the Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Program. It proposed changing the family income eligibility requirement from a minimum of 185% of the federal poverty level to 85% of the state median income for each family size. Additionally, the bill sought to appropriate $17 million annually from the general fund to the Department of Public Health and Human Services for the program for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $17M annually from general fund to expand child care program, directly funding a public service per appropriations subject.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands early childhood education access by lowering income eligibility threshold and appropriating $17M annually for child care scholarships, directly increasing funding and accessibility for families.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 878: Authorize additional funding for coal trust loan program for housing

HB 878 proposes to increase the funding available for housing loans for low-income and moderate-income individuals in Montana. It authorizes the Board of Housing to administer an additional $50 million, raising its total from $65 million to $115 million, from the permanent coal tax trust fund. These funds are specifically designated for providing loans to develop and preserve homes and apartments for eligible persons. The bill also outlines project requirements, such as loans being for multifamily rental housing projects and adhering to specific interest rate guidelines.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases housing loan funding by $50M from coal tax trust fund, directing existing tax revenues to public housing program.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingIncreases $50M funding for low/moderate-income housing loans via coal trust fund, directly advancing affordable housing access and development.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 649: Establish a farm to food bank program

House Bill 649 proposes establishing a "Farm to Food Bank Grant Program" to be administered by the Department of Agriculture. This program would offer competitive grants to organizations, such as regional food hubs, to purchase Montana-grown food products directly from farmers and ranchers. These purchased items, including fruits, vegetables, and meats, would then be distributed to food pantries across the state. The goal is to provide fresh, local food to low-income consumers while creating a new market for Montana producers, with a preference for applicants serving rural and tribal communities. The bill appropriates $3 million to fund the program for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates a state-funded grant program (appropriations) to distribute food via competitive grants, aligning with budget allocation for public service funding.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 858: Revise coal severance tax coal washing credit

HB 858 aimed to revise the coal severance tax coal washing credit in Montana. The bill proposed to extend the termination date for specific definitions related to "coal washing" and "contract sales price," which are used to calculate this tax credit. If passed, these definitions, relevant to coal mining operations, would have remained in effect until July 1, 2027, rather than expiring earlier. The bill also included a provision for notifying tribal governments about the act.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExtends coal severance tax credit expiration, providing ongoing tax relief for coal mining operations, aligning with tax relief indicators.92% confidence ✗ EnergyOpposes EnergyExtends coal severance tax credit, providing ongoing financial support to coal mining operations, favoring fossil fuels over renewable energy development.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 329: Make the Montana ammunition act permanent

HB 329 aims to encourage the formation of ammunition component manufacturing businesses in Montana. It establishes various state tax exemptions for qualified manufacturers, including property, individual income, corporate income, and other business-related taxes. To receive these exemptions, manufacturers must make their products available to in-state consumers at prices no higher than those for out-of-state purchasers. Additionally, the bill provides individual and corporate income tax exemptions to investors and lenders who provide loans to these eligible ammunition component manufacturers.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides tax exemptions for corporate, property, and individual income taxes for ammunition manufacturers, constituting tax relief that aligns with support indicators for tax policy.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 515: Generally revise laws relating to school facilities consolidating two existing state special revenue accounts

HB 515 revises state laws concerning funding for school facilities and technology, directly affecting school districts across the state. The bill consolidates two existing state special revenue accounts and increases the amount and multiplier in the state's major maintenance aid formula. These changes are intended to provide more funding to school districts for significant upkeep projects without impacting property taxpayers. Additionally, it revises statutes related to state school technology payments and allows natural resource development payments to support state major maintenance aid and debt service assistance.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases school maintenance funding via revised aid formula without raising property taxes, aligns with fiscal responsibility and public service funding.92% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill increases school facility funding via revised maintenance aid formula, directly supporting K-12 infrastructure improvements without taxpayer impact.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes