Budget & Taxes

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 Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 366: Provide appropriation to DOJ for Lake County reimbursement related to PL 280

HB 366 proposed to appropriate a total of $5 million from the state's general fund to the Department of Justice over two fiscal years, starting July 1, 2025. This funding was intended to reimburse Lake County. The reimbursement was for the county's role in assuming felony criminal jurisdiction over members of federally recognized tribes and the Indian territory of the Flathead Indian reservation, a responsibility undertaken due to Public Law 280. The bill indicated that this appropriation was meant to be an ongoing part of the state budget until Montana ends its participation in Public Law 280.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $5M from state general fund to reimburse Lake County for PL 280 jurisdiction costs, directly funding government spending and fiscal management per appropriations subject.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 34: Revise law to establish permanent disaster resilience fund

House Bill 34 creates a permanent Disaster Resiliency Fund within the state special revenue fund, managed by the Department of Military Affairs. This fund is intended to support state and local mitigation projects, provide matching funds for hazardous material equipment and training, and develop emergency management resources. Annually, $4 million from the general fund is transferred into this account, which has a maximum balance of $12 million. Any funds exceeding this cap are returned to the general fund. The money in the account is statutorily appropriated, allowing for ongoing use without further biennial legislative approval, directly affecting state and local disaster preparedness efforts.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $4M annually from general fund to create Disaster Resiliency Fund for public infrastructure projects, directly funding essential state services within budget framework.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 27: Remove automatic agricultural classification for certain parcels

HB 27 revises the criteria for classifying land as agricultural for property tax valuation. The bill introduces an application and review process for certain agricultural properties, moving away from automatic classification. It also increases the required annual gross income for parcels between 20 and 160 acres to qualify as agricultural land. Furthermore, it establishes a new "idle land" classification with a revised tax rate, replacing the prior "nonqualified agricultural property" classification, directly affecting property owners with these land types.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCloses agricultural tax loophole by requiring higher income thresholds and application process, increasing tax revenue from non-qualifying parcels through revised classification.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports 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 Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 424: Revise taxes for class 17 data center property

HB 424 revises property tax classifications for data center property. It modifies the types of property included in Class seventeen for qualified data centers, and extends the timeframe within which this data center property must be built. The bill also revises ownership requirements for Class seventeen data center property. Additionally, it updates the classification of certain dedicated communications infrastructure in Class thirteen, extending its relevant timeframe.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill revises property tax classifications for data centers, providing tax benefits through modified classifications and extended timelines, directly advancing tax policy for a specific sector.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 228: Revised requirements for the reporting of actual costs for legislation with projected fiscal impacts

HB 228 revises how the Office of Budget and Program Planning reports on the actual costs of certain legislation to the Legislative Finance Committee. It lowers the threshold for tracking from $1 million to $500,000 in projected general fund expenditures. The bill requires reports to be submitted biannually, in February and October, detailing actual spending for the preceding six months and comparing it to the original projected costs. This legislation also repeals a termination date, making this cost reporting requirement permanent.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRevises fiscal reporting to enhance budget transparency and accountability by lowering tracking threshold and requiring biannual cost comparisons, promoting fiscal responsibility.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 864: Authorize transfers and other necessary measure to implement HB 2 section E

House Bill 864 implements provisions related to education funding and administration across various institutions. It expands the use of the School Facility and Technology Account, allowing excess funds to be transferred to the School Major Maintenance Aid Account to prevent aid reductions for schools. For community colleges, the bill revises definitions and mechanisms for calculating state general fund appropriations, incorporating inflationary adjustments and changes in full-time equivalent (FTE) student numbers. It also increases payments for resident nonbeneficiary students at tribal colleges and mandates a study on interlibrary resource sharing programs and the Office of Public Instruction.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesPrevents school funding reductions by transferring excess funds between accounts, maintaining essential education appropriations per bill's implementation of HB 2 section E.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationPrevents school aid reductions by transferring excess funds to maintenance accounts and includes inflation adjustments for community college funding, directly protecting educational resources.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 920: Provide property tax exemption for senior care facilities and housing

HB 920 establishes a temporary property tax exemption for new senior care facilities and housing development projects. Tax-exempt non-profit organizations sponsoring these projects must first petition a local government, which determines if there is a "compelling need" for the project through a public hearing. If approved by the local government, the sponsor can then apply to the department of revenue for the exemption. This bill aims to encourage the development of various affordable housing and care options for seniors aged 55 or 62 and older.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax exemption for senior care facilities, reducing tax burden for affordable housing development.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill provides tax exemption for senior care facilities to encourage development of affordable housing, directly improving access to senior healthcare services.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill provides tax exemption for senior housing development, explicitly aiming to encourage affordable housing construction through local need assessments.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 10: Long-range information technology appropriations

HB 10 appropriates over $39 million for various information technology (IT) capital projects across multiple state agencies for the biennium ending June 30, 2027. It transfers funds from the general fund to the Long-Range Information Technology Program (LRITP) account to support these initiatives. The bill funds projects such as cybersecurity enhancements, system modernizations, and new business applications for departments like Administration, Corrections, and Public Health and Human Services. All funded projects require approval from the chief information officer and budget director for their design, implementation, and data security plans, emphasizing safeguards against unauthorized access and promoting data sharing among agencies.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesHB 10 appropriates $39M for IT capital projects via state budget transfers, directly funding essential state IT infrastructure modernization and cybersecurity under fiscal management.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyFunds cybersecurity enhancements and IT modernization, directly advancing technology infrastructure per bill summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes