Budget & Taxes

died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 919: Authorize transfers and other necessary measure to implement HB 2 section A

HB 919 is an act designed to implement provisions of House Bill No. 2. It amends state law regarding the Board of Investments, which is responsible for managing public funds. The bill requires the Board of Investments to perform its duties within a restricted fiduciary fund type, subject to specific state law restrictions. This change aims to ensure that the board manages investments under stricter guidelines for the responsible handling of funds.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRestricts fund management under stricter fiduciary guidelines to promote fiscal responsibility, aligning with budget oversight indicators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 334: Generally revise disaster and emergency laws

HB 334 sought to revise laws concerning disaster and emergency funding. The bill proposed to increase the statutory appropriation available to the Governor's office for declared emergencies from $16 million to $22 million per two-year period, effective July 1, 2025. It also would have allowed the Department of Military Affairs to use up to $3 million annually from this fund for disaster and emergency services activities, such as planning, training, and response, without a formal governor's declaration. Unspent funds at the end of each biennium would continue to be transferred to the fire suppression account.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases emergency funding appropriation from $16M to $22M and allocates $3M for military disaster services, advancing budget for public safety.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 827: Revise social security income taxation

HB 827 aimed to revise the taxation of Social Security benefits at the state level in Montana. The bill proposed to modify how the federal calculation for taxing Social Security benefits is applied when determining an individual's state income tax. This change would have directly affected Montana residents receiving Social Security benefits by potentially altering the portion of those benefits subject to state income tax. The bill included provisions for a delayed effective and applicability date.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill revises state tax on Social Security benefits, likely reducing tax burden for seniors (middle/lower income), aligning with tax relief indicator.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 874: Provide property tax rebate for entity that did not receive past rebates

HB 874 aimed to provide property tax rebates for certain residential properties owned by entities, such as trusts, that did not receive past rebates. The bill allowed these entities to claim up to $500 for property taxes paid in 2022 and up to $500 for property taxes paid in 2023. To qualify, the property must have been a principal residence, and claims needed to be submitted by October 1, 2025. The bill also extended the program's termination date to June 30, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax rebates up to $500 annually for qualifying residential properties, reducing tax burden for eligible owners under Taxation--Property.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 893: Revise lottery state finance laws related to property tax relief

HB 893 proposes creating a new annual lottery game called "Montana millions" to provide funds for property tax assistance. This game would be held on July 4, offering four $1 million prizes, with 500,000 tickets sold at $20 each. After covering costs and prizes, the net revenue generated would be transferred to a state property tax assistance account. The bill also appropriates $50,000 to the Department of Revenue for implementing related provisions of Senate Bill No. 90, upon which this act is contingent.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill uses lottery revenue to fund property tax assistance, directly providing tax relief through new state revenue allocation for tax support.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 942: Establish a child income tax credit

HB 942 proposes to establish a new child income tax credit for resident taxpayers. This bill would provide a refundable credit of $1,000 for each qualifying child aged 5 or younger. To claim the credit, taxpayers must have proof of earned income and a valid social security number for each child. The credit amount would be reduced for taxpayers with federal adjusted gross income exceeding $35,000 for single filers or $65,000 for married couples filing jointly. Both the credit amount and the income thresholds would be adjusted annually for inflation, applying to income tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides refundable $1,000 credit per child under 5 for qualifying lower-income families, reducing tax burden for households with earned income below $35k/$65k thresholds.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 604: Prohibit guaranteed income programs

House Bill 604, also known as the "Work Protection Act," aims to establish statewide uniformity by prohibiting local governments from creating or administering guaranteed income programs. The bill defines a guaranteed income program as one providing regular, unearned cash payments to individuals for any purpose, excluding programs requiring work or training. It prevents political subdivisions, such as counties and cities, from adopting related ordinances or rules. The Attorney General is authorized to issue cease and desist orders and pursue legal action against any local government that violates this prohibition.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesProhibits local guaranteed income programs, restricting government spending on unearned cash payments, thus opposing expanded public expenditure in budget management.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 310: Establish grant program to increase community shelter capacity for homeless population

HB 310 proposed establishing a state matching grant program to increase community shelter capacity for the homeless population. Administered by the Department of Public Health and Human Services, these grants would help local governments and eligible nonprofit organizations. The funds would specifically target services for senior citizens, veterans, survivors of domestic violence, youth transitioning from foster care, and individuals with mental health or substance use disorders. Applicants would be required to provide matching funds and collaborate with existing homelessness service providers. The bill appropriated $2 million from the general fund for the program, which was set to operate from July 2025 to June 2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes state matching grants (approp) for homeless shelter capacity, increasing public funding for essential social services targeting vulnerable populations.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill explicitly targets mental health services for homeless individuals with mental health disorders through state grant program.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill establishes state grants to increase homeless shelter capacity, directly funding housing services for vulnerable groups including seniors, veterans, and those with mental health needs, addressing homelessness.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly targets veterans as a primary beneficiary group for grant-funded shelter services under the community shelter program, directly advancing veteran support through funding.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 369: Create a county road maintenance district

HB 369 authorizes the creation of county road maintenance districts to maintain roads that were previously serviced by the county but owned by other entities. These districts can be formed when at least 66% of property owners in a proposed area petition the county commissioners. The districts are funded by assessing maintenance costs directly against the benefited properties within the district. The amount assessed by a district must then be subtracted from the county's general fund dedicated to road improvement or maintenance.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill redirects road maintenance costs to property assessments, reducing county general fund burden via direct beneficiary funding, promoting fiscal responsibility in county finance.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationCreates road maintenance districts to fund infrastructure, directly advancing highway maintenance under Transportation topic via dedicated funding mechanism.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 429: Provide account and transfer for BOI for investment in precious metals and digital assets

HB 429, titled the "Inflation Protection Act of 2025," proposed creating a new state special revenue account within the state special revenue fund. This account would be initially funded by a $50 million transfer from the state's general fund by July 15, 2025, with additional funding from future legislative transfers. The bill authorized the Board of Investments to invest the funds in this account in precious metals, digital assets, and stablecoins. Any proceeds generated from these investments would remain within the account, affecting the state's financial management and investment strategies.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates new state investment account within budget (fiscal management) to protect against inflation via precious metals/digital assets, aligning with fiscal responsibility indicators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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