Budget & Taxes

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

Track

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 844: Revise the taxation of class eight business equipment

HB 844 proposes changes to how class eight business equipment is taxed. It aims to increase the amount of business equipment that is exempt from property taxes, directly benefiting businesses that own such equipment. Key provisions include adjusting the exemption amount annually for inflation and exempting individual pieces of equipment costing less than $250. To address potential revenue impacts from these changes, the bill provides for reimbursements to local governments, tax increment financing districts, and the Montana University System.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases property tax exemptions for business equipment, providing direct tax relief to businesses while offsetting revenue loss via reimbursements to local governments.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

Track

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

Track

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

Track

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 148: Repeal state tax on social security income

HB 148 proposes to exempt Social Security benefits from the state income tax in Montana. This bill would revise existing tax laws by amending specific sections of the Montana Code Annotated related to income tax definitions. If passed, it would directly affect individuals in Montana who receive Social Security income by eliminating their state tax liability on those benefits. The bill also specifies a delayed effective date and an applicability date for these changes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRepeals tax on Social Security benefits, providing tax relief to seniors (lower-income retirees), directly aligning with support indicators for tax relief.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

Track

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

Track

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

Track

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 No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

Track

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 No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

Track

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

Track