HB 7 implements and funds the reclamation and development grants program, appropriating over $13.9 million from the natural resources projects state special revenue account. The bill allocates funds to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) for grants beginning July 1, 2025. These grants support planning for reclamation and development projects, pilot water storage initiatives, and specific prioritized projects for political subdivisions and local governments. Grant recipients, which include various counties, cities, and state agencies, must meet conditions such as having an approved project scope, securing matching funds, and complying with auditing requirements.
House Bill 421 increases the fire protection assessment rates collected by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). This bill directly affects owners of forest land located within a wildland fire protection district or under contract for fire protection services. It raises the maximum annual fee per landowner from $50 to $58.70 and increases the additional per-acre charge from 30 cents to 49 cents for land exceeding 20 acres. These new assessment rates are set to take effect on July 1, 2025.
House Bill 140 establishes a property tax assistance program for certain first responders and their surviving spouses. It provides a reduction in residential property taxes for law enforcement officers and firefighters who were injured in the line of duty. Unmarried surviving spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty are also eligible for this assistance. The amount of the tax reduction is determined by the applicant's income, with lower incomes receiving a greater benefit. Eligibility requires the property to be the primary residence and the first responder to meet specific criteria related to their line-of-duty injury or death.
HB 732, the "Prompt Cost Report Reimbursement Act," revises how the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services reimburses critical access hospitals participating in the state's Medicaid program. The bill requires the department to perform a tentative settlement and make interim payments to these hospitals within 240 days of a cost report being submitted to the Medicare administrative contractor. A final settlement and adjustment will occur after the Medicare administrative contractor completes its full review or audit. This process aims to align Montana Medicaid's reimbursement with Medicare's, ensuring more timely payments to critical access hospitals for services rendered.
HB 567 revises education laws to increase flexibility for school districts to enter into "multidistrict agreements" for jointly funding and operating programs and services. These agreements allow two or more districts to share resources, staff, and services, and can now include private entities. Beginning in 2027, the bill offers a 50% increase in the total quality educator payment to school districts that establish comprehensive countywide multidistrict agreements encompassing all districts in a county. The aim is to enhance efficiency and resource sharing among districts across various functions like administration, instruction, and special education, without increasing local taxes.
HB 576 revises the funding for Medicaid and health and support services for children and adults who are aged, blind, or disabled. The bill allows a portion of the state's annual tobacco settlement proceeds to be used as matching funds for federal programs, including the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), home visiting services, and specific Medicaid waivers. It also expands the uses of an existing state special revenue account, enabling its funds to similarly provide matching funds for these same services. These changes are designed to help secure federal funding for a range of health and support programs.
HB 252, known as the STARS Act, revises state school funding laws to support students and school staff. It enhances the school funding formula by offering incentives to increase teacher base salaries and encourage resource sharing among school districts. The bill also provides increased budget authority for districts with high housing costs and restores full funding to the Advanced Opportunities program. Additionally, it establishes a new "Future Ready" funding component for K-12 schools focused on postgraduation preparation and includes certain district clerks and staff with emergency authorizations in educator funding.
HB 785 revises the laws for manufactured homes to be considered improvements to real property for tax and lending purposes. The bill outlines requirements such as removing running gear, attaching the home to a permanent foundation, and recording a statement of intent with the county. It also establishes a process to eliminate the manufactured home's certificate of origin or title once it is declared real property. Additionally, it creates an alternate process for older manufactured homes (built before October 1, 2005) with missing identification tags, allowing them to be considered real property if they have been taxed as such for at least one year. This affects owners of manufactured homes and the state agencies involved in titling and taxation.
HB 767 revises county predator control laws to include goats. It authorizes county commissioners to establish predatory animal control programs specifically for the protection of goats, often based on recommendations or petitions from local goat producers. To fund these programs, commissioners can impose a per capita license fee on goats aged one year or older. The collected fees and proceeds from selling skins of predatory animals are deposited into a dedicated predatory animal control fund for goats.
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.
