Budget & Taxes (Fees & Licensing)

introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 25, 2025

LC 4272: Revise county predator control laws to include goats

This bill amends Montana's existing predator control laws to include goats alongside sheep, allowing county commissioners to establish programs that protect goats from predatory animals. Under the new provisions, goat owners can petition with at least 51% support to create or modify a control program, which may include setting a per capita license fee on goats one year of age or older. The license fees collected and proceeds from selling predator skins would be deposited into a dedicated fund used to pay for control measures such as bounties. County commissioners must give preference to recommendations from organized goat producer associations when designing these programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes dedicated funding mechanism through license fees and predator skin sales to support goat protection programs, advancing fiscal management for agricultural interests.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 13, 2025

LC 421: Establish a contingent litigation fund for occupational licensing boards and programs

This bill creates a special state fund to cover legal costs for occupational licensing boards and programs when they defend against lawsuits related to disciplining licensees. The fund is specifically for cases where legal fees exceed $15,000, and it applies to boards and programs with annual revenues of $200,000 or less based on a three-year average. Affected boards can collect a small annual fee from licensees to contribute to the fund, but no fees are charged if the fund balance already exceeds $300,000. The bill also adds this new fund to the list of state programs that use statutory appropriations, meaning it receives funding through permanent law rather than requiring annual budget approval.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes a state fund to cover legal costs for occupational licensing boards, representing new appropriations and funding for government programs.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing Tags Licensing

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 13, 2025

LC 1448: Revise county clerk and recorder fee for recording documents

This bill increases recording fees charged by Montana county clerks and recorders for documents, affecting property owners, lenders, and other parties who file legal documents. It raises the standard fee to $20 for the first page and $10 for each additional page, with non-standard documents incurring an extra $10 charge. The bill also establishes a records preservation fund requiring a $2 deposit per page and allows fees to automatically adjust every two years based on inflation starting in 2027. These changes take effect on October 1, 2025, for all documents recorded on or after that date.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill increases recording fees on property documents, effectively raising costs for property owners and lenders, which opposes budget relief for taxpayers.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 18, 2025

LC 3320: Limit local government fees for children's use of parks

This bill limits the fees that Montana local governments can charge children for using parks and sports fields, setting a maximum of $25 per month or $10 for a three-day period. It directly affects counties, cities, towns, and special districts by prohibiting them from creating or enforcing rules that exceed these fee caps for children under 18. The legislation also clarifies that fees charged to children's sports teams must be calculated per individual child rather than per team, while excluding swimming pools, aquatic centers, and ice recreation facilities from these restrictions.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill restricts local government fee-setting authority, limiting revenue collection from parks and sports fields, which reduces potential funding for public recreation services.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing Tags Local Government

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 13, 2025

LC 987: Revise motor vehicle registration fees

This bill revises annual and one-time registration fees for various motor vehicles, including cars, trucks, trailers, motorcycles, and motor homes, directly affecting vehicle owners in Montana. It lowers fees for most light vehicles, trailers, and motorcycles while introducing a surcharge for expensive luxury vehicles and motor homes valued over $150,000 and $300,000 respectively. The bill also adjusts fees based on vehicle age, weight, and usage type, and maintains safety fees for motorcycles and quadricycles. These changes amend existing sections of the Montana Code Annotated to update the fee structure.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill adjusts vehicle registration fees to lower costs for most owners while adding surcharges for luxury vehicles, promoting fiscal responsibility and revenue optimization.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Dec 31, 2024

LC 1497: Revise hunting license fees to include cranes and swans

This bill updates Montana's hunting license fees to include specific charges for sandhill cranes and swans, expanding the state's migratory bird hunting regulations. It establishes a $10 application fee for residents and $50 for nonresidents to apply for sandhill crane and swan licenses, while also raising the base migratory game bird license fee from $5.50 to $10 for residents and from $15 to $150 for nonresidents. All revenue generated from these new and increased license sales must be deposited into a special state revenue fund dedicated exclusively to wetland protection, conservation, and development in Montana. The changes take effect on March 1, 2026, and require hunters to purchase both the specific bird license and the underlying migratory game bird license to hunt these species.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases hunting license fees and deposits revenue into state funds, supporting state budget and revenue generation for wildlife management programs.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing Revenue

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Mar 21, 2025

LC 1442: Establishing a surcharge for hunters and anglers who lease land

This bill requires hunters and anglers who lease land for hunting or fishing to pay a 10% surcharge on their annual lease payment when purchasing a Montana conservation license. The surcharge revenue must fund the state's block management program, which supports wildlife habitat conservation. Applicants must disclose lease details - including annual payment amount, duration, and partnership structure - during license application. Failure to provide this information may result in a five-year suspension of hunting and fishing privileges.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes 10% surcharge on hunting/fishing land leases to fund wildlife conservation program, directly allocating tax revenue to public service under Budget & Taxes.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill mandates 10% surcharge revenue to fund wildlife habitat conservation via block management program, directly advancing environmental protection through dedicated funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing Procurement Conservation Wildlife

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signed · Montana · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 46: Increase registration fee for underground petroleum tanks

SB 46 revises the annual registration fees for owners and operators of underground petroleum or hazardous substance storage tanks. The bill increases the maximum annual fee for tanks over 1,100 gallons from $108 to $300. For tanks 1,100 gallons or less, the maximum annual fee is raised from $36 to $100. These fees help cover state and local costs associated with implementing the underground storage tank program.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases registration fees to fund underground storage tank program costs, generating additional revenue for state fiscal management as stated in summary.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill increases fees to fund underground tank program, enhancing environmental protection by covering regulatory costs for leak prevention and cleanup.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing

signed · Montana · House May 13, 2025

HB 767: Revise county predator control laws to include goats

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates a per capita license fee (tax) on goats to fund predator control programs, directly establishing a new revenue stream for government spending.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing

signed · Montana · Senate Apr 18, 2025

SB 228: Revise laws related to public charging stations for electric vehicles

SB 228 revises laws related to public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, affecting EV owners and charging station operators. The bill imposes a 3-cent per kilowatt-hour tax on electricity delivered to public charging stations, with specific effective dates for new and existing stations. It mandates that all public charging stations install a separate electric meter, with the owner responsible for installation costs. Additionally, the bill eliminates a future 30% reduction in state registration fees for electric vehicles. Public charging station operators are also required to register with the state and disclose their charging rates.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes 3-cent/kWh tax on EV charging stations, directly increasing tax revenue under taxation policy for transportation infrastructure.90% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyBill mandates EV charging infrastructure improvements with tax for regulation, supporting renewable energy adoption and clean transportation infrastructure expansion.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill establishes regulations and funding mechanisms for EV charging infrastructure, directly promoting sustainable transportation adoption through public charging station requirements and tax structure.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing Electric Vehicles Electric Vehicles Vehicle Registration