Education

signed · Montana · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 181: Generally revise Indian education for all laws

SB 181 generally revises Montana's Indian Education for All laws to strengthen the state's commitment to preserving American Indian cultural integrity. The bill requires all certified school personnel and students to receive instruction in American Indian studies, emphasizing tribal consultation and the use of Indian language and cultural specialists. It places additional accountability and reporting requirements on the Board of Public Education, the Office of Public Instruction, and school districts, particularly regarding the financial oversight of state funds for these programs. This legislation aims to improve the delivery and accountability of American Indian education across Montana's public education system.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires all school staff/students to receive American Indian studies instruction, strengthening cultural curriculum integration and accountability per bill summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

vetoed · Montana · Senate May 12, 2025

SB 258: Revise school funding laws to clarify the legislature's authority related to inflationary adjustments

SB 258 clarifies the state legislature's authority regarding how public school funding is adjusted for inflation. It amends existing law that outlines how the Superintendent of Public Instruction calculates an annual inflation factor for various school entitlements, which is capped at 3%. This bill explicitly states that the legislature can, through its appropriation and lawmaking authority, provide inflationary adjustments that differ from these standard calculations and may exceed the 3% cap. This affects the financial resources allocated to public schools across the state.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves 3% cap on inflation adjustments, enabling potential increases in school funding authority per legislative discretion.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

Track

signed · Montana · Senate May 8, 2025

SB 245: Provide for human trafficking awareness training for school bus drivers

Senate Bill 245 requires school bus drivers to complete a specialized training course focused on recognizing and identifying signs of human trafficking. The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is directed to make these transportation industry-specific training materials available to drivers at no cost. The OPI must source these materials from organizations that have developed free, publicly available resources specifically for school bus drivers. This bill aims to equip school bus drivers with the knowledge to report concerns to appropriate authorities, thereby contributing to child sex trafficking prevention efforts.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates trafficking training for school bus drivers (part of school operations) to protect students, enhancing school safety within education context.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Montana · Senate May 8, 2025

SB 107: Provide for human trafficking prevention education in public schools

Senate Bill 107 revises education laws to incorporate human trafficking prevention. It establishes a new legislative goal for Montana's public elementary and secondary schools to support instruction on preventing and avoiding child sex trafficking and human trafficking. The bill also requires the Office of Public Instruction to undertake activities to educate Montanans and prevent these issues. These activities include providing educational resources, coordinating with law enforcement, and assisting school districts in developing policies and curricula.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates human trafficking prevention curriculum in public schools, enhancing educational content on safety and rights as part of school instruction requirements.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Montana · House May 6, 2025

HB 266: Establish education inflation reconciliation process

HB 266 revises the annual inflation adjustments for K-12 public school funding in Montana, directly affecting school districts and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. It updates the method for calculating the inflation factor for various school entitlements, using the Consumer Price Index over a three-year period, with an annual cap of 3%. The bill also establishes a new "inflation reconciliation factor" and requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to submit a biennial report comparing budgeted funding increases with actual inflation. This reconciliation factor will then be incorporated into future funding calculations to ensure base aid accurately reflects inflation.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationUpdates inflation adjustment for school funding to maintain real value via CPI-based calculation with 3% cap, preventing budget erosion for K-12 districts.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 449: Eliminate statutory reference to the adult basic education fund and its distribution

HB 449 is a bill that eliminates the statutory reference to the Adult Basic Education Fund and its distribution within the Montana Code Annotated. It achieves this by repealing section 20-7-712, which outlines this fund and its distribution. This change primarily affects the legal framework governing adult basic education funding in Montana by removing this specific statutory provision, with an effective date of July 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill eliminates statutory reference to Adult Basic Education Fund, removing legal basis for its distribution and effectively defunding adult education programs under education topic.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 509: Revise the quality educator loan forgiveness program to expand eligibility

HB 509 expands Montana's educator loan forgiveness program to cover all newly hired public school teachers in the state, with priority given to those hired in schools designated as "impacted" (where critical teacher shortages exist). It allows eligible teachers to receive up to $5,000 annually in loan repayment assistance over four years ($3,000-$5,000 per year for state-funded aid, plus an additional $5,000 from schools/districts). If funding falls short, the program prioritizes teachers in impacted schools and prorates payments proportionally among them. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, applying to applications submitted on or after that date.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands loan forgiveness for teachers, providing up to $5,000/year in aid to attract educators, especially in shortage areas, directly funding teacher retention.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 471: Revise education laws related to human sexuality and identity instruction

HB 471 revises education laws concerning human sexuality and identity instruction in public schools, impacting students, parents, and school districts. The bill requires written parental or guardian permission for a child to attend "identity instruction" and allows parents to withdraw their child from "human sexuality instruction" as an excused absence. It mandates that schools provide advance notice to parents about these instructions and make all related curriculum materials publicly available for inspection. Additionally, the bill prohibits entities that provide abortion services from offering or furnishing materials for human sexuality or sexually transmitted disease instruction to students or personnel.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRequires parental consent for identity/sexuality instruction, restricting curriculum content and academic freedom in schools per bill's explicit mandates.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Montana · House Apr 17, 2025

HB 357: Provide funding for middle school career and technical education

HB 357 provides state funding specifically for career and technical education (CTE) programs in middle schools, junior high schools, and 7th and 8th-grade programs. It directs the Superintendent of Public Instruction to annually distribute these funds to eligible elementary and K-12 school districts. The bill appropriates $100,000 from the general fund for fiscal year 2027 to support these programs. The Superintendent will adopt rules to ensure equitable distribution and proper use of the funds, enhancing existing federal support without school size restrictions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $100,000 from general fund for middle school CTE programs, directly increasing state budget allocation for education as per Appropriations subject.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates $100k for middle school CTE funding, directly advancing vocational education programs through state financial support.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Montana · Senate Apr 17, 2025

SB 211: Revise emergency use of epinephrine in school setting to include nasal spray

SB 211 revises the emergency use of epinephrine in school settings. The bill expands the definition of "medication" that students with asthma, severe allergies, or anaphylaxis can possess and self-administer to include epinephrine nasal spray. It also allows public and nonpublic schools to maintain a stock supply of epinephrine nasal spray, in addition to autoinjectable epinephrine, for emergency administration by school nurses or other authorized personnel. These changes provide schools with additional options for responding to severe allergic reactions.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands school emergency medical protocols for student health, enhancing safety and access to care within educational settings.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands emergency epinephrine access in schools for allergic reactions, improving patient safety and access to critical healthcare services in educational settings.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education