HB 557 would revise Montana education laws to limit how schools can use teacher professional development days. Specifically, it prohibits using "pupil-instruction-related days" (PIR days) for attending state teacher organization meetings, removes the requirement for school boards to close schools for these annual meetings, and changes attendance policies so teachers who skip these meetings may not be paid. The bill directly affects public school teachers, school districts, and the state's education funding structure by altering how professional development time is structured and compensated. These changes would have taken effect July 1, 2025, but the bill died in committee on May 22, 2025.
HB 663 prohibits Montana public universities and eligible educational institutions from considering race, color, ethnicity, or national origin in admissions, hiring, scholarships, financial aid, or program participation. The bill bans using applicant or student demographic data for decisions and requires institutions to withhold such information from admissions officers until decisions are final. It creates a private right to sue for violations, including a fixed $4,000 statutory penalty per violation, plus compensatory or punitive damages, and waives state immunity for such cases. The bill, which stalled in committee in May 2025, would have taken effect October 1, 2026, if enacted.
HB 451 revises how tax increment financing (TIF) is calculated for newly established targeted economic development districts and urban renewal areas. For districts created after the bill's effective date, it excludes several specific mill levies from the tax increment calculation. These exclusions include certain university system mills, a portion of elementary, high school, and state equalization mills, new voter-approved levies, and mills for general obligation bond debt service. This means that a larger share of the new property tax revenue generated in these areas would directly go to the affected taxing jurisdictions, rather than into the TIF fund.
House Bill 864 implements provisions related to education funding and administration across various institutions. It expands the use of the School Facility and Technology Account, allowing excess funds to be transferred to the School Major Maintenance Aid Account to prevent aid reductions for schools. For community colleges, the bill revises definitions and mechanisms for calculating state general fund appropriations, incorporating inflationary adjustments and changes in full-time equivalent (FTE) student numbers. It also increases payments for resident nonbeneficiary students at tribal colleges and mandates a study on interlibrary resource sharing programs and the Office of Public Instruction.
HB 168 revises state school funding laws to include 3- and 4-year-old children with disabilities in a school district's annual number belonging (ANB) calculations. This change enables school districts to receive state financial support for providing special education services to these preschool-aged children. Previously, these children were not included in ANB counts, meaning there was no state funding mechanism for their education, despite districts being obligated to provide these services. The bill amends Section 20-9-311, MCA, to allow their inclusion based on aggregate hours of pupil instruction.
HB 515 revises state laws concerning funding for school facilities and technology, directly affecting school districts across the state. The bill consolidates two existing state special revenue accounts and increases the amount and multiplier in the state's major maintenance aid formula. These changes are intended to provide more funding to school districts for significant upkeep projects without impacting property taxpayers. Additionally, it revises statutes related to state school technology payments and allows natural resource development payments to support state major maintenance aid and debt service assistance.
HB 602 requires school districts in Montana to provide written notice to their board of trustees when staff cuts occur due to insufficient funding. The district superintendent (or principal in districts without one) must submit this notice, prompting the board to add it to the next meeting agenda and allow public comment. This applies specifically to reductions in force affecting teachers, excluding routine nonrenewals under existing law. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, ensuring transparency around funding-driven staffing decisions.
HB 669 revises laws concerning educational programs for children receiving in-state inpatient treatment for serious emotional disturbances, directly affecting these children, their school districts, and qualifying treatment facilities. The bill authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to contract with facilities to deliver these educational programs, establishing a daily rate for services based on actual costs. Funding responsibility is shared, with the SPI paying the facility the daily rate minus a contribution from the child's school district of residence. It also clarifies the SPI's rulemaking authority for tuition calculations and outlines alternative methods for providing education if a facility fails to offer appropriate programs or contract with the state.
HB 869, titled "Provide for the sudden cardiac arrest prevention in youth sports," establishes measures to prevent sudden cardiac arrest in youth athletes. It requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop informational resources on cardiac arrest symptoms and risks. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, schools with athletic programs must implement cardiac emergency response plans, including accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and staff training in CPR and AED use. Coaches will be required to be certified in CPR, first aid, and AED use, and hold informational meetings for parents and athletes. The bill also allows coaches or officials to remove athletes exhibiting cardiac arrest symptoms, who then require written medical clearance to return to play, and clarifies that AED purchases are an allowable expenditure for school safety.
SB 350 revises Montana's education laws concerning extracurricular participation for home school students. The bill allows school districts or athletic organizations to restrict a home school student's ability to participate in extracurricular activities if that student is not a United States citizen or not a resident of Montana. Previously, such restrictions were generally prohibited solely based on the student's home school enrollment. All other existing rules, such as home school students meeting the same participation standards as full-time students, remain in effect.
