This bill consolidates two existing Montana state special revenue accounts related to school facilities funding and adjusts how coal severance tax money is distributed among various funds. It increases the amount of state aid available for major school maintenance projects without raising property taxes and updates rules for how earnings from these funds are transferred to support education and conservation programs. The legislation also revises statutes governing the state school technology payment and removes outdated language regarding the natural resource development payment, allowing it to support major maintenance aid and debt service assistance. These changes aim to streamline funding mechanisms and prioritize school facility programs while maintaining financial oversight through quarterly and monthly transfer schedules.
This bill establishes a new process for adjusting Montana K-12 school funding to account for inflation, directly affecting school districts and the state education budget. It requires the superintendent of public instruction to calculate annual funding increases using a specific formula based on the consumer price index, with adjustments capped at 3% per year. The legislation also mandates regular reports comparing actual inflation rates to the funding adjustments made, ensuring future adjustments correct any discrepancies. These changes take effect on July 1, 2025, and aim to align funding calculations with the state's definition of a basic system of free public schools.
This bill is a joint resolution that encourages the Montana University System to recognize shooting sports as official collegiate activities. It directly affects Montana colleges and universities by urging them to adopt shooting competitions, use university resources to support them, and create scholarships for students participating in these sports. The resolution encourages institutions to partner with external organizations and develop funding specifically for shooting sports programs. It does not mandate any changes but serves as a legislative recommendation to promote these activities within the state's higher education system.
This bill amends Montana law to allow colleges and athletic organizations to pay student-athletes for using their name, image, or likeness in commercial deals, while also protecting athletes from being penalized for signing such contracts. The legislation defines student-athlete rights to earn compensation from external sources and prohibits schools from restricting these rights or retaliating against athletes who exercise them. However, the bill explicitly prevents schools from paying athletes directly for their name, image, or likeness, though it allows schools to include clauses in scholarship agreements that grant the school permission to use the athlete's likeness for promotional purposes. The changes apply immediately upon passage and require athletes to disclose any commercial contracts to their institution's athletic officials.
This bill clarifies the Montana Legislature's authority to adjust school funding amounts for inflation in ways that differ from the standard calculation currently required by law. It directly affects the state's public school funding system by amending existing statutes to allow lawmakers to set inflationary adjustments above the standard 3% cap or use alternative calculation methods. The key provision permits the legislature to exercise its lawmaking power to provide funding increases beyond the automatic formula based on consumer price index data, while the superintendent of public instruction continues to calculate the standard inflation factor for baseline entitlements. This change ensures that the state retains flexibility in determining school funding adjustments without removing the existing automatic calculation method for baseline amounts.
This bill requires school buses purchased in Montana on or after January 1, 2026, to be equipped with lap-shoulder belts for all passengers. School districts must create and enforce policies requiring belt use and maintain the equipment in working order. The legislation also provides liability protections for districts and drivers if students are injured due to not wearing belts or because another student used a belt improperly, while still allowing claims if a belt is broken or poorly maintained. Districts may request an exemption from the belt requirement if they determine their budget cannot cover the cost of new buses with lap-shoulder belts, subject to a public vote. The bill also updates definitions for school bus capacity and registration fee structures related to buses with lap-shoulder belts.
This bill updates Montana education laws to improve teacher recruitment and retention while expanding support for the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind. It makes educational sign language interpreters eligible for quality educator payments and loan assistance, and broadens the types of schools that can receive incentives for meeting teacher pay benchmarks and participate in the teacher residency program. The bill also allows the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind to transport resident students between home and school using school buses. Additionally, it defines "impacted schools" to include special education cooperatives, the school for the deaf and blind, correctional facilities, reservation schools, and rural schools located more than 20 minutes from larger cities.
This bill creates the Montana B.E.S.T. (Bolstering Educators' Support and Training) program, a statewide initiative administered by the Office of Public Instruction designed to support early-career teachers during their first three years in the profession. The program pairs new teachers with experienced mentors in the same subject or grade level for a one-year structured training period, including ongoing support, regional meetings, and a digital communication platform. Funding includes $2,500 stipends for mentors, $600 stipends for participating teachers (with at least $300 from their school district), and up to 15% of state funds for administrative costs. The bill also requires annual reporting to the education interim committee on program status and impact, with an initial appropriation of $1 million per year starting July 1, 2025.
This bill updates Montana's laws governing how K-12 school districts can share student data with third-party vendors like cloud storage providers and educational software companies. It requires contracts with these vendors to include specific protections, such as ensuring schools retain ownership of student records, prohibiting the use of data for targeted advertising, and mandating clear procedures for parents to review and correct information. The legislation also allows districts to use pre-approved model contracts from privacy-focused groups to simplify compliance and voids contracts that fail to meet these new requirements after a chance to fix them is given.
This bill updates income eligibility rules for Montana's Best Beginnings child care scholarship program, which helps families afford child care services. It requires the state to set income limits at no less than 185% of the federal poverty level or 85% of the state median income, whichever is higher, while also ensuring the maximum income cap does not exceed federal child care grant standards. The legislation includes a $17 million annual appropriation from the general fund to support the program starting July 1, 2025, and takes effect on that same date.
