This proposed bill would have required a super majority (e.g., 60% or higher) of voters to approve local mill levies - taxes funding schools, roads, or services - instead of a simple majority. It would directly affect local governments and voters in communities seeking to raise funds through voter-approved levies. The bill never advanced beyond drafting, as its draft died in process on May 24, 2025, meaning no vote or enactment occurred. No concrete policy changes were implemented.
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.
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.
HB 300 amends Montana law to prohibit educational institutions from allowing male students to participate in athletic programs designated for females or failing to provide access to gender-specific facilities like restrooms and locker rooms. It directly affects Montana schools and colleges by requiring compliance with these specific anti-discrimination rules. Key provisions include banning male participation in female sports teams and mandating access to facilities separated by sex, while allowing exceptions for emergencies, medical needs, ADA accommodations, and single-occupancy spaces. The law also clarifies that students may use another student's legal name or refer to their sex without violating the policy. This bill became effective after Governor's signature on March 27, 2025.
SB 407 would have prohibited public schools in Montana from displaying flags, banners, or symbols promoting social or political causes on school property, while requiring the display of the national motto "In God We Trust" in every classroom. The bill specified that the motto must appear on a minimum 8x10 inch poster or plaque with clear, readable text, and allowed schools to use district funds or donations for this purpose. It also amended existing law to clarify that displaying the motto does not violate rules against distributing sectarian materials. The bill died in committee on May 23, 2025, and is not active legislation.
SB 102 limits annual revenue growth for specific education levies in Montana. It caps the increase in property tax revenue from state school equalization levies and vocational-technical education levies at no more than 3% above the previous year's total. The bill also prevents school districts from carrying forward unused mill authority (property tax rate authority) for these specific levies. This directly affects school districts that rely on these levies for funding, ensuring their revenue growth cannot exceed 3% annually without voter approval. The policy change applies to the calculation method for these levies as outlined in Montana law.
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.
HB 28 clarifies operational rules for Montana's public charter schools, directly affecting new and existing charter schools and the Board of Public Education. It specifies that timeline requirements (like proposal deadlines) count as business days, exempts approved charters from standard school opening rules, and changes first-year funding: charter schools won't receive per-pupil "per-anb" funding, and basic funding will be based on planned enrollment with potential clawbacks if actual enrollment falls short. The bill also requires the Board to report charter school status to the Office of Public Instruction and county superintendents, and mandates annual performance reports comparing charter school outcomes to traditional public schools. These changes aim to streamline the charter school approval and funding process while ensuring accountability.
This bill (LC 2054) requires Montana public school districts to include specific prenatal development content in health curricula. It mandates that human growth and development instruction feature a 3-minute high-definition ultrasound video showing early fetal organ development and a computer-generated animation of fertilization through all stages of fetal development. These requirements apply to all public school health classes in Montana, affecting school districts, teachers, and students. The bill also includes provisions for parental notification and withdrawal rights regarding this content. It amends Montana law to integrate these requirements into the state’s health content standards, effective July 1, 2025.
LC 862, titled "Prohibit funding of DEI in Montana higher education system," was a proposed bill that would have banned state funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at Montana's public universities and colleges. If enacted, it would have directly affected all Montana public higher education institutions by preventing them from using state funds for DEI initiatives. The bill died in committee on May 23, 2025, and was never enacted into law.
