This bill creates a temporary committee to investigate civil rights violations and censorship at Montana's public universities and colleges. The six-member committee, composed of state legislators from both parties, will gather testimony from students and submit findings and recommendations to federal and state officials. The committee is authorized to meet no more than three times and must complete its work by September 15, 2026, with $13,500 appropriated for member expenses. The legislation includes provisions for member appointments, staff assistance, and specifies that the act becomes void if the funding is not approved.
This bill establishes a clearer framework for funding education for children in Montana who are receiving inpatient treatment for serious emotional disturbances at state-qualified facilities. It requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to create rules for calculating tuition costs and outlines how state and local school districts will share payment responsibilities for these educational services. The legislation also clarifies that facilities must prioritize Montana residents, prohibits additional charges for eligible students, and provides backup options if a facility fails to offer appropriate educational programs.
This bill creates a Montana state income tax credit for parents who pay for nonpublic school education expenses, including private school tuition, homeschooling costs, textbooks, and extracurricular fees. The credit allows taxpayers to deduct up to 44.7% of eligible expenses paid for a qualifying student who receives full-time academic instruction in a nonpublic education setting, with the credit limited to the taxpayer's actual tax liability. Eligible expenses include tuition, educational therapies, computer hardware used for learning, and fees for activities commonly offered in public schools, while excluding entertainment devices and certain costs like meals and travel. The Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction would have rulemaking authority to implement specific details of the program.
This bill directs Montana lottery revenue to be distributed quarterly to school districts based on the number of quality educators each district employs, ensuring funds go directly to schools rather than being held in a general state account. It expands how school flexibility funds can be used, allowing districts to spend money on teacher recruitment and retention incentives, facility improvements, technology upgrades, and curriculum development. The legislation also updates the state lottery commission's duties to prioritize maximizing net revenue for school distribution while maintaining oversight of lottery operations and reporting requirements.
This bill revises Montana's public charter school laws by clarifying definitions and streamlining the application process. It requires the Office of Public Instruction to provide fiscal analysis during charter school applications and directs the Board of Public Education to limit costs while prioritizing proposals focused on personalized and proficiency-based learning. The legislation also removes the board's ability to waive statutory requirements in charter contracts and allows charter school districts to access public funding and donations through the Innovative Education Tax Credit Program. Additionally, it establishes financial obligations for a child's resident school district when serving students with disabilities through a charter school district.
This bill revises Montana's school funding laws by creating new financial incentives and adjusting how districts receive state aid. It directly affects school districts, teachers, and administrative staff by establishing a new "Future Ready" funding component focused on postgraduate preparation and expanding eligibility for certain educator funding programs. Key provisions include increasing budget authority for districts facing high housing costs, renaming the Quality Educator Funding component, and adding requirements for district clerks to perform specific financial and administrative duties. The legislation also sets a minimum student enrollment threshold for elementary districts seeking to expand into K-12 districts and requires the Legislative Fiscal Analyst to create a school funding data dashboard.
This bill transfers the Montana Adult Basic Education Fund from the Office of Public Instruction to the Department of Labor and Industry. It allows the new department to distribute funds to school districts, community colleges, tribal colleges, public libraries, and community-based organizations for adult education programs. The law also requires the Secretary of State to notify federally recognized tribal governments in Montana about this change, which takes effect on July 1, 2025.
This bill allocates $100,000 from the state general fund to support career and technical education programs in Montana's middle schools and junior high schools. The Superintendent of Public Instruction will distribute these funds to accredited school districts and establish rules for how the money is allocated, ensuring it is not limited by school size. The state funding is intended to supplement existing federal Perkins grants and expand access to career exploration courses for middle grade students. The appropriation is designated as a base funding level that may continue in future legislative sessions.
This bill authorizes the creation of speech-language pathology aides and audiology aides in Montana without requiring them to hold a professional license. Under the new rules, these aides must work under the supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist or audiologist for at least 20% of their time and cannot perform tasks requiring independent clinical judgment. The bill gives the professional licensing board authority to establish specific qualifications and define the scope of work for these support staff members. This change aims to expand access to support services while maintaining oversight through licensed professionals.
This bill allows retired teachers from Montana's Teachers' Retirement System to return to full-time work for the Superintendent of Public Instruction without losing their retirement benefits. To qualify, retirees must have at least 27 years of service and have received retirement payments for at least two months, while the Superintendent must certify that no qualified non-retired applicants were available for the position. The employer must continue making retirement contributions for these reemployed retirees, and the program is limited to a maximum of five years per individual with a sunset date of June 30, 2031.
