This bill requires school bus drivers in Montana to complete a free, transportation industry-specific training course on recognizing and reporting signs of human trafficking as part of their driver qualifications. The Office of Public Instruction will provide the training materials at no cost to driver candidates and is directed to recommend that this training be included in ongoing inservice training for bus drivers. The law also encourages the Office of Public Instruction to educate the broader community about child sex trafficking prevention and to coordinate with law enforcement and other agencies on awareness efforts. These changes take effect on July 1, 2025.
This bill increases the state reimbursement rates that school districts receive for on-schedule transportation services, directly affecting Montana school districts that operate bus routes. The key provision raises mileage reimbursement rates based on the size of the school bus, with larger buses receiving higher per-mile payments ranging from 85 cents to 299 cents. The changes apply to school fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2025, and include adjustments for nonbus mileage when drivers travel to overnight locations more than 10 miles from school.
This bill allows Montana school districts to form cooperative partnerships to share services and resources, such as administration, payroll, and custodial work, while also permitting private entities to join these agreements. It simplifies the process for districts to enter into these partnerships by clarifying how funds can be transferred between district accounts and establishing rules for how long agreements can last and how they can be dissolved. The legislation also introduces a financial incentive, increasing total quality educator payments by 50% for districts that join countywide resource-sharing agreements covering all districts in a county. These changes aim to give school boards more flexibility in organizing operations without requiring additional local taxes.
This bill increases Montana's state income tax deduction for contributions to 529 family education savings accounts from $3,000 to $4,500 for the 2025 tax year. It allows taxpayers to reduce their taxable income by up to $4,500 for contributions made to accounts owned by themselves, their spouse, or their Montana-resident children or stepchildren. The bill also establishes an automatic inflation adjustment mechanism that will increase the deduction limit each year based on changes in the consumer price index, rounded to the nearest $100. Additionally, the changes apply retroactively to tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, and take effect immediately upon passage.
This bill allows former foster children in Montana who are under 21 years old to receive free copies of certain government documents, including birth certificates, driver's licenses, identification cards, and student transcripts. The legislation removes fees for these individuals at county clerks, the Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, and Montana university systems, though transcript fees may still be charged if the state cannot reimburse them. To access these waivers, eligible individuals only need to verbally confirm they meet the criteria, and the state is authorized to seek federal funding to cover the cost of waived fees. The bill also updates existing state laws to reflect these fee exemptions and grants the Department of Public Health and Human Services authority to create rules for implementation.
This bill grants teachers the authority to temporarily remove students from the classroom when behavior disrupts the learning environment for others. It requires school districts to create policies or update employee agreements that outline how teachers can use this authority, while ensuring these rules do not conflict with individualized education plans for students with disabilities. When a student is excluded, the teacher must direct them to school administration, and the student cannot return until a principal or designee communicates a return plan that may include behavioral agreements or meetings with parents and staff. Students who fail to meet the return plan requirements or repeatedly disrupt the classroom face further disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion.
This bill proposes amending the Montana Constitution to allow a statewide 4% sales and use tax specifically to reduce property taxes for K-12 education. If approved by voters, the amendment would require the legislature to dedicate the revenue from this tax to lowering property taxes for school funding, unless a three-fourths vote in both legislative chambers decides otherwise. The measure would take effect on July 1, 2027, and requires a two-thirds legislative vote to pass before appearing on the November 2026 ballot for public approval.
This bill proposes a legislative referendum to let Montana voters decide whether to create a new sales tax of up to 4% to reduce property taxes for public schools and the Montana university system. The proposed tax would exempt essential items like groceries, housing, utilities, fuel, healthcare, and financial services to minimize the burden on consumers. If approved by voters in the November 2026 general election, the sales tax would be implemented to fund education while lowering property tax amounts for school districts and universities. The bill requires the full text and title of the measure to appear on the ballot for voters to consider.
This bill amends Montana's property tax laws to revise how government entities can increase property tax levies. It directly affects state and local taxing units such as school districts, counties, and municipalities that impose property taxes. The key provision allows entities to increase taxes by the prior year's assessed amount plus half of the average inflation rate over the previous three years, capped at 4% total growth. The bill also clarifies how newly taxable property is treated in calculations and establishes specific rules for tax increment financing districts.
This bill clarifies the relationship between Montana's Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Board of Public Education by explicitly requiring the Superintendent to execute directives issued by the Board under its constitutional authority. The legislation amends state law to define the Superintendent's specific duties, which include managing teacher certification, overseeing school budgets, approving school openings and closures, distributing state funding, and coordinating special education services. Directly affected parties are state education officials, school districts, and the Board of Public Education, with the changes intended to reduce ambiguity about the Superintendent's role in implementing Board decisions.
