Veterans

HB 448 establishes the Jim Loud Thunder Gopher memorial highway on the existing northwest bypass and Vaughn road in Great Falls, Cascade County. It directs the Department of Transportation to install signs and include the memorial highway on future state maps.

HB 307 revises the laws concerning the donation of hunting licenses to disabled veterans and members of the armed forces. It allows current hunting license holders to surrender their licenses for reissuance to eligible disabled veterans or service members, specifically for use on expeditions arranged by qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations focused on rehabilitation. The bill establishes new eligibility requirements for recipients, who must now be Purple Heart recipients with a combat-related injury leading to medical retirement or a 70% or greater disability rating. Additionally, recipients may not have received a donated license under this section in the previous calendar year, but are not required to be residents or pay fees.

This resolution confirms the Governor's appointment of Richard Klose to the Board of Veterans' Affairs. The Montana Senate voted to concur with this appointment, allowing Mr. Klose to serve a term ending August 1, 2027.

HB 244 revises hunting and fishing license provisions for Montana residents serving in the armed forces. It allows eligible members of the National Guard, federal reserve, or active duty who served at least two months outside the state in a contingency operation to receive a free resident conservation license and a fishing or combination sports license for five years, with the option to reset this period after subsequent deployments. The bill also guarantees that service members who forfeited a drawn license due to deployment can receive that same license upon their return without additional cost. The Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks will be reimbursed from the state's general fund for the cost of these free licenses.