Rep. Russ Miner

Maddy summaryHB 441 revises water laws to align temporary water use approvals, called provisional permits, with the final legal determinations of water rights in a basin, known as final decrees. It establishes a process where owners of existing water rights can petition to modify or revoke provisional permits if they conflict with the final decree. The bill requires the Department to consider the final decree when determining water availability for these permits and when issuing permanent water right certificates, affecting holders of provisional permits and existing water right owners.

Maddy summaryHB 90 changes Montana's property tax assessment process by requiring all real property to be reappraised every two years instead of annually, effective immediately and applying retroactively to tax years beginning after December 31, 2024. This applies to every property owner across Montana, as the bill modifies the state code to mandate biennial reappraisals for all real property, not just specific classes. The law does not alter tax rates or calculation methods but adjusts the timing for reassessing property values. Property owners will receive updated reappraisal notices with comparative data on local tax trends, as required by the bill. The change streamlines the assessment schedule while ensuring tax neutrality through departmental reporting.