Rep. John Fitzpatrick

Maddy summaryHB 757 revises the criteria for awarding cultural and aesthetic project grants, affecting applicants and the Cultural and Aesthetic Projects Advisory Committee. The bill establishes new prioritization rules, giving higher preference to applicants who have not previously received awards and those with smaller annual operating budgets. It also directs the committee to adjust operating budget limits for inflation between funding cycles. Furthermore, the bill allows certain grant applicants with program budgets under $100,000, who do not use federal funds, to request a waiver from obtaining a federal System for Award Management (SAMs) number.

Maddy summaryHB 12 appropriates $6,229,375 from the historic preservation grant program account to the Montana Department of Commerce. This funding is designated for a two-year period starting July 1, 2025, to finance various historic preservation projects across the state. The bill specifically authorizes grants for over 60 projects, listing each project, its applicant (such as museums, local governments, and non-profits), and the allocated grant amount. These grants aim to support the preservation and restoration of historic sites and buildings in Montana.

Maddy summaryHB 876, the Sawmill Revitalization Act, creates a special state revenue account to support the reopening of closed sawmills. It transfers $6 million from the big sky economic development fund into this account. The Board of Investments will administer these funds, offering loans at an interest rate not exceeding 3% to parties with the capacity to return closed sawmills to commercial operation. Priority for these loans is given to sawmills that closed most recently. This act is effective July 1, 2025, and terminates on December 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 681 revises state and local laws governing subdivision development, primarily focusing on how water availability is determined and regulated within new subdivisions. It updates the criteria local governments use to review subdivision applications concerning water, clarifies the definition of "water right," and modifies procedures for obtaining water right certificates for certain groundwater uses. The bill also establishes clearer time limits for local government review of subdivision applications, with potential financial penalties for delays, and outlines requirements for sharing public comments on sanitation with subdividers.

Maddy summaryHB 9 appropriates funds for cultural and aesthetic projects across Montana for the biennium ending June 30, 2027. It allocates $30,000 from the cultural and aesthetic projects trust fund to the Montana Historical Society for capitol complex artwork care. Additionally, it appropriates $953,500 from the same fund to the Montana Arts Council, which will award grants to numerous listed cultural and artistic organizations. Grant recipients are required to acknowledge that the funding originates from coal tax placed into Montana's Cultural and Aesthetic Projects Trust Fund. Any unspent grant money will revert to the trust fund after June 30, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 11 appropriates money from the Montana coal endowment special revenue account to the Department of Commerce for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025. This bill authorizes over $20 million in grants for specific water and wastewater infrastructure projects in various towns, cities, and water/sewer districts across Montana. Additionally, it allocates over $3.5 million for bridge projects in several counties. The grants are conditional upon recipients meeting specified requirements and the availability of funds, with deadlines for project completion to maintain eligibility.

Maddy summaryHB 833 provides funding to increase Montana's correctional capacity, directly affecting the state's prison system and the Department of Corrections. The bill establishes a "Future of Corrections Fund" and appropriates a total of $250 million from the general fund. Of this, $30 million is for system assessment, planning, and technology. The remaining $220 million is allocated either for constructing a new state correctional facility or, contingently, for securing additional capacity through other agreements, which may include private correctional facilities, if the budget director determines state construction is not in the state's best interest.

Maddy summaryHB 6 implements the Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Program by appropriating funds to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). The bill allocates specific amounts for various grant types, including emergency projects, planning, irrigation development, private projects, and nonpoint source pollution reduction. Additionally, it appropriates $5.25 million for prioritized infrastructure grant projects to specific cities, towns, and water districts for improvements to wastewater systems, drinking water infrastructure, and stormwater control. Funds for these prioritized projects are awarded in a specified order until available money is expended.

Maddy summaryHB 7 implements and funds the reclamation and development grants program, appropriating over $13.9 million from the natural resources projects state special revenue account. The bill allocates funds to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) for grants beginning July 1, 2025. These grants support planning for reclamation and development projects, pilot water storage initiatives, and specific prioritized projects for political subdivisions and local governments. Grant recipients, which include various counties, cities, and state agencies, must meet conditions such as having an approved project scope, securing matching funds, and complying with auditing requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 717 revises the process for transferring mining operation permits to successor operators, especially when an original operator has a forfeited bond and fails to complete reclamation. It grants the state's Department the power of eminent domain to acquire surface, mineral, or other property interests within a mining permit boundary under specific conditions. This power can be exercised if the department finds it is in the public interest for taxpayers and environmental protection, and a successor operator is available to take over the permit and complete reclamation. The bill also outlines how compensation is determined in these eminent domain cases, considering factors like reclamation costs and existing liabilities.