Rep. Dave Bedey

Maddy summaryHB 419 establishes a standardized process for certain Medicaid service providers in Montana to report their actual costs and revenues. It directly affects providers offering adult mental health, children’s mental health, substance use disorder, developmental disabilities, and senior/long-term care services funded through Medicaid or state programs. The bill requires these providers to submit annual cost data using a uniform format, which the Department of Public Health and Human Services will analyze every four years to assess whether Medicaid reimbursement rates adequately cover costs. The analysis will inform future budget requests to adjust rates, with the first report due by September 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 286 aims to revise election laws by requiring the Secretary of State to verify the United States citizenship status of both registered electors and new voter applicants. The bill mandates the Secretary of State to determine the citizenship status of current electors, categorize them as U.S. citizen, undetermined, or non-U.S. citizen, and alert those with undetermined status to provide proof of citizenship. It requires the removal of individuals determined to have non-U.S. citizenship from the voter list. New voter applicants would also be required to provide documentary proof of United States citizenship as part of their registration process.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 138 aimed to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Board of Public Education in Montana. The bill specified that the Superintendent is required to carry out directives issued by the Board of Public Education, particularly those related to the board's constitutional authority to supervise the public school system. It also reaffirmed a comprehensive list of other duties performed by the Superintendent, such as teacher certification, school budgeting oversight, and administering various educational programs. This bill sought to define the hierarchical relationship and operational duties between these two key state education offices.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 864 implements provisions related to education funding and administration across various institutions. It expands the use of the School Facility and Technology Account, allowing excess funds to be transferred to the School Major Maintenance Aid Account to prevent aid reductions for schools. For community colleges, the bill revises definitions and mechanisms for calculating state general fund appropriations, incorporating inflationary adjustments and changes in full-time equivalent (FTE) student numbers. It also increases payments for resident nonbeneficiary students at tribal colleges and mandates a study on interlibrary resource sharing programs and the Office of Public Instruction.

Maddy summaryHB 669 revises laws concerning educational programs for children receiving in-state inpatient treatment for serious emotional disturbances, directly affecting these children, their school districts, and qualifying treatment facilities. The bill authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to contract with facilities to deliver these educational programs, establishing a daily rate for services based on actual costs. Funding responsibility is shared, with the SPI paying the facility the daily rate minus a contribution from the child's school district of residence. It also clarifies the SPI's rulemaking authority for tuition calculations and outlines alternative methods for providing education if a facility fails to offer appropriate programs or contract with the state.

Maddy summaryHB 153 revises the laws governing Montana's School Funding Interim Commission, which is responsible for studying public school educational needs and funding. The bill alters the commission's membership to include various state education officials and sets an April 1 appointment deadline. For the 2025-2026 interim, it creates an "Innovation and Excellence in Education Working Group" to compare Montana's education policies with high-performing systems and develop improvement recommendations. The bill also designates a presiding officer and appropriates $10,000 for early commission activities.

Maddy summaryHB 732, the "Prompt Cost Report Reimbursement Act," revises how the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services reimburses critical access hospitals participating in the state's Medicaid program. The bill requires the department to perform a tentative settlement and make interim payments to these hospitals within 240 days of a cost report being submitted to the Medicare administrative contractor. A final settlement and adjustment will occur after the Medicare administrative contractor completes its full review or audit. This process aims to align Montana Medicaid's reimbursement with Medicare's, ensuring more timely payments to critical access hospitals for services rendered.

Maddy summaryHB 462 aimed to enhance academic excellence by revising education laws related to curriculum and instruction. It would have established a process for the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in collaboration with a committee and an external nonprofit partner, to identify and recommend high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) during content standard revisions. Contingent on legislative funding, the bill would have provided reduced-cost access to these recommended HQIM and aligned professional development for school districts choosing to adopt them. This initiative sought to support teachers and improve curriculum for students across the state.

Maddy summaryHB 573 revises laws related to "transformational learning" in Montana's public schools. The bill moves up the termination of the existing transformational learning grant program by one year and establishes a new Transformational Learning Phase II Grant Program. This new program offers incentives and flexibilities for school districts to implement personalized, proficiency-based learning systems. Districts must apply with strategic plans and proficiency definitions, with the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Board of Public Education overseeing the program's administration and qualification process, which includes a lottery system if funds are limited.

Maddy summaryHB 125 revises the qualifications for election judges in school district elections. Previously, election judges were required to be registered electors of the specific school district where they served. This bill now permits qualified registered electors from anywhere in the county to serve as election judges, specifically when a county election administrator conducts the election. It maintains existing prohibitions against candidates or their close relatives serving as judges and retains training requirements. The bill became effective immediately upon passage and approval.