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SAM Advocacy Update: Transmittal Report, March 7

As we reach the halfway point of our 2025 Legislative Session, I thought it would be helpful to highlight a few of the more important bills that we have been watching. I selected some of the bills that have a big impact, these are not all the bills. For a full list of bills see our spreadsheet of ALL SAM TRACKED BILLS, March 7. 

• Moving Forward: These bills appear to have made the cut for the transmittal date and will be moving forward after the legislative break. (March 17)

        FUNDING BILLS

• HB 628: Expands early literacy interventions, allowing schools to enroll on-target students, includes ANB funding for participants, and mandates program evaluation to improve reading and math proficiency in early grades.
• HB 462: Establishes a process for identifying high-quality instructional materials, provides funding for curriculum-aligned professional development, and offers reduced-cost access to instructional resources to improve education standards.
• HB 156: Revises school funding laws by replacing district-based tax levies with countywide levies for base budgets, adjusting guaranteed tax base aid, and modifying tuition and revenue policies to improve school funding equalization.
• HB 252: Enhances school funding with incentives for increasing teacher salaries, resource sharing, and addressing high housing costs. Expands quality educator funding and restores full funding to advanced opportunities programs.
• HB 15: Adjusts school funding formulas for inflation, increasing base entitlements, per-ANB funding, and educator payments to ensure funding keeps pace with rising costs.

        POLICY / PROCEDURE BILLS

• SB 525: Authorizes schools to use paid or volunteer chaplains instead of counselors, requiring parental consent and public disclosure of chaplains’ religious affiliations. Effective July 1, 2025​.
• HB 602: Requires school boards to notify the public and allow comment before nonrenewing a nontenure teacher for financial reasons, clarifying such nonrenewals are "without cause." Effective July 1, 2025​.
• HB 471: Requires parental permission for identity instruction, expands notification rules for human sexuality curriculum, and prohibits schools from working with abortion providers for such instruction. Effective July 1, 2025​.
• HB 121: Mandates sex-specific restrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping quarters in schools, correctional centers, and public buildings, with legal remedies for violations. Effective immediately​

• On the Bubble: These bills are still alive, but currently in an appropriations committee and have not been approved yet. The committee is likely waiting to see what other bills are introduced which will require monetary resources. The last day to introduce any bills with an appropriation is March 29.

• HB 339: This bill increases 6th grade funding in middle schools and expands career education funding. It takes effect immediately for budgets starting July 1, 2025.
• HB 168: This bill includes 3- and 4-year-olds with disabilities in ANB calculations, securing state funding. It takes effect July 1, 2025.

• Likely Dead: These bills would have been impactful to schools. They were voted down, either in committee or on the floor and did not make the transmittal deadline.

PRIVATIZATION - TAX CREDITS

• HB 320: Establishes the Montana Academic Prosperity Program for Scholars (MAPPS), offering tax credits for donations funding educational assistance accounts and for parental payments of qualified education expenses, supporting school choice and private educational options.
• HB 209: Provides a tax credit for nonpublic school education expenses, including tuition, textbooks, extracurricular activities, and educational therapies, covering private school and home-schooling costs, with eligibility rules and a cap based on public school funding rates.

BONDS AND LEVIES

• SB 205: Revises voter approval thresholds for bond and mill levy elections, adjusting required percentages of voter turnout and approval to pass such measures​.
• SB 204: Limits the duration of voter-approved mill levies to 10 years unless reapproved, with exceptions for school, law enforcement, fire protection, and emergency medical service levies​.
• HB 410: Changes approval requirements for bond and mill levy elections, allowing passage by a majority vote in even-year general elections or requiring a 35% voter turnout threshold​.

POLICY / PROCEDURES / CURRICULUM

• HB 445: Mandates Montana public schools to teach cursive handwriting to enhance cognitive and fine motor skills and ensure students can read historical documents like the U.S. Constitution​.
• HB 753: Requires Montana public schools teaching human sexuality to include at least one image of a dilation and evacuation abortion performed between 20-25 weeks of gestation​.
• SB 114: Requires Montana public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom and school building, allowing districts to use public or donated funds for the displays​.
• SB 407: Prohibits flags, banners, and symbols promoting political or social activism in Montana public schools and mandates the display of the national motto, "In God We Trust," in all classrooms​.
• SB 254: Prohibits the use of public funds for lobbying by political subdivisions, including school districts and local governments, restricting them from hiring lobbyists or funding organizations that lobby on their behalf.
• HB 814: Establishes intent to reorganize elementary and high school districts into unified K-12 districts by 2029, requiring county superintendents to collaborate on a plan and report to the Education Interim Committee.

Thanks for staying engaged. We will be back with more updates on March 17!