Bill | Description | Fiscal Impact (2023 Biennium) | Fiscal Impact (2025 Biennium) |
HB 191 | Revise residential property tax credit for elderly | ($5,783,000) | ($5,363,000) |
HB 252 | Non-refundable tax credit for employer-paid education of trade professions | ($2,000,000) | ($2,000,000) |
HB 279 | Revise laws related to tax credit scholarship and innovative education programs | ($1,975,437) | ($8,550,528) |
HB 303 | Revise business equipment tax | ($9,981,445) | ($13,711,992) |
HB 340 | Revise the MEDIA Act film tax credits | ($2,000,000) | ($4,000,000) |
HB 629 | Provide for job creation tax credits | ($378,067) | ($1,258,538) |
HB 663 | Generally revising school funding to increase GTB and lower property taxes | ($20,685,115) | ($23,377,569) |
SB 51 | Exempting certain fiber optic, coaxial cable from property taxation | ($152,685) | ($263,534) |
SB 159 | Personal Income Tax Relief Act | ($37,233,000) | ($19,500,000) |
SB 184 | Montana Entrepreneur Magnet Act | $0 | $0 |
SB 399 | Generally revise and simplify income tax | $5,013,417 | ($39,637,938) |
Section A- General Government | |
Legislative Branch | The legislative branch 2023 biennium budget is roughly 12.6% above 2021 Biennium (all funds) and roughly the same as the Gianforte Administration’s executive budget. The legislature passed OTO funding for increased audit services required for HB 632 Appropriations for the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The legislature adopted increases for information technology and for completing the session system replacement. |
Governor’s Office | The Governor’s office 2023 biennium budget is 3.7% below 2021 Biennium (all funds) and 6.9% below the executive’s proposed budget. The legislature appropriated an additional 1.5 FTE and $643,000 OTO in personal services and operating expenses to review administrative rules and efficiencies in state agencies and $360,000 OTO to the Office of Budget and Program Planning for the Government Efficiency Initiative. The legislature provided an additional $100,000 in SSR for the Office of Indian Affairs, for the state-tribal relations training. The Air Transportation Program was eliminated. |
Secretary of State | Generally, the Secretary of State is funded entirely through proprietary funds. However, the legislature appropriated $100,000 in GF for FY 2022 for lawsuits that may be filed based on election law changes enacted by the legislature. |
Department of Revenue | The Department of Revenue 2023 biennium budget is roughly the same as 2021 biennium and sits 13% below the executive’s proposed budget. This is, in part, due to funding positions related to the administration of legalized recreational marijuana in separate legislation (HB 701). The legislature combined administration of recreational and medical marijuana under the DOR through HB 701, revising marijuana laws. The legislature transferred 22.0 existing FTE from the DPHHS medical marijuana program and outlined additional positions for a total of 31.5 FTE in FY 2022 and 33.0 FTE in FY 2023. |
Department of Commerce | The Department of Commerce 2023 biennium budget is 8.6% above 2021 biennium and 9% above the executive’s proposed budget. The legislature transferred the MT Indian Language Preservation Program from Commerce to Office of Public Assistance. The legislature reestablished the Taipei, Taiwan Trade Office. |
Department of Labor and Industry | The Department of Labor & Industry 2023 biennium budget is 1.6% above the 2021 biennium and 1.4% below the executive’s proposed budget. The legislature imposed an additional 1% vacancy savings on the agency and decreased state special revenue for the Montana Health and Economic Livelihood Partnership (HELP) Act. |
Department of Military Affairs | The Department of Military Affairs 2023 biennium budget is 4.1% above the 2021 biennium and 0.5% above the executive’s proposed budget. The legislature appropriated $1.0 million OTO to assist the City of Laurel with water system repairs. |
Section B – Public Health and Human Services | |
Overall Agency | DPHHS 2023 biennium budget (all funds) is roughly flat compared to 2021 biennium and 2.4% ($150 million) below the executive’s proposed budget. |
Provider Rate Increase | The legislature adopted provider rate increases (PRI) across the biennium: 1.0% in FY 2022 and 2.0% in FY 2023 in the Health Resources, Developmental Services, Addictive and Mental Disorders Division, and some Senior Long-Term Care services. The provider rate increase excludes non-critical access (larger) hospitals and physicians. An additional 1.0% provider rate increase was provided for developmental disability waiver services. The legislature reduced the appropriation for non-critical access hospital Medicaid services by an amount equivalent to a 1.0% provider rate reduction. |
Medicaid Funding | The legislature did not adopt the executive’s caseload adjustment for Medicaid services and instead reduced the caseload adjustment by 3.0%. The legislature limited the Department’s authority to transfer Medicaid funds among divisions. |
Medicaid Continuous Eligibility | The legislature decreased the general fund appropriation for Medicaid Expansion by $10.7 million over the 2023 biennium and increased the federal fund appropriation. Legislative intent language was added to eliminate the policy of 12-month continuous eligibility for Medicaid expansion participants. |
Contingency Fund | An unrestricted contingency funding appropriation of both general fund and state special funds was created to hold “savings” from the enhanced FMAP due to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. DPHHS will have an estimated $20 million per quarter within this fund for discretionary uses. |
Comprehensive Schools and Community Treatment (CSCT) | The legislature did not fund the $21.7 million GF biennium request to continue the CSCT Medicaid services within Developmental Services Division. Rather, CSCT was transferred to the Office of Public Instruction. (See Section E.) |
Healing and Ending Addiction through Recovery and Treatment (HEART) Act | The legislature funded the executive’s proposed HEART Act through HB 701, revising recreational marijuana laws, providing $6 million in SSR and $19 million in federal funds each fiscal year. |
Section D – Judicial Branch, Law Enforcement, and Justice | |
Judicial Branch | The Judicial Branch 2023 biennium budget is 6.4% above 2021 biennium and 0.6% above the executive’s proposed budget. The legislature approved two new judge positions and associated staff, one for the 18th Judicial District (Gallatin Co.) and one for 11th Judicial District (Flathead Co.) (funding for 11th Judicial District is contingent upon establishment of a treatment court). The legislature increased funding for drug courts with the majority of funding contingent on implementation of evidence-based evaluation and provided additional one-time funding for the pre-trial program. |
Department of Justice | The Department of Justice 2023 biennium budget is 3% above 2021 biennium and 0.4% above the executive’s proposed budget. The Governor signed an executive order transferring the Boulder campus from DPHHS to the MT Highway Patrol. The legislature funded the Boulder campus transfer with $1.0 million GF over the biennium. The legislature provided $125,000 in one-time funding for sexual assault kit testing. |
Office of State Public Defender | The Office of Public Defender 2023 biennium budget is 4.1% above 2021 biennium and 0.5% below the executive’s proposed budget. The legislature appropriated $400,000 in GF over the biennium for a 0.5% growth in caseload. The executive had requested a 1.0% increase (Bullock had initially proposed a 3.0% caseload adjustment). |
Department of Corrections | The Department of Corrections 2023 biennium budget is 3% above 2021 biennium and 0.3% below the executive budget. The legislature appropriated $0.8 million GF for 10 FTE to provide medical and mental health services and $2.6 million GF for hepatitis C treatment. The legislature appropriated $1.3 million for 10 FTE in Probation and Parole to manage caseload growth. Provider rates for nonprofit community corrections were increased by $1.0 million GF over the biennium. |
Section E – Education | |
K-12 Education/Office of Public Instruction | The Office of Public Instruction 2023 biennium budget is 5.4% above 2021 biennium and 0.6% below the executive budget. The legislature adopted present law inflationary adjustments totaling roughly $60 million, which was adjusted to account for COVID-related decline in enrollment. The legislature transferred the MT Indian Language Preservation Program and its $1.5 million GF budget to OPI from the Department of Commerce. The legislature appropriated $80,000 in GF to MT Digital Academy to fund Indian Language Titles. The legislature transferred the Comprehensive School and Community Treatment from DPHHS to OPI, funding the state’s match with state special revenue funds. |
Higher Education/Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education | The Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education 2023 biennium budget is 4.5% above 2021 biennium and 0.2% above the executive’s proposed budget. The legislature adopted $550,000 OTO for a public/private partnership for a career and technical education finishing trades program. Tribal colleges received $350,000 OTO for the HiSET program. The legislature funded the Grow Your Own Teacher Grant Program with $500,000 over the biennium. The legislature appropriated $1.0 million OTO over the biennium for the implementation of HB 102, Revise gun laws, contingent on the Board of Regents not challenging the law. |
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