Legislative alerts week of March 31
- Arri Sendzimir
- 22 hours ago
- 5 min read
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Hearing: Monday, March 31 | 3pm | House Human Services
This bill would create a pilot program to supplement federal funds for short- to medium-term rental assistance for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness in Montana.
Montana’s housing crisis disproportionately burdens low income households.
Current levels of federal funding are inadequate to meet the needs of Montana communities.
When families have secure housing it reduces their individual hardships and improves quality of life for the larger community.
Hearing: Thursday, April 3rd | 3pm | House Local Government
This bill would declare short-term rentals as a residential use of property rather than commercial and only allow local governments to restrict through zoning.
Local governments should be able to decide how to treat short-term rentals to make sure the housing needs of their communities are met.
This bill could further limit the supply of housing available to renters in already tight markets.
Short-term rentals inflate the rents that landlords can ask for long-term rentals.
Short-term rentals often serve the interests of out of state visitors to Montana over the residents who live, work, and pay taxes in our communities.
Hearing: Tuesday, April 1 | 3pm | House Human Services, Rm 152
This bill would create a Montana behavioral health trust fund to invest in community-based behavioral health organizations.
Investing to improve behavioral health is a bipartisan goal this session.
This bill would make long-term, sustainable funds available for addressing behavioral health challenges in Montana beyond the legislative session.
Montana is a national leader in suicide rates and many residents struggle to access care. This funding would help strengthen behavioral health infrastructure in Montana.
Hearing: Tuesday, April 1 | 3pm | House Human Services, Rm 152
This bill would make improvements to the accessibility of Medicaid. It would improve access for people using mobile devices, require more meaningful notice, provide estimated wait time and call back options, and reopen offices of public assistance.
Have you experienced challenges with customer service? Lost coverage during unwinding? Share your personal experiences interacting with Montana’s Medicaid program.
During Medicaid unwinding, many individuals who were eligible for coverage lost it due to bureaucratic inefficiencies. Some people did not receive mailed notices due to address changes, others waited on the hotline for hours without getting through.
Bureaucratic hurdles should not stop Montanan’s from receiving healthcare coverage, and this bill makes sure that they won’t.
Waiting to be seen on House floor
HB 848 would invest resources to help expand passenger rail in Montana, particularly on the southern tier connecting our most populous cities.
This infrastructure investment could make it easier for people to travel across Montana.
Passenger rail would provide another means for people to access resources and services in communities across the state.
In committee, this bill received support from communities across the state. Labor, local governments, Tribal representatives, business owners, and the tourism industry showed up in support of HB 848 and the economic development it would bring.
Waiting on executive action
This bill would make a housing fairness tax credit available to homeowners (for property taxes paid) and renters (for rent paid). For Montanans with a household income below $150,000 this bill would offer a credit to ensure that proportion of income spent towards property taxes/rent is within the affordable range.
By setting a threshold for affordability, this bill prevents property tax expenses from rising above an affordable percentage of income.
This bill would bring meaningful, long-term tax relief that Montanans will see and feel.
The Gianforte property tax rebates have been a short-term relief effort, only open to homeowners.
By including renters, this bill accounts for many Montanans ignored by other property tax rebates and credits.
Hearing: Friday, April 4 | 9am | Senate Taxation
Montana’s current property tax rates have two tiers. This bill proposes revising the residential and commercial tax property rates to a seven-tier graduated system where residential properties rates are adjusted based on the market value of a home.
This bill helps cut taxable value and cut tax rates to help ensure long term affordability.
The rise of residential property values in recent years has thrown off the balance and homeowners and renters have been paying much more than their fair share. This bill would help rebalance the property tax rates and save middle class homeowners hundreds of dollars a year.
Waiting to be scheduled on 2nd Reading
This bill would make math intervention programs available to families so that kids don’t start kindergarten behind.
Currently, Montana offers intervention programs to help children reach reading proficiency, but early math skills are the strongest predictor of future academic achievement
Adding numeracy to the early intervention provides families with the information and makes resources available to help children start kindergarten ready to learn and develop their full academic potential
Waiting to be scheduled on 2nd Reading
These bills rein in insurance companies denying medications prescribed to patients by their doctors. HB 399 prohibits prior authorization for insulin and asthma medication and requires that a list of reasonable therapeutic alternatives are provided when adverse determinations are made.
Montanans shouldn’t face administrative barriers to access life-saving medications.
When insurance companies deny medications prescribed by a doctor, patients can face long delays and paperwork jeopardizing health outcomes.
These bills will reduce barriers to care and make sure that all Montanans have access to the healthcare that they need.
Waiting for hearing in Senate Business and Labor
This bill requires the refund of rental application fees to applicants who are not selected for leases, minus costs for specific services performed.
Some landlords or property managers unethically take advantage of the tight rental market to profit off of rental application fees.
The cost of housing is outpacing increases in income, putting renters at a disadvantage due to the tight rental market.
This bill would improve transparency for rental applicants to understand how their rental application fees are being used, and make sure they get unused money back.
Hearing: Wednesday, April 2 | 8am | Senate Judiciary
HB 690 would disallow transgender children claims to abuse if their parents are raising them according to their biological sex.
Hearing: Friday, April 4 | 8am | Senate Judiciary
HB 723 will establish a reporting requirement to have medical facilities report information on infants born alive. If medical facilities fail to report they can be fined up to $500 and $500 for every 30 days they do not report.
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