2025 MTLeg Weekly Debrief: 1/13-1/17

The Frontier Institute has identified 5 new Key Bills and 23 Key Bill updates for the week of January 13-17

HB 153: Revise laws related to the school funding interim commission
Sponsor: Representative David Bedey (R) HD 86
Status: Hearing scheduled 1/20 @3pm in House Education Committee

SB 117: Revise government entity limitations on property tax increases
Sponsor: Senator Daniel Zolnikov (R) SD 22
Status: Introduced

HB 156: Revise education funding laws by replacing school district BASE levies with countywide BASE levies
Sponsor: Representative Dave Bedey (R) HD 86
Status: Hearing scheduled 1/20 @3pm in House Education Committee

HB 136: Revise property insurance laws relating to preventative measures to reduce damage
Sponsor: Representative Steve Fitzpatrick (R) HD 24
Status: Hearing scheduled 1/16 @8am in House Business and Labor Committee
Note: HB 136 follows recommendations made in Frontier Institute’s 2023 Forest Management Policy Playbook for the state to promote voluntary wildfire mitigation incentive programs for property insurance.

SB 119: Repeal incumbent electric utility right of first refusal law
Sponsor: Senator Wylie Galt (R) SD 39
Status: Introduced
Note: SB 119 follows the Frontier Institute’s recommendations to reform Right of First Refusal policies which stifle energy market competition and increase costs for ratepayers.

Key Bill Updates:

SB 42: Hearing scheduled 1/16 @8am in Senate Judiciary Committee
HB 28: Passed in House Education Committee
SB 43: Hearing scheduled 1/14 @8am in Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 41: Hearing scheduled 1/14 @8am in Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 40: Hearing scheduled 1/16 @8am in Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 30: Hearing scheduled 1/15 @8am in Senate Judiciary Committee
HB 39: Passed House State Administration Committee and second hearing
SB 13: Hearing scheduled 1/14 @8am in Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 15: Hearing scheduled 1/16 @8am in Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 38: Hearing scheduled 1/22 @8am in Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 39: Hearing scheduled 1/16 @8am in Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 48:  Hearing scheduled 1/15 @8am in Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 101: Hearing scheduled 1/21 @8am in Senate Judiciary Committee

Note: Our MTLeg Weekly Debrief series is meant only to help our subscribers follow along with key legislation related to these 3 issue areas that we feel deserve extra focus. The legislation listed in each weekly update will NOT necessarily represent legislation we support or oppose. Each week’s key bill analysis represents new legislation introduced up to midnight Monday of the current week.