2025 MTLeg Weekly Debrief: 1/20-1/24

The Frontier Institute has identified 6 new Key Bills and 17 Key Bill updates for the week of January 20-24

HB 231: Revise property tax rates for certain property
Sponsor: Representative Llew Jones (R) HD 18
Status: Hearing scheduled on 1/22 at 9am in the House Tax Committee.

HB 250: Generally revise education laws related to out-of-district attendance
Sponsor: Representative Dave Bedey (R) HD 86
Status: Hearing scheduled on 1/27 at 3pm in the House Education Committee.

HB 251: Generally revise laws related to public charter schools
Sponsor: Representative Dave Bedey (R) HD 86
Status: Hearing scheduled on 1/24 at 3pm in the House Education Committee.

HB 252: Create the student and teacher advancement for results and success act (STARS)
Sponsor: Representative Llew Jones (R) HD 18
Status: Hearing scheduled on 1/27 at 3pm in the House Education Committee.
Note: HB 252 follows Frontier Institute’s recommendations to promote additional freedom and accountability for budget decisions within the public school system.

SB 146: Creating the private property protection act
Sponsor: Senator Becky Beard (R) SD 38
Status: Introduced
Note: SB 146 follows Frontier Institute’s recommendations to limit the extent of local zoning and land use regulation in order to protect Montanans’ fundamental right to use property.

SB 177: Allow community choice school commission to seek public funding
Sponsor: Senator Sue Vinton (R) SD 20
Introduced: Hearing scheduled 1/28 @3pm in Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee.
Note: SB 177 modifies the Community Choice Schools Act (HB 562 from the 2023 legislature), which was part of Frontier Institute’s recommendations to expand Education Freedom. The bill enhances the commission’s ability to perform its duties by providing greater operational flexibility.

Key Bill Updates:

SB 117: Hearing scheduled 1/22 at 8am in Senate Taxation Committee.
HB 136: Passed unanimously in House Business and Labor Committee.
SB 119: Hearing scheduled 1/21 at 3pm in Senate Energy, Technology & Federal Relations Committee.
HB 28: Passed House Floor.
SB 31: Hearing scheduled 1/23 at 8am in Senate Judiciary Committee.
SB 40: Hearing scheduled 1/22 at 8am in Senate Judiciary Committee.
HB 30: Passed in House Judiciary Committee.
HB 35: Passed in House Judiciary Committee.
HB 36: Passed in House Judiciary Committee.
HB 39: Passed House Floor, referred to Senate Judiciary Committee.
HB 65: Passed in House Judiciary Committee.
SB 14: Hearing scheduled 1/23 at 8am in Senate Judiciary Committee.
SB 16: Withdrawn.
SB 20: Hearing scheduled 1/23 at 8am in Senate Judiciary Committee.
SB 47: Hearing scheduled 1/24 at 3pm in Senate State Administration Committee.
SB 90: Hearing scheduled 1/20 at 3pm in Senate Local Government Committee.
HB 20: Passed in House Taxation 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.