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69th Legislature 2025 HB0153.3
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1 HOUSE BILL NO. 153
2 INTRODUCED BY D. BEDEY, E. BUTTREY, J. FULLER, L. JONES, B. BARKER
3
4 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING LAWS RELATED TO THE SCHOOL
5 FUNDING INTERIM COMMISSION; REVISING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMISSION; ESTABLISHING
6 A DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENTS TO THE COMMISSION; DESIGNATING A AN INTERIM PRESIDING
7 OFFICER OF THE COMMISSION; MODIFYING THE COMMISSION'S FOCUS FOR THE 2025-2026
8 INTERIM; CREATING AN INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION WORKING GROUP FOR THE
9 2025-2026 INTERIM AND PROVIDING DUTIES OF THE WORKING GROUP; PROVIDING AN
10 APPROPRIATION; AMENDING SECTION 5-20-301, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE
11 DATE.”
12
13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
14
15 Section 5-20-301, MCA, is amended to read:
16 "5-20-301. (1) There is a school funding interim commission
17 that must be formed during the 2015-2016 interim and each successive fifth interim pursuant to 20-9-309. The
18 commission shall:
19 (a) conduct a study to reassess the educational needs and costs related to the basic system of
20 free quality public elementary and secondary schools; and
21 (b) if necessary, recommend to the following legislature changes to the state's funding formula;
22 (C),
23:
24 (I),,, INCLUDING ADJUSTMENTS FOR STUDENT NEEDS,
25, AND LOCAL PROPERTY WEALTH DISPARITIES;
26 (II);
27 (III)
28; - 2025
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1 (IV)
2;
3 (V);
4 (VI);
5 (VII);
6 (VIII)
7, ACHIEVEMENT, AND PROFICIENCY RATHER THAN HEAD COUNTS AND SEAT TIME;
8
9 (c) (D) for the commission formed during the 2025-2026 interim, prior to conducting the study under
10 subsection (1)(a), form an innovation and excellence in education working group to develop recommendations,
11 objectives, and an implementation plan as described in subsection (10) to improve the basic system of free,
12 quality, public elementary and secondary schools.
13 (2) In conducting the study, the commission may:
14 (a) review the work of previous studies and commissions;
15 (b) consider recommendations and topics provided by other interim or standing legislative
16 committees, the board of public education, the office of public instruction, the governor's office, private
17 organizations, professional educators, school trustees, and members of the public;
18 (c) review how the state's education funding policy has evolved as a result of litigation;
19 (d) seek input from representatives from the board of public education, the office of public
20 instruction, the governor's office, private organizations, professional educators, school trustees, and members
21 of the public;
22 (e) consider the state's existing and projected financial resources as well as the needs and
23 concerns of Montana taxpayers;
24 (f) authorize research and studies to be conducted by reputable and reliable experts in the public
25 or private sectors; and
26 (g) request research and analysis from the legislative fiscal division, the office of public instruction,
27 the department of revenue, and any other state agency or entity that maintains information or data relevant to
28 the study. - 2025
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1 (3) The members of the commission are:
2 (a) six members of the house of representatives, three from the majority party and three:
3 (I);
4 (II);
5 (III); AND
6(IV) ONE ADDITIONAL MEMBER FROM THE MAJORITY PARTY AND TWO ADDITIONAL MEMBERS from the
7 minority party, one of whom must be the presiding officer of the joint appropriations education standing
8 subcommittee,,, appointed by the speaker
9 of the house in consultation with the house majority leader and the house minority leader;
10 (b) six members of the senate, three from the majority party and three :
11 (I);
12(II);
13(III)
14; AND
15(IV) ONE ADDITIONAL MEMBER FROM THE MAJORITY PARTY, OR TWO ADDITIONAL MEMBERS FROM THE
16
17
18, AND TWO ADDITIONAL MEMBERS from the minority party, one of whom must be the vice
19 presiding officer of the joint appropriations education standing subcommittee,, THREE FROM THE MAJORITY PARTY
20, appointed by the president of the senate in consultation with the senate
21 majority leader and the senate minority leader; and
22 (c) four members of the public to be appointed as follows:
23 (i) two public members appointed by the speaker of the house with the consent of the house
24 minority leader; and
25 (ii) two public members appointed by the president of the senate with the consent of the senate
26 minority leader
27 (C):
28 (I) - 2025
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1; AND
2 (II)
3;
4 (c) (D) the presiding officer of the board of public education or the presiding officer's designee;
5 (d) (E) the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee;
6 (e) (F) the presiding officer of the board of regents of higher education or the presiding officer's
7 designee; AND
8 (f) (G) the governor or the governor's designee ; and
9 (g) two members ONE MEMBER of the public
10 appointed by the governor, one of whom is a current or former school board trustee.
11 (4) Appointments to the commission must be made by April MAY 1 in a year the commission is to
12 form, pursuant to subsection (1).
13 (4)(5) The presiding officer of the joint appropriations education standing subcommittee shall serve
14 as the INTERIM presiding officer of the commission UNTIL A PRESIDING OFFICER IS SELECTED . The commission
15 shall select its vice presiding officer , WHO MUST BE LEGISLATORS, at the first meeting
16 of the commission.
17 (5)(6) The commission is attached for administrative purposes to the legislative services division, and
18 the legislative services division shall provide sufficient and appropriate support to the commission in order that it
19 may carry out its statutory duties, within the limitations of legislative appropriations.
20 (6)(7) The commission is staffed by the legislative services division. The legislative fiscal analyst shall
21 assign staff to assist the commission.
22 (7)(8) The commission shall issue a report to the legislature in accordance with 5-11-210 on the
23 commission's findings and recommendations, including any draft legislation for amending the state school
24 funding formula.
25 (8)(9) Unless the person is a full-time salaried officer or employee of the state or a political
26 subdivision of the state, a nonlegislative member appointed to the commission is entitled to salary and
27 expenses to the same extent as a legislative member. If the appointee is a full-time salaried officer or employee
28 of the state or of a political subdivision of the state, the appointee is entitled to reimbursement for travel - 2025
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1 expenses as provided for in 2-18-501 through 2-18-503.
2 (10) (a) The innovation and excellence in education working group is composed of the commission
3 and others as determined by the commission. T,
4, SCHOOL TRUSTEES, AND PARENT ADVOCACY GROUPS IN FORMING THE WORKING GROUP.
5 (b) The innovation and excellence in education working group shall:
6 (i) conduct a benchmarking or gap analysis study comparing the education policies of Montana to
7 the education policies of high-performing international and domestic education systems or review a similar
8 analysis conducted for another state;
9 (ii) develop recommendations to adapt the appropriate education policies of high-performing
10 international and domestic education systems for the public education system in Montana;
11 (iii) identify objectives to put the education performance of pupils in Montana in parity with that of
12 pupils in high-performing international and domestic education systems and make recommendations on how to
13 meet the identified objectives;
14 (iv) develop an implementation plan for the recommendations made pursuant to this subsection
15 (10)(b), which includes an analysis of the costs of the plan; and
16 (v) publish its recommendations and implementation plan no later than January 30, 2026.
17 (c) The innovation and excellence in education working group may contract with a reputable
18 national organization to support the working group's efforts under this subsection (10)."
19
20 NEW SECTION. Section 2. There is appropriated $10,000 from the general fund to
21 the legislative services division for funding activities of the school funding interim commission in May and June
22 2025.
23
24 NEW SECTION. SECTION 3. RANSITION. APPOINTMENTS MADE FOR THE 2025-2026
2515 DAYS OF THE [].
26
27 NEW SECTION. Section 4. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.
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