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69th Legislature 2025 HB0313.5
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1 HOUSE BILL NO. 313
2 INTRODUCED BY P. TUSS, J. REAVIS, E. ALBUS, V. MOORE, C. COCHRAN, C. SPRUNGER, R. MINER, K.
3 ZOLNIKOV, J. FITZPATRICK
4
5 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT CREATING A GRANT PROGRAM TO FUND CAPITAL
6 CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR PROJECTS, AND EQUIPMENT PURCHASES, AND
7 OPERATIONAL COSTS RELATED TO PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS; PROVIDING DEFINITIONS;
8 PROVIDING AN APPROPRIATION; REQUIRING MATCHING FUNDS ON A ONE-TO-ONE BASIS;
9 ALLOWING APPROPRIATIONS TO CONTINUE INTO THE 2027 BIENNIUM; AND PROVIDING AN
10 EFFECTIVE DATE AND A TERMINATION DATE.”
11
12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
13
14 NEW SECTION. Section 1. For the purposes of [sections 1 through 8], unless otherwise
15 provided, the following definitions apply:
16 (1) "Local government" means a county, city, town, township, school district, ,
17 or other district or local public entity with the authority to spend or receive public funds.
18 (2) "Nonprofit organization" means a nonprofit corporation exempt from taxation under the
19 provisions of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
20 (3) (a) "Public swimming pool" means an artificial pool and related appurtenances for swimming,
21 bathing, wading, or other aquatic therapy or recreation, including but not limited to natural hot water pools,
22 spas, splash decks, water slides, lazy rivers, and wave pools.
23 (b) The term does not include:
24 (i) swimming pools located on private property, including the private common area property of
25 owner-occupied condominium developments, used for swimming or bathing only by the owner, members of the
26 owner's family, or their invited guests; or
27 (ii) medicinal hot water baths for individual use.
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1 NEW SECTION. Section 2.
2 public swimming pool infrastructure account within the state special revenue fund provided for in 17-2-102 to
3 provide grant funding to nonprofit organizations and local governments that operate public swimming pools and
4 for administrative costs related to administering the grants. The department of commerce shall administer the
5 account.
6 (2) Up to 3% of the funds appropriated in [section 8] may be allocated for the department of
7 commerce's administrative costs.
8
9 NEW SECTION. Section 3. (1) The
10 department of commerce is authorized to make up to $5 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and local
11 governments for property acquisition, construction, space acquisition, remodeling, repairs, and the purchase of
12 appliances and equipment, AND OPERATIONAL COSTS related to a public swimming pool. G USED
13 FOR OPERATIONAL COSTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO STAFFING,
14, AND INSURANCE, FOR UP TO 1 YEAR WITHIN THE FIRST 5 YEARS OF OPERATION OF THE PUBLIC SWIMMING
15. The grants authorized in this section are subject to the conditions set forth in [section 5].
16 (2) The department of commerce shall receive proposals from nonprofit organizations and local
17 governments for public swimming pool infrastructure projects.
18 (3) Funding for projects may be provided only as long as there are sufficient funds available from
19 the amount that was deposited or transferred in the public swimming pool infrastructure account for grants
20 established in [section 2]. Funding for these projects must be made available in the order that the grant
21 recipients satisfy the conditions as described in [section 5].
22
23 NEW SECTION. Section 4. (1) A
24 nonprofit organization or local government may apply to the department of commerce for public swimming
25 pools infrastructure grants under [section 3].
26 (2) Nonprofit organizations and local governments shall submit grant applications to the
27 department of commerce in order to be eligible for funding under [section 3].
28 (3) The department of commerce is authorized to adopt guidelines necessary to implement - 2025
69th Legislature 2025 HB0313.5
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1 [sections 3 through 6].
2
3 NEW SECTION. Section 5. . (1) The disbursement of
4 grant funds for the projects chosen by the department of commerce pursuant to [section 3] is subject to the
5 following conditions:
6 (a) for grants in an amount of $25,000 or more, the grant recipient shall document the availability
7 of matching funds or in-kind contribution of assets with an appraised value from private sources representing at
8 least $1 in value for each $5 $1 of the grant;
9 (b) the grant recipient shall execute a grant agreement with the department of commerce that
10 includes a project management plan and reporting requirements to track the outcomes of allocated grants; and
11 (c) the grant recipient shall satisfy other specific requirements considered necessary by the
12 department of commerce to accomplish the purpose of the project as evidenced by the application to the
13 department of commerce.
14 (2) Projects must adhere to the design standards required by applicable regulations. Recipients of
15 program funds for projects that are not subject to any design standards must comply with generally accepted
16 industry standards.
17 (3) If actual project expenses are lower than the projected expense of the project, the department
18 of commerce shall reduce the amount of grant funds to be provided to grant recipients.
19
20 NEW SECTION. Section 6.
21 (1) The amount of state funding allocated to entities within an individual county under [sections 3
22 through 5] may not exceed $1 million. No more than two applications may be funded in any one county.
23 (2) The amount of a grant to a single project may not exceed $500,000.
24
25 NEW SECTION. Section 7. By July 15, 2025, the state treasurer shall transfer $5
26 million from the general fund CAPITAL DEVELOPMENTS LONG-
27 17-7-209 to the public swimming pool infrastructure account established in [section 2].
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1 NEW SECTION. Section 8. There is appropriated $5 million from the public
2 swimming pool infrastructure account established in [section 2] to the department of commerce for grants
3 authorized in [sections 3 through 6] for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025. This appropriation is authorized to
4 continue through the biennium beginning July 1, 2027.
5
6 NEW SECTION. SECTION 9. NOTIFICATION TO TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS. T
7[] TO EACH FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBAL GOVERNMENT IN MONTANA.
8
9 NEW SECTION. Section 10. [This act] is effective July 1, 2025.
10
11 NEW SECTION. Section 11. [This act] terminates June 30, 2029.
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