****
69th Legislature 2025 HB 901
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 901
ENROLLED BILL
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A FIRE DEPARTMENT HEALTH AND SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM; PROVIDING
FOR CHARITABLE DONATIONS TO FUND GRANTS; ESTABLISHING GRANT ELIGIBILITY, PURPOSES,
AND LIMITS; REQUIRING AN APPLICATION FEE; PROVIDING A STATUTORY APPROPRIATION;
PROVIDING RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; AMENDING SECTION 17-7-502, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.”
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. (1) There
is a fire department health and safety grant special revenue account within the state special revenue fund
established in 17-2-102.
(2) The money in the account is statutorily appropriated, as provided in 17-7-502, to the disaster
and emergency services division of the department of military affairs established in 2-15-1204.
(3) The following must be deposited in the account:
(a) money received in the form of gifts, grants, donations, or any other charitable contributions; and
(b) application fees received pursuant to [section 2(5)].
(4) Money in the account may be used to award grants to fire departments pursuant to [section 2].
Section 2.
rulemaking. (1) A fire department, company, or district created under Title 7, chapter 33, may apply for a grant
under this section.
(2) A grant may be used for the purchase or acquisition of safety equipment or other materials that
benefit the health and safety of firefighters, including but not limited to personal protective equipment, saunas,
shower facilities, and washing or extraction devices for personal protective equipment. ****
69th Legislature 2025 HB 901
- 2 - Authorized Print Version – HB 901
ENROLLED BILL
(3) (a) The total amount of a grant awarded under this section to an individual fire department,
company, or district may not exceed $10,000.
(b) An individual fire department, company, or district may not be awarded more than one grant
each year.
(4) When awarding grants under this section, the division shall give priority to departments,
companies, or districts:
(a) with smaller operating budgets;
(b) that are located in rural areas;
(c) that are located in various regions of the state; and
(d) that identify training, safety, or health needs that impact all firefighters on the roster of the
department, the company, or the district and that may be alleviated or rectified using grant funds.
(5) (a) To apply for a grant, an individual fire department, company, or district shall submit an
application with a nonrefundable $10 application fee to the division. The application must include the requested
amount of grant money and an itemized list of items to be purchased using grant funding.
(b) The application fee collected pursuant to subsection (5)(a) must be deposited in the fire
department health and safety grant account provided for in [section 1].
(6) If the fire department health and safety grant account created in [section 1] does not have an
amount of funds sufficient to award a grant, the grant may not be awarded.
(7) The division:
(a) shall administer the grant program and disburse funds directly to applicants pursuant to this
section;
(b) may retain up to 1% of a grant awarded pursuant to this section for administrative costs; and
(c) may adopt rules to implement this section.
(8) As used in this section, "division" means the disaster and emergency services division of the
department of military affairs established in 2-15-1204.
Section 3. Section 17-7-502, MCA, is amended to read:
"17-7-502. (1) A statutory ****
69th Legislature 2025 HB 901
- 3 - Authorized Print Version – HB 901
ENROLLED BILL
appropriation is an appropriation made by permanent law that authorizes spending by a state agency without
the need for a biennial legislative appropriation or budget amendment.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (4), to be effective, a statutory appropriation must comply with
both of the following provisions:
(a) The law containing the statutory authority must be listed in subsection (3).
(b) The law or portion of the law making a statutory appropriation must specifically state that a
statutory appropriation is made as provided in this section.
(3) The following laws are the only laws containing statutory appropriations: 2-17-105; 5-11-120; 5-
11-407; 5-13-403; 5-13-404; 7-4-2502; 7-4-2924; 7-32-236; [section 1]; 10-1-108; 10-1-1202; 10-1-1303; 10-2-
603; 10-2-807; 10-3-203; 10-3-310; 10-3-312; 10-3-314; 10-3-316; 10-3-802; 10-3-1304; 10-4-304; 10-4-310;
15-1-121; 15-1-142; 15-1-143; 15-1-218; 15-1-2302; 15-31-165; 15-31-1004; 15-31-1005; 15-35-108; 15-36-
332; 15-37-117; 15-39-110; 15-65-121; 15-70-128; 15-70-131; 15-70-132; 15-70-433; 16-11-119; 16-11-509;
17-3-106; 17-3-212; 17-3-222; 17-3-241; 17-6-101; 17-6-214; 17-7-133; 17-7-215; 18-11-112; 19-3-319; 19-3-
320; 19-6-410; 19-9-702; 19-13-604; 19-17-301; 19-18-512; 19-19-305; 19-19-506; 19-20-604; 19-20-607; 19-
21-203; 20-3-369; 20-7-1709; 20-8-107; 20-9-250; 20-9-534; 20-9-622; [ 20-15-328]; 20-26-617; 20-26-1503;
22-1-327; 22-3-116; 22-3-117; [ 22-3-1004]; 23-4-105; 23-5-306; 23-5-409; 23-5-612; 23-7-301; 23-7-402; 30-
10-1004; 37-43-204; 37-50-209; 37-54-113; 39-71-503; 41-5-2011; 42-2-105; 44-4-1101; 44-4-1506; 44-12-
213; 44-13-102; 50-1-115; 53-1-109; 53-6-148; 53-9-113; 53-24-108; 53-24-206; 60-5-530; 60-11-115; 61-3-
321; 61-3-415; 67-1-309; 69-3-870; 69-4-527; 75-1-1101; 75-5-1108; 75-6-214; 75-11-313; 75-26-308; 76-13-
150; 76-13-151; 76-13-417; 76-17-103; 77-1-108; 77-2-362; 80-2-222; 80-4-416; 80-11-518; 80-11-1006; 81-1-
112; 81-1-113; 81-2-203; 81-7-106; 81-7-123; 81-10-103; 82-11-161; 85-20-1504; 85-20-1505; [ 85-25-102];
87-1-603; 87-5-909; 90-1-115; 90-1-205; 90-1-504; 90-6-331; and 90-9-306.
(4) There is a statutory appropriation to pay the principal, interest, premiums, and any costs or fees
associated with issuing, paying, securing, redeeming, or defeasing all bonds, notes, or other obligations, as due
in the ordinary course or when earlier called for redemption or defeased, that have been authorized and issued
pursuant to the laws of Montana. Agencies that have entered into agreements authorized by the laws of
Montana to pay the state treasurer, for deposit in accordance with 17-2-101 through 17-2-107, as determined
by the state treasurer, an amount sufficient to pay the principal and interest as due on the bonds or notes have ****
69th Legislature 2025 HB 901
- 4 - Authorized Print Version – HB 901
ENROLLED BILL
statutory appropriation authority for the payments. (In subsection (3): pursuant to sec. 10, Ch. 360, L. 1999, the
inclusion of 19-20-604 terminates contingently when the amortization period for the teachers' retirement
system's unfunded liability is 10 years or less; pursuant to sec. 73, Ch. 44, L. 2007, the inclusion of 19-6-410
terminates contingently upon the death of the last recipient eligible under 19-6-709(2) for the supplemental
benefit provided by 19-6-709; pursuant to sec. 5, Ch. 383, L. 2015, the inclusion of 85-25-102 is effective on
occurrence of contingency; pursuant to sec. 6, Ch. 423, L. 2015, the inclusion of 22-3-116 and 22-3-117
terminates June 30, 2025; pursuant to sec. 4, Ch. 122, L. 2017, the inclusion of 10-3-1304 terminates
September 30, 2025; pursuant to sec. 1, Ch. 213, L. 2017, the inclusion of 90-6-331 terminates June 30, 2027;
pursuant to sec. 10, Ch. 374, L. 2017, the inclusion of 76-17-103 terminates June 30, 2027; pursuant to secs.
11, 12, and 14, Ch. 343, L. 2019, the inclusion of 15-35-108 terminates June 30, 2027; pursuant to sec. 1, Ch.
408, L. 2019, the inclusion of 17-7-215 terminates June 30, 2029; pursuant to secs. 1, 2, 3, Ch. 139, L. 2021,
the inclusion of 53-9-113 terminates June 30, 2027; pursuant to sec. 8, Ch. 200, L. 2021, the inclusion of 10-4-
310 terminates July 1, 2031; pursuant to secs. 3, 4, Ch. 404, L. 2021, the inclusion of 30-10-1004 terminates
June 30, 2027; pursuant to sec. 5, Ch. 548, L. 2021, the inclusion of 50-1-115 terminates June 30, 2025;
pursuant to secs. 5 and 12, Ch. 563, L. 2021, the inclusion of 22-3-1004 is effective July 1, 2027; pursuant to
sec. 1, Ch. 20, L. 2023, sec. 2, Ch. 20, L. 2023, and sec. 3, Ch. 20, L. 2023, the inclusion of 81-1-112, 81-1-
113, and 81-7-106 terminates June 30, 2029; pursuant to sec. 9, Ch. 44, L. 2023, the inclusion of 15-1-142
terminates December 31, 2025; pursuant to sec. 10, Ch. 47, L. 2023, the inclusion of 15-1-2302 terminates
June 30, 2025; pursuant to sec. 2, Ch. 374, L. 2023, the inclusion of 10-3-802 terminates June 30, 2031;
pursuant to sec. 12, Ch. 558, L. 2023, the inclusion of 20-9-250 terminates December 31, 2029; pursuant to
sec. 4, Ch. 621, L. 2023, the inclusion of 22-1-327 terminates July 1, 2029; pursuant to sec. 24, Ch. 722, L.
2023, the inclusion of 17-7-133 terminates June 30, 2027; pursuant to sec. 10, Ch. 758, L. 2023, the inclusion
of 44-4-1506 terminates June 30, 2027; and pursuant to sec. 10, Ch. 764, L. 2023, the inclusion of 15-1-143
terminates December 31, 2025.)"
Section 4. [Sections 1 and 2] are intended to be codified as an integral
part of Title 7, chapter 33, and the provisions of Title 7, chapter 33, apply to [sections 1 and 2]. ****
69th Legislature 2025 HB 901
- 5 - Authorized Print Version – HB 901
ENROLLED BILL
Section 5. [This act] is effective July 1, 2025.
- END - I hereby certify that the within bill,
HB 901, originated in the House.
___________________________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
___________________________________________
Speaker of the House
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
___________________________________________
President of the Senate
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025. HOUSE BILL NO. 901
INTRODUCED BY S. GIST, S. DEMAROIS
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A FIRE DEPARTMENT HEALTH AND SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM; PROVIDING
FOR CHARITABLE DONATIONS TO FUND GRANTS; ESTABLISHING GRANT ELIGIBILITY, PURPOSES,
AND LIMITS; REQUIRING AN APPLICATION FEE; PROVIDING A STATUTORY APPROPRIATION;
PROVIDING RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; AMENDING SECTION 17-7-502, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.”