[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6629871,"mediaKeyId","2702235-9e1c463f479ee14c5c5019e9eb35cbd0","parentId",2702235,"title","Senate bill 35 would ensure funding follows children in out-of-district summer jump-start literacy programs","audioSeconds",388,"startMs",6330000,"endMs",6718000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2702235-9e1c463f479ee14c5c5019e9eb35cbd0&start=6330&end=6718","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2702235-9e1c463f479ee14c5c5019e9eb35cbd0/thumbnail_6330000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6629871/Montana/Senate-bill-35-would-ensure-funding-follows-children-in-out-of-district-summer-jump-start-literacy-programs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6629871-229f972a6d3d734379389fae6e46c8e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190499&Signature=T0wgCHTrybL5Kf6Q2gFH~GJgIvwdhCJ-xqAOPpBMx5G8z~gjxQ~G7KGEIciJwupvOd5Dd7AGuRJmoyrvWJjrmsoAWoZ6sOi2e3xw031zF1LPU6SU2xIvYfDuOxWKcuzbKDWQsvmlRCPvxL6jWNWHcsgJn56-MrGpCCxvObLikzmZ8Ui3DnAIiD-5BD8IWG0-hmeZjB55q3yBNk0mqfc0yrXsTSJctJA85DKwk-q2oe44pRBiQ0TShHBzG1zRGKMq~fyqhdMFph1Bl44LluxHI8wcvRBPhpJFzjU5faCnhI~OZmzDKv0A~EL8qk5rRjiF5J78rJinDsxC37vTcMVMDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana Legislature","date","2025-03-19T00:00:00Z","article","Senator Daniel Emmerich (R-Great Falls) told the committee Senate Bill 35 is intended to ensure that when a child attends a summer early-literacy \"jump start\" program in a district other than the resident district, the A-and-B enrollment counts and funding follow the child to the district that provided the program. \"The bill you have before you today is senate bill 35, and it's an act revising education laws to clarify funding enrollment counts for a child participating in an early literacy jump start program in a school district other than the resident district,\" Emmerich said.

Sarah Froelke, policy analyst for 0 to 5 Montana, testified in support and said the bill \"provides a simple fix\" to ensure eligible children can access summer intervention regardless of where they live during the summer months. Paul Taylor from the Office of Public Instruction explained that the bill aligns two statutes adopted in the previous session—the early literacy program and tuition provisions—so that funding calculations follow the district that invested in the jump-start programming.

Supporters described the change as technical and corrective: they said it addresses an oversight created when related provisions were passed at the same time. The bill includes a retroactive applicability date to cover the current school year, a sponsor said. No opponents appeared at the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Education - Mar 19, 2025 15:00 - 18:00","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 35 clarifies that A-and-B pupil counts and funding should follow children who attend early literacy \"jump start\" programs outside their resident district; sponsors and early-childhood advocates said the change removes an oversight between recent laws.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MT, Montana","taxId",77694,"location","Montana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6629876,"Senate bill 34 cleans up obsolete K-12 statute language and clarifies budget calculations",360,5976000,6336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2702235-9e1c463f479ee14c5c5019e9eb35cbd0&start=5976&end=6336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2702235-9e1c463f479ee14c5c5019e9eb35cbd0/thumbnail_5976000.jpg","/articles/6629876/Montana/Senate-bill-34-cleans-up-obsolete-K-12-statute-language-and-clarifies-budget-calculations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6629876-850f73a23a9c62ac6bb331a3b63074ef/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190499&Signature=huqJLfVWk0lJb1TJvUjPk-dG65aw04~maNLW0UwdQ2fT2o~VsdjiSS-7NgWMzR9okrtZGsi56mPbTWce8bdm3WkoIC4uVmCNXXONNaIJ9MZi2mqLV6huVUps-u~vB3aTfd16Iaxb7PUUHbTJ1DW7Fi84VF3FQtu3d~UO1rCPJF~mAEbTjtaQlgbGaPG2xlQm4ClVyCTNgRqHzaD2rwQi7mv-b~R-z~Gp6Ixop0OjoXTG2jjqboBBSKlv4ruprrbLfG~41E4VgAv76Ayp1ZQ0QsDY-GHYCCXqmh4t-XjRPfZwJXggu9nL9fHA2F7KJ93u7AFfHmPZqkVOq3OblzYkdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Daniel Emmerich (R-Great Falls) opened testimony on Senate Bill 34, calling it \"a bill that helps to ensure that Montana code continues to work and that legislatively ambiguities are identified and removed.\" He said SB 34 removes obsolete language related to tuition calculations and directs statute to use current budget-calculation provisions.

Doug Reisig, executive director of the Montana Quality Education Coalition, testified in support and described SB 34 as a cleanup that clarifies budget-limit calculations for new K-12 districts, mandates separate calculations for elementary and high school programs within K-12 districts, and aligns retirement-obligation calculations. Paul Taylor of the Office of Public Instruction appeared as an informational witness and confirmed the bill addresses statutory artifacts remaining from earlier funding formulas.

The committee heard no opponents. Senators and witnesses described the bill as technical and noncontroversial and urged the committee to adopt it as a clarification and housekeeping measure. No formal vote was recorded during the hearing.","Sen. Daniel Emmerich described SB 34 as a statutory cleanup to remove obsolete tuition and foundation language and to clarify budget and A/B calculations for K-12 districts; the Office of Public Instruction and education advocates voiced support.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6629881,"Bill would eliminate reduced-price meal copays; sponsor seeks $600,000 annual appropriation",2285,3350000,5635000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2702235-9e1c463f479ee14c5c5019e9eb35cbd0&start=3350&end=5635","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2702235-9e1c463f479ee14c5c5019e9eb35cbd0/thumbnail_3350000.jpg","/articles/6629881/Montana/Bill-would-eliminate-reduced-price-meal-copays-sponsor-seeks-600000-annual-appropriation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6629881-83731b521fff36908abf5826c0dd4297/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190499&Signature=FLD0DkjyFuu6HGD65FQFJp-cjc6xI~JGMIUwA3AVoh6OyOMlLkxjcumaN1RSqAYdSgjm-QogalcmiiS8cr0NtSb5zrcnqEUQ8~g1nDNr5DL7zpqeuH26DQnZ8sHMSe9VDPK~ofsvNWShGJ5w2hfNbgpyPBqV9KjZCDmHndetevXSetKVMB9TMGZnPt~cln0~5fn-58o-UpK7yjhnN7fcCz5HrpieWYkqRcsXQwCdICPA6Vk9Y5Ri9ejVUny9wvdmtfGhXqSh0MVY4rA4SWNsbR0vYdTSS5ynCq~ZGALhP-ekQInUBeUMyIAb2gUgGPOOL~KpIdPNHuF6ivVtudtxjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Melissa Romano (R-80) opened the hearing on House Bill 551, saying the measure would create a state-funded reimbursement so students who currently qualify for reduced-price meals would receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. \"This is a bill about feeding kids,\" Romano said. \"1 in 6 children in Montana live in a food insecure household, meaning nearly 40,000 children do not consistently have enough to eat.\"

HB 551 requests $600,000 annually from the general fund to reimburse schools for eliminating the reduced-price co-pay. Romano said the superintendent of public instruction could seek donations or future appropriations if more funds are needed; she also said an appropriation had been discussed in HB 2 to cover initial funding.

Proponents included classroom teachers, the Montana Food Bank Network, the Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE), No Kid Hungry advocates, local school trustees and superintendents and county food banks. Testimony emphasized student health and learning benefits, the administrative burden of collecting small copays and instances of meal debt and \"lunch shaming.\" One proponent said removing the copay reduced stigma and decreased school meal debt; another described local deferred maintenance and budget pressures that force districts to shift general funds to cover negative food-service balances.

Witnesses and sponsor discussed the bill's scale. Bella Buscirilli, the child nutrition coordinator (handout provided to the committee), said the figure of about 21,000 students represents the current reduced-price student population who would become free under the bill. That estimate implied about $28.50 per student per year on average if $600,000 covered the cohort; Romano said she selected $600,000 to allow for likely participation and that unused money would revert to the general fund. She also said a biennium estimate might approach $930,000 and that staff would follow up with OPI data if members requested it.

Committee members asked technical questions about meal prices and program mechanics. Staff and witnesses said full-price lunch commonly ranged from about $3.00 (elementary) to $3.25 (middle/high) in some districts; reduced-price copays are typically 30 to 40 cents depending on meal type. Sponsors and witnesses told the committee that some districts already collect unpaid meal debt and that smaller per-meal copays nonetheless present a barrier for many working families.

No formal committee vote was taken during the hearing.","Representative Melissa Romano introduced HB 551 to eliminate reduced-price school meal copays, asking for $600,000 annually from the general fund; proponents from schools, food banks and advocacy groups told the committee the change would reduce stigma and meal debt.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6629886,"House bill 515 would unify school facility funds, add $75 million one-time transfer to top out trust",1750,1575000,3325000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2702235-9e1c463f479ee14c5c5019e9eb35cbd0&start=1575&end=3325","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2702235-9e1c463f479ee14c5c5019e9eb35cbd0/thumbnail_1575000.jpg","/articles/6629886/Montana/House-bill-515-would-unify-school-facility-funds-add-75-million-one-time-transfer-to-top-out-trust","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6629886-ec72ba8f665bf15738678535878c9381/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190499&Signature=A9YAtl4Q4C852p5ymIZI93URa9WYVnvmpq4e7QPwLa6pFRUSaXQc9Aa5G4bsoz2FEaXEkmcvjRZph34DT6KsgL-Zdu34A9-JX1EGPndV6b7TcJG9uzV-oCVpCwVFGWdjpB7SaK8tV5S1d2421iW3GWLbrWOl4JMUIsDYFmZsSwGH7sPG8Clck4CZwQ8oF6jzPBoKW6gac7tmP4A3TydCRBOXkq4jQfUcKI9ICGwRYP6PTUfnAhxtJogllG~s89T~Sd6ZW-mOTdd5rjU8lDAJizaG8nAie2s3fX47yAfz7W92bYtunJtMeWYMkOT~zRMMELva6BkJ4poM8aZppDprlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Linda Rekston (R-13) presented House Bill 515 to the House Education Committee as a one-time funding and formula change intended to expand state support for school major maintenance and technology. \"This is 1 time only funding,\" Rekston said. \"It's different than what we heard today about ongoing appropriations.\"

The bill would unify two existing state special revenue funds used for school facilities and school major maintenance, prioritize a $1,000,000 payment for technology, and increase the formula's per-district base. Rekston said the bill increases the fixed amount to $40,000 per district and raises the per A-and-B pupil multiplier to $115, which the sponsor said focuses some additional assistance toward smaller rural districts.

Rekston and Pat McCracken, a research analyst in the Legislative Services Division, said the bill proposes a one-time $75,000,000 transfer from the general fund to the school facilities subtrust to fill the trust to a $300,000,000 cap. McCracken described the existing major maintenance mechanism as a locally-levied permissive mill that generates state matching funds; the proposed multiplier change would expand the state's share while keeping local effort roughly constant.

Proponents included the Montana Quality Education Coalition, MFPE, the Montana School Boards Association, local trustees and superintendents, and local advocates. Doug Rycic, executive director of the Montana Quality Education Coalition, said the bill \"represents a significant step forward in ensuring that Montana schools have the necessary resources to maintain and enhance the infrastructure.\" Kim Popham, a teacher and sponsor ally, and several local trustees described deferred maintenance projects in their districts and urged passage.

Sponsoring lawmakers and staff emphasized that the $75 million would be a one-time transfer and that any funds left unspent in the biennium would revert to the general fund. Several members asked technical questions about how the increased funds would be distributed and whether districts must spend deposits in the year received; staff said major maintenance funds can be accrued across years for larger projects.

No formal committee action or vote was taken during the hearing. Committee members asked staff to provide additional technical clarifications and said amendments were expected to address reallocation of unclaimed amounts.","Sponsors told the House Education Committee HB 515 would combine school facilities and major maintenance accounts, increase the per-district base to $40,000 and use a one-time $75 million general fund transfer to bring the school facilities subtrust to a $300 million cap.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6629891,"Legislators receive primer on coal severance tax fund, trust balances and spending rules",607,393000,1000000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2702235-9e1c463f479ee14c5c5019e9eb35cbd0&start=393&end=1000","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2702235-9e1c463f479ee14c5c5019e9eb35cbd0/thumbnail_393000.jpg","/articles/6629891/Montana/Legislators-receive-primer-on-coal-severance-tax-fund-trust-balances-and-spending-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6629891-b6be24aa6150f24e13d0e582c6585719/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190499&Signature=MOfv26tEhuwY~gN8Zy~17rt-7opVoUouciTiuX9FWKGwYubHJwJTtyVlN4BI9mGqq5mTTsWOZmeIX20hqHcaiEPfwEp62RcmhDJoU4Kci1R24Wc0xwpmMiAylvkpq8BorMNWG1h1DdvGVRfjhP~RZ2UYB4V8KtA-U~jbDj-2JylkU8urCE2VEkSqlLzx5HIgwNGMcajVXPs4aYInIwuyY5fQSoU8V3XczPPoHwbRT62qhtW~g4dQFHj3Aq542USmBli55PZXfEKJE3aZ-TC8EiYTZ0uw4cNhHFbdHBJLPD0u~UIbcVyAGbvAfGVk38fLaeEKxWyap8XBqv5ojc1MDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sam Schaeffer, a staff member in the Legislative Services fiscal division, told the House Education Committee that Montana collected about $77,000,000 in coal severance tax in fiscal 2024 and that the state's constitution requires at least half of severance receipts to be deposited into a coal trust.

Schaeffer said the remaining half is distributed as cash to several state special revenue accounts and programs. \"You can see last year in fiscal 20 24, we collected about 77,000,000 in coal tax,\" he told the committee. \"The constitution says that at least 50% of the coal mine every year, the coal severance tax must be deposited into the coal trust.\"

Why it matters: the corpus (principal) of the coal trust is protected by the constitution and may be appropriated only with a three-quarters vote of each chamber, Schaeffer said, while the interest earned on the trust is available for legislative appropriation. \"You can only spend the interest off the trust,\" he said, and that interest is accumulated in income-holding accounts until the Legislature appropriates it—most commonly in the long-range and HB 2 appropriations processes.

Schaeffer walked the committee through the trust and subtrust structure. At the start of fiscal 2025 the total coal trust balance was roughly $1.3 billion, and subtrusts include the Montana coal endowment, a regional water fund, an economic development subtrust, a school facilities subtrust and others. The interest earned by each subtrust flows into an income fund for legislative appropriation; Schaeffer said current interest yields were \"in the vicinity of about 4 to 4 and a half percent.\"

He explained distribution mechanics the committee will need to consider when they evaluate bills that draw on coal-related balances. Certain subtrusts have statutory caps that, when reached, cause further distributions to revert to the permanent fund unless statute specifies otherwise. Schaeffer noted that House Bill 515, the school facilities/major maintenance bill heard later in the same meeting, proposes topping the school facilities subtrust at a $300 million cap via a one-time general fund transfer; that change would affect future interest flows available for appropriations.

The briefing also covered tax-rate drivers and revenue volatility. Coal severance is a value tax that varies by mine type and coal quality; as with other commodity-based revenue sources, collections fluctuate with prices and production. \"Anything that's taxed as a percent of their value, especially commodities... the price... can have a material impact,\" Schaeffer said, citing recent annual collections that rose and fell between roughly $40 million and $88 million in recent years.

The committee used the briefing to frame upcoming school-funding bills that either request coal-interest distributions or depend on those distributions for one-time transfers. Committee members and staff said the primer was intended to give legislators context for votes that could affect the trust, income flows and long-range spending programs.","Legislators were briefed on how Montana's coal severance tax is split between a constitutionally protected trust and cash distributions, how interest is used for state programs, and how House Bill 515 would interact with the trust.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate bill 35 would ensure funding follows children in out-of-district summer jump-start literacy programs

Senate bill 34 cleans up obsolete K-12 statute language and clarifies budget calculations

Bill would eliminate reduced-price meal copays; sponsor seeks $600,000 annual appropriation

House bill 515 would unify school facility funds, add $75 million one-time transfer to top out trust

Legislators receive primer on coal severance tax fund, trust balances and spending rules