[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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],{"_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",6620869,"mediaKeyId","2803177-e1a150a75ee785811787ac351c5460ca","parentId",2803177,"title","State IT appropriation bill draws questions on prior allocations and project pacing","audioSeconds",3258,"startMs",6985000,"endMs",10243000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2803177-e1a150a75ee785811787ac351c5460ca&start=6985&end=10243","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2803177-e1a150a75ee785811787ac351c5460ca/thumbnail_6985000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6620869/Montana/State-IT-appropriation-bill-draws-questions-on-prior-allocations-and-project-pacing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6620869-d643b2cd51698287c36bd4c5bff27f68/orig.mp4?Expires=1771058329&Signature=nlibs443IeY1aXzMvGXuSoxfZo6tgSL56E-tpRXhKkwFNBgsv2HHsHWNd4OGBTHxDgDmHOp00fh6gXe3nzD92eR6gBH0EQdbe3eatEQl1it2EAsSFbUepr0QGhgVJ6ysto1DFAtElVImbDgWUwhrppCEBjn4IOya9Zh5KritH736sEfP1fJcXzUgZYuOZLrbg3AjgcSHFlZSpCcmcuKZVI~XUo-8UcfKov3JWD-l7oHMAp-LAM7lKQlNwhYUL19ILOE~Y9axJA611l3-UHKbRW4JQrz8dCXolwMklkVew-N6ZyfCUoSWWtXAcMuBGxKiGKCA2N-ZjXVVo1KREj4H0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana Legislature","date","2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","article","House Bill 10 would appropriate roughly $50 million for state information technology modernization projects, sponsor Rep. John Fitzpatrick told the Senate Finance and Claims Committee in a joint presentation. The bill targets legacy system replacement, cybersecurity upgrades (including AI‑driven threat detection), identity proofing and improved citizen‑facing service platforms.

Kevin Gilbertson, state chief information officer, and project leads from multiple agencies described agency requests and noted subcommittee efforts to reduce the request from the House level. The bill groups projects by agency rather than listing detailed line items for each procurement; budget office staff and the CIO's office said that aggregation helps protect competitive procurement dynamics while staff retain and can provide detailed cost breakdowns to the legislature on request.

Agency witnesses and committee members focused substantial attention on previously appropriated but still unspent IT dollars. Committee members repeatedly asked departments to provide updated, itemized status reports listing last session's allocations, how much remains unspent, and the planned schedule to obligate and expend those funds. Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) CIO Carrie Albro told the committee that federal approvals, procurement due diligence, contracting reviews and cyber security requirements have lengthened project timelines and that some federal conditional approvals (for systems such as CCWIS) can add months to schedules.

Judicial branch funding for courtroom audio‑visual upgrades and e‑filing also drew questions. The judiciary reported it has completed proof‑of‑concept work and said installers have shifted to Zoom Rooms technology after early equipment choices did not meet audio quality needs. The judiciary said the earlier $750,000 allocation for statewide courtroom AV is being used in stages across counties and offered to provide a prioritized list of courthouses with equipment installed and those still awaiting upgrades.

Other agency items discussed included DPHHS' CCWIS replacement (federal approvals and independent verification/validation services), an $11.5 million judicial e‑filing upgrade request, numerous Department of Transportation and Department of Administration projects, and targeted cybersecurity work for enterprise operating systems.

Committee members asked for more transparency on past allocations and clearer project benchmarks. Representative Fitzpatrick said the bill is intentionally focused on modernization and cybersecurity at a time of rising threats, and he pledged to work with the committee on reporting and procurement oversight. Several members asked agencies to provide updated, itemized status reports before the Finance committee votes on the bill.

Ending note: Agencies agreed to provide more detailed spending and schedule information for previously appropriated IT projects and to produce prioritized implementation lists (for example, courthouses awaiting AV upgrades) before the committee advances appropriations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Finance and Claims - Mar 27, 2025 08:00 - 13:00","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 10 seeks roughly $50 million for modernization of state IT systems, cybersecurity and customer‑facing services; committee members pressed agencies on why previously appropriated IT funds remain unspent and asked for itemized status updates.","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},6620874,"Bill to criminalize disclosure of nonconsensual explicit AI‑generated media draws sparse fiscal data",1110,5964000,7074000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2803177-e1a150a75ee785811787ac351c5460ca&start=5964&end=7074","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2803177-e1a150a75ee785811787ac351c5460ca/thumbnail_5964000.jpg","/articles/6620874/Montana/Bill-to-criminalize-disclosure-of-nonconsensual-explicit-AIgenerated-media-draws-sparse-fiscal-data","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6620874-5346af73876b468072a7f1583ad83af2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771058329&Signature=CzGfn1DumrKVjvt0CDyIBkq9s~xI~WVZ44r1ZwYfmfqxYi~sqL5s3jLhZ7gXdVv4VVSJ8ecZ9ThVii8IjjUNJMy4f7UlYe96i1tRzXc4gd92-n1xYWLapDG6L9VKOnlB6CPFYoQGcBAKMunyo8CPn84zT~VpUwJSM-aKIL0iInr8KzvfD7mlz0risgTLUh47HimVAUQFHkrDNCToQpYL8NotyKjW1nVfItc1VzK8g4W7ggWowZsAKvlCoI4rJgOIXXWcKpd7cG~DTm~G7aeiLCOfKKK6YrrIL4IqvrqjFTaW3KSj6c1eK821kiSF6-cEX5ER9XH09DmKnh2Q1jf6VA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 413, sponsored by Sen. Laura Smith, would create an offense for the disclosure of certain explicit, nonconsensual AI‑generated images and video, the sponsor told the Senate Finance and Claims Committee at a committee hearing.

Sen. Laura Smith said the measure is narrowly tailored to criminalize nonconsensual explicit AI content, citing concerns about so‑called \"deep fakes\" that can place a person's likeness onto explicit imagery without consent. She said the bill was developed with input from county attorneys and adapted from model language discussed by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Agency witnesses described fiscal uncertainty. Beth Thompson, budget supervisor with the Department of Justice, and Natalie Smith, chief financial officer for the Department of Corrections, appeared for informational purposes. Cohen Mercer, central services division administrator with the Office of Public Defender (OPD), appeared online and said OPD has no historical caseload data for this new offense. Mercer provided an estimated incremental cost of roughly $1,000 per misdemeanor case and about $5,000 per felony case for OPD if assigned, but he said the office could not responsibly forecast total caseloads because the offense is new and not yet charged in Montana.

Committee members pressed agencies for data and said the lack of historical charging patterns complicates fiscal note estimates. Sen. Mike Pope asked whether the committee should expect OPD to provide updated cost information if the bill passes and cases start to appear; Mercer said OPD would track new caseloads and report to its interim budget committee but declined to produce speculative statewide estimates.

No committee vote occurred at the hearing. The sponsor said the legislation addresses a rising problem nationwide and that county attorneys had helped shape the bill's penalties and scope.

Ending note: Because the crime is newly defined, state defense and corrections officials told the committee fiscal impacts are uncertain; the Office of Public Defender pledged to track and report realized costs if the bill becomes law.","Senate Bill 413 would make disclosure of certain nonconsensual explicit AI‑generated images and video a criminal offense. Sponsor and agency witnesses testified; fiscal impacts are uncertain and agencies said they lack historical data for prosecutions.",{"_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},6620878,"Senate committee hears bill proposing $300 million pension reserve and changes to interest flows",5589,272000,5861000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2803177-e1a150a75ee785811787ac351c5460ca&start=272&end=5861","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2803177-e1a150a75ee785811787ac351c5460ca/thumbnail_272000.jpg","/articles/6620878/Montana/Senate-committee-hears-bill-proposing-300-million-pension-reserve-and-changes-to-interest-flows","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6620878-88ebdc91dc608720bbacb69e03c2db03/orig.mp4?Expires=1771058329&Signature=HTdH4lEhWQSctwxr7sj1ZXovPzVC87BLGbb19rf7neGQB5ypDKqOogIfalsJbItICauqDbwKEn6iSZrFFLSwfrCGWdViLp0D4FZT16v3cdEMUoP-Abz0QAqf1MCUCcnrv5RfigFhKtHl~6FfoLSqenegmL7oHISBwD6ekBhm3LC~VDqTLbv3ts8WCq9MKQDyEY-cTYnTMg733fknUyC09xG--ziBZgDkcPottHqHSOKHsD9S5J9w38pc8CuU8yai8sMXfG9E8U4r0s90aUa9B3pOw-NQHIE2z0JphJOcwSXPDcYyhyEjGDHpiGcPUPssWwhee851iyBEFwMG-1dRkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 287 would create a pension reserve and adjust how Montana uses interest earnings to help shore up the public employees' and teachers' retirement systems, sponsor Sen. Wendy McKamey said at a Senate Finance and Claims hearing.

The bill would provide a one-time general fund transfer of $300,000,000 to a newly funded pension state special revenue account and let that account retain its interest earnings. It also would continue directing 50% of Treasurer's Cash Account (TCA) interest to the debt-and-liability-free account and 50% back to the general fund; under current law, the full flow returns to the general fund in fiscal 2026. The debt-and-liability-free account would be allowed to transfer unobligated balances above $150,000,000 at the end of each biennium into the pension reserve.

The proposal also would permit the debt-and-liability-free account to purchase low‑interest subsidized loans currently in the coal trust permanent fund and would phase in a 0.2 percentage‑point annual increase in the employer supplemental contribution for both the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) for 10 years, producing an aggregate 2 percentage‑point employer contribution increase if fully phased in.

Why it matters: Proponents said the bill accelerates paying unfunded pension liabilities, improves actuarial outcomes and uses excess interest earnings rather than principal to address liabilities. Dan Villa, executive director of the Board of Investments, told the committee the bill would help the coal trust \"maximize returns for all taxpayers\" by moving subsidized loans off the coal trust portfolio to the debt-and-liability-free account.

Supporters from retirement system offices and employee groups told the committee the design would shorten PERS and TRS amortization periods. William Hollahan, executive director of the Montana Public Employee Retirement Administration, said the added 0.2% employer supplemental contribution for ten years would reduce PERS' amortization period by five years in the actuarial forecast. Sean Graham, executive director of the Montana Teachers' Retirement System, said TRS' amortization would shorten by two years under the bill's assumptions.

Actuarial and fiscal staff described risks and probabilities. Elizabeth Wiley, an actuary with Chiron, explained the transfer mechanism's trigger: if the pension funds' inception‑to‑date market return falls below their boards' assumed rates for two consecutive years, funds from the pension reserve could be transferred to make the systems whole. Wiley said, using stochastic scenarios and current assumptions, there is a roughly 9% chance of at least one transfer in early years rising to roughly a coin‑flip by the mid‑2030s.

Committee members pressed staff on mechanics and priorities. Senator McGilvray asked whether an unobligated debt‑free balance of $300,000,000 would produce a $150,000,000 transfer to the pension reserve; Ryan Evans, assistant budget director in the governor's office, agreed with that calculation. Committee members also questioned whether continued use of the debt-and-liability-free account to pay nonbonded liabilities (such as line items listed in prior budgets) stretches the public perception of being \"debt free.\" Officials responded that \"debt free\" referenced bonded indebtedness taken off the state's books in 2023, and that the debt-and-liability-free account can lawfully address a range of state financial liabilities and contingencies.

No committee vote was recorded at the hearing. Sponsor closing remarks reiterated the bill's intent to let interest earnings, rather than principal, be used to address liabilities.

Ending note: The bill was presented for a due‑pass recommendation; staff and pension officials remained available to answer follow‑up questions and provide more detailed forecasts and legal language as the committee considers amendments.

","Senate Bill 287 would seed a pension reserve with a one-time $300 million transfer, change how treasurer's cash account interest is split, allow the debt-and-liability-free account new investment uses and phase in employer contribution increases for PERS and TRS.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

State IT appropriation bill draws questions on prior allocations and project pacing

Bill to criminalize disclosure of nonconsensual explicit AI‑generated media draws sparse fiscal data

Senate committee hears bill proposing $300 million pension reserve and changes to interest flows