[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6619851,"mediaKeyId","2827202-2393370a4f796997d79fb424af8e2c02","parentId",2827202,"title","Senate Transportation committee tables bill requiring certain free services for light aircraft at publicly funded airports","audioSeconds",566,"startMs",1068000,"endMs",1634000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2827202-2393370a4f796997d79fb424af8e2c02&start=1068&end=1634","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2827202-2393370a4f796997d79fb424af8e2c02/thumbnail_1068000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6619851/Montana/Senate-Transportation-committee-tables-bill-requiring-certain-free-services-for-light-aircraft-at-publicly-funded-airports","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6619851-ef727a12d0f6ba6e7b96e09b88d2f14f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138476&Signature=dMnSZnv6u21RWVm2HxMeCSb9qepoIa4EHgwhZm-uU08eTT3oJt2vPElo6C5S2adfaGfzc0iCPQpJa15dFV6Rd0LEOO9B1CTS-~yOVw67hddd0tR~vWa8UFe~F7keLVgqmVGPd37Qg-Wg1CWuuiLYlBX1KmhwawJ~gKMop9E3-~Io1GXzB6bbIMs06OALDflEa997WxMjguDvrCZWGrzz6h38WDQCpkAtOrXFBg6QR~lkfWcHQ758ikl~KnAwi-SaHEjbaU-3AkGpch1I9qLxncvoz2AqR0Dk4tXBNaWoQvfYNl3JFt8VQd1DM-x-g84VB4PepJ50GW03YjOb9E6vCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana Legislature","date","2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","article","The Montana Senate Transportation Committee tabled House Bill 731 after debate and a recorded vote opposing concurrence. Representative Clacken introduced HB 731 as a measure \"revising laws related to airports,\" saying it would require airports that receive public funding to provide certain services to light aircraft at no cost and would define light aircraft.

The bill drew discussion from several senators about whether existing airport facilities and publicly available information already addressed the issues HB 731 seeks to fix. Senator Hunter distributed a handout and said the Montana Department of Transportation posts information online showing public tie-down areas and fees; he argued that in many cases pilots would not have been charged if they had used public tie-downs. \"So these fees that are listed on here are if you are at an FBO or tie down area, there is no charge for that,\" Hunter said.

Senator Olson countered that passing a law that specifies a one-hour free period could unintentionally limit airports that currently offer unlimited free parking. \"If we were actually to pass this bill it would therefore limit free parking to only 1 hour,\" Olson said, cautioning that statutes create uniform obligations that airports would have to follow.

Senator Dunwell said he did not see a problem with a one-hour free parking requirement for small aircraft and voted yes. The committee recorded one yes and seven no votes on the motion to concur; the committee then voted to table the bill.

Committee members also discussed differences between fixed-base operators (FBOs), which may charge fees and provide services like courtesy cars, and public tie-down areas that often have no charge. Witnesses and senators noted that some airports provide fuel or services that waive fees.

After debate the committee moved to table HB 731. The transcript records the recorded roll call on the concurrence motion as: Vice Chair Logie—no; Vice Chair Dunwell—yes; Senator Esp—no; Senator Fern—no (by proxy); Senator Hunter—no; Senator Kazmaier—no (by proxy); Senator Olson—no; Chair Temple—no, summarized as \"1 for and 7 against.\" The committee then voted to place HB 731 on the table.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Highway and Transportation - Mar 31, 2025 15:30 - 18:30","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 731, which would have required airports receiving public funds to provide certain services to light aircraft at no charge and to define \"light aircraft,\" was tabled after committee members raised concerns about existing airport practices, information availability and unintended limits on free parking.","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},6619857,"Senate panel concurs on bill moving nonprofit specialty license plates to DOJ",534,521000,1055000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2827202-2393370a4f796997d79fb424af8e2c02&start=521&end=1055","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2827202-2393370a4f796997d79fb424af8e2c02/thumbnail_521000.jpg","/articles/6619857/Montana/Senate-panel-concurs-on-bill-moving-nonprofit-specialty-license-plates-to-DOJ","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6619857-b6dedf74b57ab6f917963886ad7b50cf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138476&Signature=VABhpVybphvNxcqy3o84BGtuP8bX8QRJGxn78aK7radW2kSuhTF-vHnZ4jtngPCVffRJ4ApA3cmOX2fu--Wgtnyf3-S4CDRWy9jox08MSHzJa56j9H~T-cF~868aC3auzEyxKoR5UZOr7E0oLy3dpLREITKrACTY-6lQC~nx6hJdOlufPOnIxdhzEv8E71n3F9MDU4XiLDxVUSzi0Dw9xgWLC5jygFSKvZ4PvNP6ItIV0-8cpRuKJB7t7L3QKJxRIZqpIEu~~YPvkNDwcASpbO8FbulokJI0JpLrGEmEZSP-L6y75uey~mh9YC64FfVPHXTdtEjI1NC0~wXY5uRPFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Montana Senate Transportation Committee on a recent hearing voted to concur on House Bill 641, which would move oversight of a remaining nonprofit specialty license plate from the Department of Commerce into the Department of Justice's streamlined specialty plate process.

Supporters said the bill is a technical cleanup to ensure fairness for nonprofits that apply for specialty plates. The sponsor said the change returns the last holdout plate to the same process used by about 200 other specialty plates and reduces Department of Revenue involvement.

Mandy Rambo, deputy director and acting director of the Montana Department of Commerce, told the committee the department had previously tried to bring a similar bill in 2023 but did not pursue it after outreach issues related to a staffing change. \"We did inform them that we would be carrying this bill this session as well,\" Rambo said, and described the measure as a fix for a license plate that \"was missed in the cleanup in 2021.\" She said the dollar amounts involved are small.

Molly Krukenberg, director of the Montana Historical Society, said the historical society receives a small portion of revenue from the Lewis and Clark bicentennial plate and attended the hearing to answer questions. Krukenberg told the committee the account's revenue has diminished; she said authority allocated for the next biennium was only $1,100 per year (a quarter share of proceeds), and that the plate also provides an intangible benefit by keeping the bicentennial visible to motorists.

Committee discussion included confirmation that the three nonprofits that formerly received funds through the Department of Commerce had received about $3,300 each in 2021. The sponsor and Commerce representatives said the bill equalizes the application and approval process so those nonprofits apply through the Department of Justice like other groups.

After closing the hearing, a motion to concur was made and the committee proceeded by voice vote. The record shows at least one recorded no vote before proxies were confirmed; committee leadership announced the motion carried.

The bill was advanced by the committee; formal vote tallies were not fully recorded in the hearing transcript provided.","The Senate Transportation Committee voted to concur on House Bill 641, transferring oversight of one remaining nonprofit specialty license plate from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Justice to align it with approximately 200 other specialty plates.","actionData","errors"]

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Senate Transportation committee tables bill requiring certain free services for light aircraft at publicly funded airports

Senate panel concurs on bill moving nonprofit specialty license plates to DOJ