House passes 'Right Back Act' to return excess school mill revenue to taxpayers
Summary
House Bill 483 passed second reading to modify school funding and property tax mechanics, including a mechanism to return excess revenue from uniform 95 mills to taxpayers and increased school transportation reimbursements.
The Montana House advanced House Bill 483, dubbed the "Right Back Act," on second reading, approving language that redirects excess revenue from the uniform 95 school equalization mills back to property taxpayers while preserving school funding priorities.
Representative Sprunger, the bill sponsor, said the proposal "sends excess property tax dollars collected from the uniform 95 school equalization mills right back to the taxpayers," and described several provisions that broaden allowable uses of school facility and technology funds, adjust community college funding language, increase reimbursements for tribal-college non-beneficiary students, and raise school transportation reimbursement rates.
The bill includes measures to protect against temporary spikes in local taxes between reappraisal cycles and to coordinate with other property-tax legislation. Sprunger told members that the bill would "help pay down expenses every county is experiencing," listing school transportation, teacher retirement, and local portions of guaranteed tax base (GTB) as targets for relief. He said coordinating language ensures the bill will work with any property tax bill passed this session.
Representative Sprunger closed by urging members to approve the measure. The House recorded a 90–10 vote in favor of passage on second reading.
House Bill 483 contains reporting requirements and coordination language intended to work with other pending bills; implementation details such as the timing and distribution mechanisms for returned revenue will be resolved in follow-up policy and budget discussions.
