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Committee rejects a $250 nonrefundable private-school tax credit; bill fails in committee vote
Summary
House Bill 922 would have created a $250 nonrefundable tax credit per child for families paying tuition at nonpublic schools and extended a three‑year carryforward; the bill also proposed expanding the aggregate limit for public‑school innovative education tax credits to preserve parity. The committee voted the measure down on a roll call.
House Bill 922, presented by Rep. Ranon Gregg, would have added a $250 per child nonrefundable tax credit for families paying full tuition for a child at a nonpublic school, a three‑year carryforward of unused credit, and a corresponding increase to the aggregate limit for the state’s existing Innovative Education Tax Credit to preserve parity between public and nonpublic education tax credits.
Gregg said the credit was modest, nonrefundable and intended to recognize family contributions for tuition while preserving fiscal responsibility. The Montana School Boards Association and a coalition representing public schools testified in support of the bill as a balanced approach that pairs the private‑school credit with a commensurate increase to the aggregate limit benefitting public school innovation programs. Testimony from the Department of Revenue clarified the bill refers specifically to nonpublic schools in the statutory language and does not directly include homeschool families.
Committee members debated the bill’s fiscal implications and whether additional tax credits for education continue to erode general‑fund revenues. On roll call, the committee rejected HB 922; the final committee tally was 4 in favor and 11 against. The committee record notes concerns about cumulative tax‑credit cost and the ongoing capacity of the state to absorb further credits.
