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Bill would tighten certification and transparency for student scholarship organizations but not alter Big Sky program
Summary
Senate Bill 253 would require upfront certification, biennial recertification and enhanced public reporting for student scholarship organizations participating in Montana’s Big Sky Scholarship program.
Senator Sue Vinton introduced Senate Bill 253 to revise administrative and certification processes for student scholarship organizations (SSOs) that participate in the Big Sky Scholarship program.
Vinton emphasized that the bill does not change the underlying Big Sky Scholarship statute or program eligibility; instead it would require SSOs to be certified by the Department of Revenue before accepting donations, require recertification every two years, provide a 30-day cure period for deficiencies and enable a transfer of funds to another certified SSO if an organization is found ineligible. The bill also directs SSOs to publish their scholarship-application and award processes and requires the Department of Revenue to maintain a public-facing list of certified SSOs, a hyperlink to each SSO’s website and additional reporting columns showing the number and amount of scholarships provided to each school in the prior school year.
Proponents, including ACE Scholarships, described the changes as straightforward transparency and accountability measures that would not change family access or program eligibility and would help parents identify how to apply and which education providers receive scholarships. Department of Revenue staff participated as informational witnesses; sponsor and proponents said they had worked with DOR and that the changes were intended to strengthen public-facing information without creating unnecessary regulation.
Committee questions focused on implementation, whether existing SSOs would be disqualified (the sponsor answered no), and a disputed fiscal-note staffing estimate. Senator Vinton said she had discussed staffing and that the financing claims committee adjusted an initial DOR request; she reported the Senate finance committee reduced a DOR FTE request but that further negotiation with the department was ongoing.
Why it matters: the bill clarifies certification steps and increases transparency to help families and oversight of tax-credit-funded scholarships while leaving program eligibility intact.
What’s next: Vinton asked the House Taxation Committee to concur on the bill; DOR and proponents indicated further work could reconcile staffing and implementation details.
Quotes "SB 253 is a straightforward common-sense bill that was developed in collaboration with the DOR," said Shane Scanlon of ACE Scholarships.
Ending Sponsor and proponents said the changes would improve parental access to information and strengthen program integrity; the committee will consider fiscal and staffing details before moving forward.
