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House panel advances bill letting counties initiate urban transit districts, relaxes 8‑mile municipal bus limit
Summary
The House Local Government Committee voted to pass House Bill 7 64, which would let county commissions initiate urban transportation districts and allow municipal bus systems to run routes beyond an 8‑mile limit when they can finance service.
Representative Brian Close, sponsor of House Bill 7 64, told the House Local Government Committee the bill modernizes 50‑year‑old statutes governing public transit, letting counties initiate urban transportation districts and removing a narrow 8‑mile route cap on municipal bus companies where they can finance service.
The bill would preserve the current approval steps — boundary drawing and voter approval — but would allow a county commission to place a district formation question on the ballot without a citizen petition, a change proponents said would reduce the time and cost of qualifying a measure. Representative Close said the change is aimed at midsize communities that lack the resources to gather the high number of signatures currently required.
Matt Leo, representing the Human Resource Development Council in Bozeman and the Missoula Urban Transportation District (Mountain Line), described the signature drive to form a UTD in Gallatin County as “a huge effort,” saying petition drives to qualify a UTD can require gathering tens of thousands of signatures (Mr. Leo said his campaign gathered roughly 28,000 signatures to reach the threshold). He told the committee that counties placing a measure on the ballot by commission motion would follow the same public‑vote approvals and would ease the current burden on communities.
Proponent Laura Collins of the Montana Environmental Information Center said the bill “expands the opportunity for governing bodies to initiate these expansions to provide services that benefit the public,” arguing the change shifts the organizational burden from private citizens to local governments able to weigh costs and benefits.
Representative Close also highlighted the 8‑mile restriction for municipal bus companies, saying the 1975 statute limits municipal services from operating more than 8 miles beyond city limits and that removing that constraint would allow cities such as Butte or Billings to run routes farther if financing can be arranged through local agreements, grants, or other revenue.
The committee opened executive action on the bill and approved a motion that the bill “do pass.” Committee disclosure records show several members voted by proxy in favor of the motion. The committee’s recorded action on the bill was a voice vote that passed and the bill advanced from committee.
Votes at a glance: House Bill 7 64 — outcome: passed out of committee (do pass, voice vote; proxies recorded).
