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Montana Senate advances four K-12 funding bills on second reading
Summary
On Jan. 20, 2025, the Montana Senate's committee of the whole recommended passage of four bills (Senate Bills 34–37) that amend K-12 school funding calculations, remove obsolete language, and clarify funding for out-of-district students; each bill passed second reading by recorded voice or roll call tallies shown in the chamber.
The Montana Senate on Jan. 20, 2025, moved four related K-12 funding bills (Senate Bills 34, 35, 36 and 37) forward on second reading after committee consideration and sponsor explanations.
The measures, introduced in the Senate Education Committee and presented in the committee of the whole, aim to align statutory language with current funding practices, clarify budget-limit and enrollment-increase calculations and ensure funding follows certain out-of-district students.
Senator Emmerich, sponsor of the package of bills, told members that the measures were largely technical but important to align statute with current practice. About Senate Bill 34 he said the bill "strikes out" obsolete lines and "makes everything align with a little bit more clarity with the current law and how we calculate those districts." On Senate Bill 35, he said the bill ensures that "any kids that are participating in the early literacy jump start program, that have out of district placements, that that funding will follow them," and noted a retroactive applicability provision so summer participants receive funding. On Senate Bill 36 he said the bill removes contingency language enacted up to 2022 related to closure of a coal-fired generating unit and returns block-grant language to the 2017 form. On Senate Bill 37 Emmerich said the bill clarifies that calculations for significant enrollment increases are done at the budget-unit level.
Committee motions were made recommending each bill "do pass." Clerks recorded the committee votes and the chamber subsequently recorded the second-reading results. For Senate Bills 34, 35, 36 and 37 the recorded committee and second-reading tallies were 50 ayes and 0 nays; each measure "has passed on second reading," the clerk announced.
Discussion in the committee and on the floor was limited to sponsor explanations and there were no amendments offered during the committee actions. No substantive amendments or roll-call breakdowns by individual senator were recorded in the transcript beyond the yea/nay totals.
With the committee reports recommending passage, the bills will return to the full Senate calendar for further consideration under the chamber’s procedures.
Senator Emmerich closed debate on each motion by urging support, saying in one instance, "I would recommend that you all vote yes."
