Committee hears House Bill 9 to fund cultural and arts grants statewide

HELENA — The House Long‑Range Planning Subcommittee F on Thursday opened a hearing on House Bill 9, the biennial cultural and arts appropriation bill that would allocate interest‑earned trust funds for grants to arts and cultural organizations across Montana.

Representative John Fitzpatrick, sponsor of the bill and member of the subcommittee, told members that the bill lists 75 entities recommended for funding and that the Montana Arts Council administers the program on behalf of the legislature. "I am here today to present to you House Bill 9, which is the cultural and arts appropriation bill," Fitzpatrick said.

The bill would rely on interest earnings from the cultural trust to support grants rather than direct general fund appropriations. Erica Thomas, the committee’s fiscal analyst, told the panel the committee packet shows a total budget request for the 2027 biennium of $983,500 and that committee staff recommended awards totaling $953,500. Thomas also presented the administration and grants lines in the packet and noted that…