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House committee advances $7.0 billion biennial budget; health and human services makes up nearly half
Summary
The Montana House Appropriations Committee advanced House Bill 2 on second reading after hours of debate and dozens of amendments. The package centers public spending in health and human services, education and transportation, and includes targeted investments such as behavioral-health facility funding and school aid increases.
Lede: The Montana House on April 1 advanced House Bill 2, the state's two-year spending bill, after lengthy committee consideration and floor votes that carried the package onto second reading.
Nut graf: The version of HB2 adopted by the Appropriations Committee and the House on second reading sets a biennial total for Section B (health and human services) and major education, transportation and natural resources programs. Key items include concentrated Medicaid spending, funding for behavioral-health facilities and increases to K-12 base aid tied to inflation. The committee's report was approved in committee by a recorded vote and later adopted by the full House on the floor.
Body: Appropriations Chair Rep. Lou Jones introduced the bill on the record as "House bill 2 introduced by Jones A bill for an act entitled enact appropriating money to various state agencies for the biennium ending 06/30/2027 and providing an effective date, madam chair." The committee's overview emphasized that nearly half the package is devoted to health and human services and that education is the largest general-fund share.
"It's my honor to bring House Bill 2, Montana's main budget bill to the floor," Jones told members during the Committee of the Whole. Vice Chair Rep. Cafaro described the bill as a "statement of our values," saying the package reflects many hours of hearings and public input.
The bill as considered by the committee included a broad set of line-item decisions across dozens of agencies. Highlights captured during the hearings and included in the committee report: - Health and Human Services: Approximately half of the budgeted dollars go to DPHHS programs, including Medicaid expansion and senior/long-term care. The package preserves Medicaid as an ongoing element of the state budget and included a mix of provider-rate actions and targeted funding for behavioral-health facilities and the Montana State Hospital. - Education: The Office of Public Instruction portion includes increases to K-12 base aid tied to inflationary adjustments, pilot funding for digital and AI curriculum work, and funds contingent on passage of the STARS Act to affect teacher pay. - Transportation and natural resources: The bill includes increased federal and state funding for road and bridge projects, plus targeted positions and maintenance pools for high-priority bridge preservation work. - Behavioral health: The committee kept a mix of one-time and ongoing funding aimed at certified community behavioral-health centers, expansions in state hospital bed capacity and support for rehabilitation and step-down facilities.
Committee and floor votes: In committee, members voted to recommend HB2 for passage; the committee tally on that report was recorded as 60 yes and 39 no. The committee report was then adopted by the full House on a subsequent recorded vote (87 yes, 5 no), enabling HB2 to advance on second reading.
Ending: With the bill reported out of committee and the House having approved the committee report, HB2 moves forward in the legislative process. Lawmakers and agencies noted they will continue to track implementation details and potential technical fixes in later steps before final enactment.
