Senate committee approves amendment moving portions of recording fees to county land information and geospatial accounts

The Senate Local Government Committee voted to concur on House Bill 192, as amended, which reallocates portions of existing county recording fees to specific accounts.

Ms. Kurzowski, staff, explained the amendment on behalf of the bill sponsor. She said the amendment adjusts two fee allocations: "the first fee for the County Land Information account is moved from 50¢ to 75¢" and the fee transmitted to the Department of Revenue "for the Montana Geospatial Information account has been moved from $1.50 to $2.25." She also described an inflationary provision affecting calculation and rounding: under one subsection the resulting figure "must be rounded down to the nearest quarter dollar amount."

Committee members asked clarifying questions about where the language appears in statute and the chair confirmed the change does not increase the recording fee charged to the public, but shifts how existing fee revenue is allocated between accounts. The amendment and the bill as amended were adopted by voice vote; proxies were recorded as aye by proxy for some members. Vice Chair Beard agreed to carry the bill to the floor.

The transcript references statutory citations and account numbers in committee staff remarks (e.g., a county land information account and a Montana Geospatial Information account; transcript numbers cited: 762230 and 91409). The committee did not record additional public testimony on the fee reallocation during the concurrence action.