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Montana lawmakers consider voluntary license checkoff to fund rural projects; supporters urge experiment
Summary
Representative Tom France presented House Bill 560 to create a voluntary hunters-and-anglers checkoff on licenses to fund small grants to rural communities; proponents emphasized local benefits while some senators warned mechanics need work before enacting statewide.
Representative Tom France (House District 99) opened House Bill 560, proposing a voluntary checkoff on hunting and fishing conservation licenses to establish the Montana Hunters and Anglers Community Fund. France said the fund would accept voluntary donations at license purchase and be administered by the Department of Commerce with a seven-member advisory board representing hunters, anglers, local government and rural stakeholders. The bill would make small grants (under $2,000 with a one-page application) and larger grants (up to $20,000) to support local community projects in towns under 7,500 residents; the draft includes a 2029 termination date to allow evaluation.
Proponents included Karli Johnson of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Rachel Prevost of Montana Farmers Union, Frank Celosse of the Montana Wildlife Federation and others who argued the program would provide a new, diverse funding stream for rural nonprofits, food banks and community projects.
Informational witnesses from the Department of Commerce and Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ budget office described administrative roles and the fiscal-note assumptions. Committee questions focused on administration (Commerce vs. FWP), the advisory board structure, the program’s sunset, and whether the checkoff would compete with existing license checkoffs. Representative France said he would work with the committee on amendments and was open to moving administration to Fish, Wildlife & Parks if that eased passage.
During executive action the committee considered concurrence with the House. On roll call the committee voted 8–14 against concurrence; the motion to concur failed and the committee tabled the item.
