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Bill would add educational interpreters to educator supports and fix MSDB transportation
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Summary
House Bill 151 would add certified educational interpreters to Montana’s quality educator payment and loan‑assistance programs, allow the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind to use school buses that meet OPI standards, and let MSDB participate in teacher residency and TEACH Act programs to aid recruitment and retention.
Representative Connie Keogh introduced House Bill 151 on behalf of the Education Budget Interim Committee as a package of statutory corrections and targeted incentives for teachers of the deaf, teachers for the visually impaired and educational interpreters. Keogh said the bill changes six sections of law to broaden eligibility for educator supports and to correct a 2023 drafting error that restricted MSDB transportation options.
"House Bill 151" was presented as a recruitment-and-retention measure, Keogh said, noting a "very critical shortage of educational interpreters" and that there are "approximately 8 positions" currently advertised across the state. The bill adds educational interpreters to the statute listing professions eligible for the quality educator payment and opens the quality educator loan assistance program to interpreters statewide.
Paul Furthmyre, superintendent of the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind (MSDB), told the committee MSDB serves students across the state — about 1,700 through its consulting program — and relies heavily on out‑of‑state hires for specialized positions. Furthmyre described the difference between EIPA‑certified educational interpreters and ID lists used for noneducational interpreting, saying interpreters must meet a 3.5 or higher on the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) to be eligible for the quality educator payment under Board of Public Education rules.
The bill also corrects a drafting problem in statute governing student transportation: language left in during 2023 referenced the Public Service Commission in a way that prevented MSDB from using appropriate buses. HB151 would permit MSDB to use "school buses that meet the OPI standard," enabling campus students to return home monthly, proponents said.
Several organizations and individuals testified in favor of the bill, including the Coalition of Advocates for Montana's Public Schools, the Board of Public Education, MFPE and parents. Parent Heidi Houck described her daughter’s dependence on qualified interpreters in class and urged the committee to vote yes so districts can offer competitive pay for interpreters.
An informational witness from the Office of Public Instruction said he was available to assist with fiscal questions; committee members discussed how the bill interacts with other proposed legislation and the statutory definition of critical shortage areas. Representative Keogh asked the committee to consider an amendment making the bill effective immediately because of urgency tied to staffing shortages.
The hearing closed without a committee vote; proponents and informational witnesses were available for questions and the sponsor requested executive action consideration with an immediate‑effective amendment.