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Committee advances bill aimed at preventing nonresident homeschool athletes from claiming Montana state titles
Summary
SB 350, sponsored by Sen. Matt Regier, would change eligibility rules to prevent some nonresident or temporary-resident homeschooled competitors from displacing full-time Montana students in high school athletics; MHSA and parents testified in favor, while senators raised concerns about residency, dual citizenship, and unintended consequences.
Sen. Matt Regier, sponsor of SB 350, said the bill closes an unintended loophole in state law that has allowed nonresident homeschooled athletes to compete in Montana high school athletics. He told the Senate Education Committee the change targets situations in which students temporarily move to Montana for part of a season and then return home — a pattern MHSA said has produced nonresident state champions in wrestling.
Brian Michelotti, executive director of the Montana High School Association (MHSA), told the committee that five recent state championships in wrestling were claimed by nonresident homeschoolers and described an example of a competitor who won the U-17 world championship for Canada and then later won a Montana state title after training and competing abroad. Michelotti said the association would verify eligibility through registration with county superintendents and require documentation of citizenship or residency when appropriate.
Parents and athletes spoke in support. Kristen Downing and her daughter Bella described how a homeschooled non-U.S. athlete who arrived in January displaced local competitors at divisional and state tournaments. Bella Downing told the committee, “Please support SB 350 so we can protect Montana student athletes whose families have chosen to love and financially support the state with their full time residence and US citizenship.”
Committee members probed alternatives, asking whether the law should focus on residency or on limiting short-term participation rather than citizenship. Sen. Olson and others urged caution about making the bill too broad and unintentionally barring legitimate long-term residents or exchange students. Michelotti said the sponsor and MHSA are open to amendments that focus on residency and duration of participation, noting MHSA already uses transfer and waiting-period rules in some cases.
In executive action the committee moved SB 350 forward. The roll call recorded 12 ayes and 4 nays on the motion to pass, according to the committee record.
