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Sponsor proposes 2% entitlement‑share cut for counties that fail to file child‑abuse reports
Summary
Rep. Bill Mercer told the House Judiciary Committee he wants to penalize counties that fail to submit statutorily required child‑abuse reporting by withholding 2% of their entitlement share; county representatives urged alternatives such as funding the reporting or targeting the county attorney salary, and lawmakers raised carve‑out and notice questions.
Representative Bill Mercer opened the hearing on House Bill 6 25, proposing to reduce by 2% the state entitlement share payments to any county that fails to file required child‑abuse reporting to the attorney general. "This is the bill. It would, take a 2% reduction of entitlement share that would otherwise go to the county," Mercer said, arguing the measure would incentivize compliance after years of uneven reporting.
Supporters and critics framed the bill differently in committee. Eric Bryson of the Montana Association of Counties thanked the sponsor for acknowledging the reporting problem but called the approach blunt…
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