Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State agencies, universities brief Montana committee on federal and state grant programs
Summary
State agencies and university research offices updated the Local Government Interim Committee on federal and state grant activity, administrative challenges and intergovernmental coordination during a Jan. 22, 2026 meeting in Helena and by Zoom.
The Local Government Interim Committee on Jan. 22, 2026, heard presentations from multiple state agencies and university research offices on federal and state grant programs and how those funds are administered and coordinated.
At the opening of the House Joint Resolution 28 panel, Kayla Bragg, Executive Director of the Montana Board of Crime Control, and Criselda De La Cruz, Supervisor of Grant Programs at MBCC, appeared before the committee to discuss MBCC grant activity and responded to questions from lawmakers about grant administration and oversight. Later, representatives from Montana State University and the University of Montana joined the panel to describe university research-development activities tied to federal funding.
Committee members also heard from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Environmental Quality. Jim Auer (Food & Agriculture Development Specialist, MDA) and Mitch Buthod (Bureau Chief, Planning & Modal Transportation, MDT) were present for agency-level discussions. Denise Kelly (Chief Financial Officer, DEQ) and Director Sonja Nowakowski answered committee questions on finance and program administration for environmental grant programs.
Julie Murgel (Chief Program Officer, Office of Public Instruction) and officials from the Department of Commerce, including Melissa Herrera (Housing Program Executive) and Stephanie Crider (Operations Manager), appeared later in the morning to discuss education- and housing-related grants and program coordination.
Maxwell Parson, lead staff for the committee, moderated the panels and later presented a multistate comparison of grant administration practices for the committee’s consideration.
The presentations were followed by committee questions focused on program coordination, administrative capacity at the local level, and how state agencies help applicants meet federal requirements. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during this panel. The committee recessed for lunch and resumed other agenda items later in the day.
