MACo LEGISLATIVE UPDATE VOLUME 25, NO. 5 FEBRUARY 1, 2019 MACO & THE MONTANA LEGISLATURE The Montana Association of The Montana Association of Counties’ website has a section dedicated to helping members Counties (MACo) publishes this keep track of the happenings during the Montana’s Legislative Session: click here to go to weekly bulletin containing our policy pages. In this area of the website, you’ll find MACo’s resolutions, links to pertinent summary descriptions of bills of bills, the current and past issues of our weekly Legislative Update, hearing calendars, committee interest to local government listings, and more. officials. Each issue’s hearing schedule lists only the bills that have been introduced during the 2019 PROJECTED SESSION CALENDAR week. Please Note: Legislative leadership holds the authority to further revise the schedule, including the days the Legislature meets and the proposed breaks. Previous issues of the MACo Legislative Update can be found on In accordance with 5-2-103, MCA, each regular session of the Legislature convenes on the first our website’s policy section, or Monday in January of each odd-numbered year or, if January 1 is a Monday, on the first click here for direct access to Wednesday. the archive. Introduction deadlines: Generally, bills and resolutions must be introduced within 2 legislative days after delivery. JR 40-50, H40-10. CONTACTING LEGISLATORS “General bills” is used to denote all bills, except appropriation or revenue bills, and all joint LEGISLATIVE INFO DESK resolutions. (406) 444-4800 Notes: Deadline dates are determined according to legislative days. Deadline dates are determined according to legislative days. Certain bills and resolutions SENATORS relating to administrative rules may be transmitted at any time during the session. JR 40-200(3). Emails & Phone Numbers P.O. Box 200500 Jan. 7: 66th Legislative Session begins Helena, MT 59620-0500 Jan. 22: Last day to request General Bills & Resolutions - Committee Members (List) - Leadership (List) Jan. 29: Last day to request Revenue Bills Feb. 20: Last day for Committee to request General Bills & Resolutions REPRESENTATIVES Emails & Phone Numbers Feb. 25: Last day to introduce General Bills P.O. Box 200400 Helena, MT 59620-0400 March 2: Transmittal of General Bills to other Chamber & Last day to request - Committee Members (List) Appropriation Bills - Leadership (List) March 3-6: Transmittal Break March 19: Last day for committees to request revenue bills, bills proposing CONTACTING MACO referenda, or bills implementing HB 2. Phone: (406) 449-4360 March 23: Transmittal of Revenue-Estimating Joint Resolution; and last day to Fax: (406) 442-5238 request Study Resolutions Email: [email protected] Mail: 2715 Skyway Drive March 26: Last day to introduce Appropriation Bills, Revenue Bills & Bills Proposing Helena, MT 59602-1213 Referenda Web: www.mtcounties.org April 1: Transmittal of Appropriation Bills, Revenue Bills & Bills Proposing Referenda POLICY ON OUR WEBSITE April 8: Transmittal of amendments to General Bills The Policy section on our April 16: Transmittal of amendments to Appropriation Bills, Revenue Bills & Bills website is continually updated Proposing Referenda with the status of MACo bills as well as the weekly schedule. Be April 20: Transmittal of amendments to Revenue Estimating Joint Resolution sure to bookmark it during the April 19-22: Break session! April 25: Transmittal of Interim Study Resolutions May 1: Sine Die April 30: 90th Legislative Day – Sine Die. 66th Legislative Session MACo Legislative Update ⬧ Page 1 SCHEDULED HEARINGS Currently Senate Local Government Committee meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 3 p.m. in Room 405. The House Local Government Committee meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 p.m. in Room 472. MACo bills are highlighted green, priority bills are highlighted blue (bills we are watching very closely or with which we may have some involvement), and watch bills are highlighted yellow (bills that are on our radar). MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH Time Committee Room Bill No. Short Title Sponsor (H) Joint General Appropriations Act Appropriations - Hearing: Director's Office; Child Support 8:00 AM Subcommittee on 102 HB 2 Nancy Ballance (R) HD 87 Enforcement Division (CSED) Health and Human - Public Testimony: Director's Office; CSED Services Revise when a person may be subject to a 8:00 AM (H) Judiciary 137 HB 306 Barry Usher (R) HD 40 strip search Provide safe harbor for pregnant women 8:00 AM (H) Judiciary 137 HB 309 Kimberly Dudik (D) HD 94 seeking assistance for substance abuse Generally revise laws to create and amend 8:00 AM (H) Judiciary 137 HB 335 Connie Keogh (D) HD 91 parenting plans Generally revising laws on temporary 8:00 AM (H) Judiciary 137 HB 336 Connie Keogh (D) HD 91 orders for maintenance or support General Appropriations Act - Hearing: Department of Revenue, (H) Joint Approps. Director's Office, Liquor Control 9:00 AM Subcom. on General 350 HB 2 Nancy Ballance (R) HD 87 Division, Citizen Services and Resource Government Management, Business and Income Taxes Division (H) Joint Approps. General Appropriations Act Subcom. on Natural 9:00 AM 317C HB 2 - Hearing: Department of Fish Wildlife & Nancy Ballance (R) HD 87 Resources and Parks (Parks Base Budget Presentation) Transportation (H) Joint Approps Subcom on Judicial General Appropriations Act 9:00 AM Branch, Law 317A HB 2 Nancy Ballance (R) HD 87 - Hearing: Judicial Branch budget Enforcement, and Justice (H) Joint Approps. General Appropriations Act 9:30 AM Subcommittee on 472 HB 2 - Agency Budget Hearing: Montana Arts Nancy Ballance (R) HD 87 Education Council Reclamation & Development Grants - Hearing: HB 7 Reclamation & (H) Joint Development Grant Program (RDGP) Appropriations 8:30 AM 317B HB 7 - Open HB 7 Jim Keane (D) HD 73 Subcommittee on - Program Introductions & Updates Long-Range Planning - HB 7 & HB 14 RDGP Projects - Close HB 7 Hearings (H) Joint Approps. Long-Range Building Bonding Program 8:30 AM Subcom. on Long- 317B HB 14 Ryan Lynch (D) HD 76 - HB 14 & HB 7 RDGP Projects Range Planning 10:00 (H) Business and Revise youth access to tobacco products 172 HB 312 Mary Ann Dunwell (D) HD 84 AM Labor control act 10:00 (H) Business and Generally revise laws related to tax- 172 HB 320 Bill Mercer (R) HD 46 AM Labor advantaged savings plans (S) Natural Confirm Governor's appointee to board of 2:00 PM 303 SR 24 Jeffrey W Welborn (R) SD 36 Resources water well contractors (S) Public Health, Requiring certain nonprofit hospital boards 2:00 PM 317 SB 159 Keith Regier (R) SD 3 Welfare and Safety to be elected Revise school laws related to inflation, 3:00 PM (H) Education 137 HB 225 Casey Schreiner (D) HD 26 preschool, and special education Eliminate compulsory education 3:00 PM (H) Education 137 HB 303 Greg DeVries (R) HD 75 requirements Restrict sexually explicit materials and 3:00 PM (H) Education 137 HB 354 Rodney Garcia (R) HD 52 sexually oriented businesses 66th Legislative Session MACo Legislative Update ⬧ Page 2 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH (CONTINUED) Time Committee Room Bill No. Short Title Sponsor (H) Energy, Require certain utilities to file general rate 3:00 PM Technology and 472 HB 314 Tom Woods (D) HD 62 cases Federal Relations (H) Energy, Revise the composition of the committee 3:00 PM Technology and 472 HB 356 Moffie Funk (D) HD 82 on telecommunications access services Federal Relations (H) Natural Revise laws related to aquatic invasive 3:00 PM 172 HB 32 Willis Curdy (D) HD 98 Resources species programs 3:00 PM (H) Transportation 455 HB 352 Revise child safety restraint requirement Sharon Greef (R) HD 88 Regulate encroachments in highway right of 3:00 PM (H) Transportation 455 SB 76 Brian Hoven (R) SD 13 way (S) Education and 3:00 PM 422 HB 61 Revise school data privacy laws David Bedey (R) HD 86 Cultural Resources Generally revise campaign finance laws 3:00 PM (S) State Admin. 335 SB 134 Dee Brown (R) SD 2 related to electioneering communications Revise campaign practices vote disclosure 3:00 PM (S) State Admin. 335 SB 154 Scott Sales (R) SD 35 requirements TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH Time Committee Room Bill No. Short Title Sponsor Revise laws related to permissible 8:00 AM (H) Judiciary 137 HB 296 Casey Knudsen (R) HD 33 fireworks Establish liability requirements for smart 8:00 AM (H) Judiciary 137 HB 304 Shane A Morigeau (D) HD 95 cars Require hearing prior to waiver of rights in 8:00 AM (H) Judiciary 137 HB 330 Katie Sullivan (D) HD 89 involuntary commitment proceedings Revise telephone account requirements for 8:00 AM (H) Judiciary 137 HB 361 Peggy Webb (R) HD 43 prisons and detention centers Remove unusable mobile homes from Margaret (Margie) 8:00 AM (S) Taxation 405 SB 165 property tax rolls MacDonald (D) SD 26 Revise elderly homeowner/renter income 8:00 AM (S) Taxation 405 SB 170 Brian Hoven (R) SD 13 tax credit (H) Business and 8:30 AM 172 HB 185 Revise brewery operation hours Dave Fern (D) HD 5 Labor (H) Business and Provide for free association for non-union 8:30 AM 172 HB 323 Brad Tschida (R) HD 97 Labor public employees (H) Business and Revise laws governing multiple employer 8:30 AM 172 SB 54 Fred Thomas (R) SD 44 Labor welfare arrangements (H) Joint Long-Range Building Bonding Program Appropriations - Hearing: Delivering Local Assistance 8:30 AM 317B HB 14 Ryan Lynch (D) HD 76 Subcommittee on Program Long-Range Planning - Close HB 14 Hearings Repeal provision on naming and labeling of 9:00 AM (H) State Admin. 455 HB 308 Jacob Bachmeier (D) HD 28 political committees Require application in judicial elections for 9:00 AM (H) State Admin.