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HB34 • 2025

Revise law to establish permanent disaster resilience fund

Revise law to establish permanent disaster resilience fund

Budget
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Larry Brewster
Last action
2025-05-20
Official status
(H) Died in Process
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details about the increase in annual funding, only that it is set at $4 million annually beginning in fiscal year 2025.

Create a Permanent Disaster Resilience Fund

The bill changes the Montana local disaster resiliency fund to be permanent, increases its annual funding from up to $15 million to $4 million starting in fiscal year 2025, and sets rules for transferring funds.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the Montana local disaster resiliency fund from temporary to permanent.
  • Increases annual funding from up to $15 million to $4 million per year beginning in fiscal year 2025.
  • Removes the termination date of June 30, 2027 for the fund.
  • Requires the state treasurer to transfer $50 million each year from the general fund to the disaster resiliency fund until June 30, 2027.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Military Affairs
  • Local governments and communities in Montana

Terms To Know

Mitigation projects
Projects that reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from future natural disasters.
General Fund
The main fund of the state government used for various expenses, including transfers to other funds like the disaster resiliency fund.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and died in process.
  • It is unclear how much funding will be available beyond June 30, 2027 without further legislation.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

COMMITTEE

Plain English: Amendment 1 changes the disaster resiliency fund by increasing its annual funding, removing its termination date, and requiring legislative approval for projects funded from it.

  • Increases the annual appropriation to the Montana Local Disaster Resiliency Fund from $4 million to up to $15 million starting in fiscal year 2025.
  • Removes the fund's termination date of June 30, 2027.
  • Requires legislative approval for projects funded by the disaster resiliency fund before any money can be provided.
  • The amendment text does not specify how the $50 million transfer to the fund in 2025 will affect future funding amounts or processes, which may need further clarification.
COMMITTEE

Plain English: COMMITTEE 2

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.
COMMITTEE

Plain English: COMMITTEE 4

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-20 HOUSE

    (H) Died in Process

  2. 2025-04-09 HOUSE

    (H) Missed Deadline for Appropriation Bill Transmittal

  3. 2025-01-29 HOUSE

    (H) Tabled in Committee

  4. 2025-01-29 HOUSE

    (H) Tabled in Committee

  5. 2025-01-17 HOUSE

    (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading

  6. 2025-01-17 HOUSE

    (H) 2nd Reading Passed

  7. 2025-01-17 HOUSE

    (H) Rereferred to Committee

  8. 2025-01-17 HOUSE

    (H) Hearing

  9. 2025-01-15 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed

  10. 2025-01-15 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed

  11. 2025-01-14 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed

  12. 2025-01-09 HOUSE

    (H) Fiscal Note Printed

  13. 2025-01-08 HOUSE

    (H) Fiscal Note Signed

  14. 2025-01-07 HOUSE

    (H) Fiscal Note Received

  15. 2025-01-06 HOUSE

    (H) First Reading

  16. 2025-01-06 HOUSE

    (H) Hearing

  17. 2024-12-20 HOUSE

    (H) Referred to Committee

  18. 2024-12-18 HOUSE

    (H) Fiscal Note Requested

  19. 2024-12-06 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester

  20. 2024-12-06 HOUSE

    (H) Introduced

  21. 2024-12-03 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery

  22. 2024-11-27 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Assembly

  23. 2024-11-26 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing

  24. 2024-11-26 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review

  25. 2024-11-22 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Edit

  26. 2024-11-21 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Legal Review

  27. 2024-11-14 HOUSE

    (LC) Drafter Assigned

  28. 2024-11-13 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review

  29. 2024-11-12 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing

  30. 2024-11-07 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Edit

  31. 2024-10-30 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Legal Review

  32. 2024-09-23 HOUSE

    (LC) Drafter Assigned

Official Summary Text

Revise law to establish permanent disaster resilience fund

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
****
69th Legislature 2025 HB 34.1
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 34
1 HOUSE BILL NO. 34
2 INTRODUCED BY L. BREWSTER
3 BY REQUEST OF THE OFFICE OF BUDGET AND PROGRAM PLANNING
4
5 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT REVISING THE DISASTER RESILIENCY FUND; REVISING THE
6 AMOUNT OF THE STATUTORY APPROPRIATION; ELIMINATING THE TERMINATION DATE OF THE
7 FUND; PROVIDING FOR A TRANSFER OF FUNDS; AMENDING SECTION 17-7-133, MCA; AMENDING
8 SECTION 24, CHAPTER 722, LAWS OF 2023; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.”
9
10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
11
12Section 1. Section 17-7-133, MCA, is amended to read:
13 "17-7-133. (Temporary) Montana local disaster resiliency fund. (1) There is statutorily
14 appropriated pursuant to 17-7-502 $4 up to $15 million per a year beginning in the fiscal year beginning July 1,
15 2023 2025, from the general Montana local disaster resiliency fund to the department of military affairs.
16 (2) Eligible uses of the money are:
17 (a) state and local mitigation projects that reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property
18 from future natural disasters;
19 (b) the nonfederal cost share for personnel and contracted resources performing mitigation
20 program management; and
21 (c) matching funds for grants for the purchase of hazardous material equipment and training to
22 increase local capacity to respond to incidents as defined in 10-3-1203 involving hazardous material training
23 and administrative resources.
24 (3) The appropriation is void in any year that there is a projected general fund budget deficit
25 pursuant to 17-7-140. (Terminates June 30, 2027--sec. 24, Ch. 722, L. 2023.)"
26
27Section 2. Section 24, Chapter 722, Laws of 2023, is amended to read:
28 "Section 24. Termination. (1) [Section 1] terminates June 30, 2025.
****
69th Legislature 2025 HB 34.1
- 2 - Authorized Print Version – HB 34
1 (2) [Sections 6 and 7(3)] terminate June 30, 2027."
2
3 NEW SECTION. Section 3. Transfer of funds. (1) By June 30, 2025, the state treasurer shall
4 transfer $50 million from the general fund to the local disaster resiliency fund provided for in 17-7-133, MCA.
5 (2) During the biennium ending June 30, 2027, the state treasurer shall transfer $50 million from
6 the general fund to the local disaster resiliency fund provided for in 17-7-133, MCA.
7
8 NEW SECTION. Section 4. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.
9 - END -