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69th Legislature 2025 HB 7
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ENROLLED BILL
AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECLAMATION AND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS PROGRAM;
APPROPRIATING MONEY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION
FOR GRANTS UNDER THE RECLAMATION AND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS PROGRAM; PRIORITIZING
PROJECT GRANTS AND AMOUNTS; ESTABLISHING CONDITIONS FOR GRANTS; AND PROVIDING AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Appropriations for reclamation and development grants. (1) There is appropriated up
to $750,000 from the natural resources projects state special revenue account established in 15-38-302 to the
department of natural resources and conservation for grants for planning reclamation and development projects
to be awarded by the department over the course of the biennium beginning July 1, 2025.
(2) There is appropriated $5,523,260 from the natural resources projects state special revenue
account established in 15-38-302 to the department of natural resources and conservation for grants to political
subdivisions and local governments during the biennium beginning July 1, 2025. The funds in this subsection
(2) must be awarded by the department to the named entities for the described purposes and in the grant
amounts set out in subsection (4) subject to the conditions set forth in [sections 2 and 3] and the contingencies
described in the reclamation and development grants program report to the 69th legislature titled: "Governor's
Executive Budget Fiscal Years 2026–2027 Volume 5".
(3) Funds must be awarded up to the amounts approved in this section in the order of priority listed
in subsection (4) until the available funds are expended. Funds not accepted or used by higher-ranked projects
must be provided for projects farther down the priority list that would not otherwise receive funding. After all
eligible projects are funded, any remaining funds may be used for any reclamation and development project
authorized under this section.
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(4) The prioritized grant applicants and projects are as follows:
Rank Applicant/Project Amount
1 Powell County
Upper Little Blackfoot Watershed Mine Reclamation Project $495,123
2 Lewis and Clark County
Upper Blackfoot Mining Complex Water Treatment Plant Upgrades $479,085
3 Montana Department of Environmental Quality
DEQ Landusky Biological Treatment Plant Improvement $500,000
4 Powell County
Milwaukee Roundhouse Soil Remediation Phase 2 $500,000
5 Cooke Pass, Cooke City, Silver Gate Sewer District
Cooke City Wastewater System $500,000
6 Beaverhead Conservation District
Elkhorn Mine and Mill Remedy and Restoration $300,000
7 DNRC Water Resources Division
DNRC Willow Creek Dam Rehabilitation $500,000
8 DNRC Water Resources Division
DNRC East Fork of Rock Creek Dam Rehabilitation $500,000
9 Montana Department of Environmental Quality
DEQ CR Kendall Mine Long-Term Seep Water Management $290,352
10 Ruby Valley Conservation District
Upper Ruby River Habitat Rehabilitation Demonstration $458,700
11 DNRC Water Resources Division
Painted Rocks Dam Rehabilitation Phase I $500,000
12 Milk River Joint Board of Control
Milk River Joint Board of Control Fresno Dam and Spillway Rehabilitation Project
$500,000
13 Glasgow, City of
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Glasgow Levee Improvements $243,445
14 Forsyth, City of
Forsyth Slaughterhouse Creek Flood Mitigation $500,000
15 DNRC Water Resources Division
DNRC Front Range Flood Preparedness $310,000
16 Montana Technological University
Phytomining Remediation and Minerals Recovery Demonstration $234,270
Section 2. Coordination of fund sources for grants to political subdivisions and local
governments. A grant recipient listed under [section 1(4)] may not receive funds from both the reclamation and
development grants program and the renewable resource grant and loan program for the same project during
the same biennium.
Section 3. Condition of grants. The disbursement of funds under [section 1] is subject to the
following conditions that must be met by the grant recipient:
(1) The grant recipient must have a scope of work, schedule, and budget for the project that is
approved by the department of natural resources and conservation. Any changes in scope of work or budget
subsequent to legislative approval may not alter project goals and objectives. Changes in activities that would
reduce the public or natural resource benefits as presented in department of natural resources and
conservation reports and applicant testimony to the 69th legislature may result in a proportional reduction in the
grant amount.
(2) The grant recipient shall document that other matching funds required for the completion of the
project are firmly committed.
(3) The grant recipient must have a project management plan that clearly outlines the roles of
participating entities and that is approved by the department of natural resources and conservation.
(4) The grant recipient shall comply with the auditing and reporting requirements provided for in 2-
7-503 and establish a financial accounting system that the department can reasonably ensure conforms to
generally accepted accounting principles. Tribal governments shall comply with the auditing and reporting
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requirements provided for in 2 CFR 200.
(5) The grant recipient shall submit documentation to the department demonstrating satisfactory
completion of the conditions of described in the recommendation section of the project narrative of the program
report to the legislature for the biennium ending June 30, 2027, or, in the case of planning grants issued under
[section 1(1)], complete the conditions specified at the time of written notification of the approved grant
authority.
(6) The grant recipient shall execute a grant agreement with the department of natural resources
and conservation.
(7) Any other specific requirements considered necessary by the department must be met to
accomplish the purpose of the grant as evidenced from the application to the department or from the proposal
as presented to the legislature.
Section 4. Appropriations established. There is appropriated to any entity of state government that
receives a grant under [section 1] the amount of the grant upon award of the grant by the department of natural
resources and conservation. Grants to entities from prior biennia are reauthorized for the completion of contract
work.
Section 5. Approval of grants -- completion of biennial appropriation. The legislature, pursuant
to 90-2-1111, approves the reclamation and development grants listed in [section 1]. The authorization of these
grants constitutes a biennial appropriation from the natural resources projects state special revenue account
established in 15-38-302.
Section 6. Notification to tribal governments. The secretary of state shall send a copy of [this act]
to each federally recognized tribal government in Montana.
Section 7. Coordination instruction. (1) If both [this act] and an act that provides additional funding
for reclamation and development grants from a source other than the natural resources projects state special
revenue account established in 15-38-302 are passed and approved, the projects listed in [section 1(4) of this
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act] that do not receive funding from the appropriations in [section 1(2) of this act] may receive funding from the
appropriation in the other act designated for reclamation and development grants as follows:
(a) in the order of completion of the conditions of [section 3 of this act]; and
(b) to the extent that there is appropriation authority available.
(2) If both [section 1(1)(b) of House Bill No. 6] and [section 1(1) of this act] are passed and
approved and if all of the $750,000 in grant funds authorized in [section 1(1) of this act] are not expended for
planning reclamation and development projects by the end of the biennium, then projects eligible for funding
under [section 1(1)(b) of House Bill No. 6] are eligible to apply for funding under [section 1(1) of this act] for
renewable resource project planning grants.
Section 8. Severability. If a part of [this act] is invalid, all valid parts that are severable from the
invalid part remain in effect. If a part of [this act] is invalid in one or more of its applications, the part remains in
effect in all valid applications that are severable from the invalid applications.
Section 9. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2025.
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I hereby certify that the within bill,
HB 7, originated in the House.
___________________________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
___________________________________________
Speaker of the House
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
___________________________________________
President of the Senate
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
HOUSE BILL NO. 7
INTRODUCED BY J. FITZPATRICK
BY REQUEST OF THE OFFICE OF BUDGET AND PROGRAM PLANNING
AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECLAMATION AND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS PROGRAM;
APPROPRIATING MONEY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION FOR
GRANTS UNDER THE RECLAMATION AND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS PROGRAM; PRIORITIZING
PROJECT GRANTS AND AMOUNTS; ESTABLISHING CONDITIONS FOR GRANTS; AND PROVIDING AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.”