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69th Legislature 2025 HB 834
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 834
ENROLLED BILL
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE GOVERNMENT DATA AND IMPACT COMMISSION; OUTLINING
MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMISSION; PROVIDING DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION; PROVIDING AN
APPROPRIATION; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE AND A TERMINATION DATE.
WHEREAS, the Legislature and the governor represent all citizens of Montana and are accountable to
their constituents to ensure that government is run efficiently; and
WHEREAS, the governor is charged with executing the law and managing each executive branch
agency for the citizens of the state; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature is charged with defining state policy, ensuring accountability of all political
subdivisions of the state, appropriating requests to fund the state's operations, and maintaining a balanced
budget; and
WHEREAS, there is not a cohesive system in place to measure the programmatic impact that has
value to policymakers in achieving the collective goals and objectives of the legislative branch and executive
branch; and
WHEREAS, the government data and impact commission is established to develop and make
recommendations regarding collection and integration of targeted data and development of impactful
performance measures to ensure the effective use of state resources and efficient administration of state
government.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Government data and impact commission. (1) There is a government data and impact
commission.
(2) (a) The commission consists of the following voting members:
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69th Legislature 2025 HB 834
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(i) the presiding officer of the senate finance and claims committee or the officer's designee;
(ii) the presiding officer of the house appropriations committee or the officer's designee;
(iii) the majority presiding officer and the minority vice presiding officer of the legislative audit
committee or their designees;
(iv) a member of the modernization and risk analysis committee appointed by the presiding officer
of the legislative finance committee;
(v) a member of the legislature appointed by the governor who is from the opposite party of the
member from the modernization and risk analysis committee;
(vi) the budget director or the director’s designee;
(vii) the director of the department of administration or the director’s designee;
(viii) the director of the office of state public defender or the director’s designee;
(ix) two directors of a state agency appointed by the governor or their designees; and
(x) one member of the public appointed by the governor.
(b) The commission consists of the following ex officio, nonvoting members:
(i) the legislative fiscal analyst;
(ii) the legislative auditor:
(iii) a staff member from the legislative services division's legal services office;
(iv) a deputy budget director; and
(v) the chief data officer.
(3) Appointed members of the commission must be compensated and receive travel expenses as
provided for in 2-15-124 for each day in attendance at commission meetings or in the performance of any duty
or service as a commission member.
(4) (a) The department of administration shall staff the commission and pay for the operational
costs of the commission.
(b) The office of budget and program planning and the legislative fiscal division shall provide
research and analysis at the request of the commission or its legislative members.
(c) The legislative services division shall provide audio and visual services for meetings held in the
capitol building.
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69th Legislature 2025 HB 834
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(5) The commission shall elect a presiding officer from one of the voting members who is not a
legislator and elect a vice presiding officer from one of the legislative members.
(6) Starting June 1, 2025, the commission shall meet on a quarterly basis when the legislature is
not in session.
(7) The commission shall reserve time at each commission meeting for public comment. Public
participation is encouraged.
Section 2. Purpose. (1) The commission is charged with developing and recommending a system for
the collection and integration of targeted data for use by the legislature and the executive branch in analyzing
outcomes of the agency programs, effective use of state resources, and efficient administration of state
government.
(2) The system developed must allow policymakers to identify inefficient, redundant, and
antiquated programs in state government.
Section 3. Duties. The commission must receive reports, including but not limited to reports on the
following:
(1) successful data system implementations that demonstrate existing capabilities to maximize the
efficient use of data to inform decisionmaking;
(2) examples of programs for which a data and impact analysis is most likely to produce
efficiencies, cost savings, or more informed decisionmaking;
(3) a review of laws governing the administration of state government and of how to make the
operation of state government efficient and transparent;
(4) the structure of executive and legislative oversight to facilitate efficient access to data;
(5) (a) how to prioritize the data that has the most impact on policy decisions; and
(b) the number of impact analyses that can be conducted within a certain timeframe; and
(6) the quantified cost to the state for providing efficient access to data.
Section 4. Appropriation. There is appropriated $75,000 from the general fund to the department of
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administration for the biennium ending June 30, 2025, and continuing into the biennium beginning July 1, 2025,
for the administration and costs of the commission.
Section 5. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.
Section 6. Termination. [This act] terminates December 31, 2026.
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I hereby certify that the within bill,
HB 834, 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. 834
INTRODUCED BY B. MERCER, J. ESP
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE GOVERNMENT DATA AND IMPACT COMMISSION; OUTLINING
MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMISSION; PROVIDING DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION; PROVIDING AN
APPROPRIATION; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE AND A TERMINATION DATE.