Happenings on the Hill: Updates from Montana's Capitol

Interim Committees & Studies | MACo's 2013 Bills

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During each legislative session, legislators identify issues they want to study in more depth. They appoint interim committees to conduct these and other studies during the interims between sessions. The House and Senate leadership decides on who will be on the interim committees for the interim. Therefore, the members of the interim committees serve one 20 month term. The committees often invite experts to present information to them. Members of the public also get a chance to have their say.

Legislators use what they learn from the interim studies to make well-informed decisions about what bills to consider during the next session.

Administrative Committees

The administrative committees oversee management of the legislative branch of state government also meet during the interim.

You can sign up to get electronic notification of committee meetings. You can also listen to all interim committee meetings held in the Capitol live on the legislative website.

Interim Committees List

Access Past Interim Committees Here

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Listed below are the Interim Study Resolutions that have been filed with the Secretary of State as well as the results of the 2013 Interim Study Poll, based on ballots sent April 25 and returned through May 9. The rank of each study is shown in the far left column, and the total points received are in the far right column.  These assignments were adopted by Legislative Council on May 16, 2013.

Rank Res. Short Title/Subject Interim Committee (IC) Assignment Points
1 HJ 17 Study state pay plans  Legislative Finance Committee 1090
2 SJ 15 Study public land management  Environmental Quality Council 1015
3 HJ 1 Study structure and duties of office of comm of political practices  State Administration and Veterans' Affairs IC 983
3 SJ 6 Study the impacts of Montana's renewable portfolio standard  Energy & Telecommunications IC 983
5 HJ 16 Study state-operated public institutions  Children, Families, Health & Human Services IC 961
6 HJ 25 Study workers' compensation and subrogation,  other issues  Economic Affairs IC 825
7 SJ 20 Study prescription drug abuse  Children, Families, Health & Human Services IC 809
8 SJ 23 Study the tax appeal process  Revenue & Transportation IC 804
9 SJ 22 Study family law procedure alternatives  Law & Justice IC 785
10 SJ 3 Study the Board of Pardons and Parole  Law & Justice IC 725
11 HJ 2 Study state/local gov electronic records management  Education & Local Government IC 665
12 HJ 26 Study water ditch/canal easement restatement process options  Water Policy Committee 640
13 SJ 26 Study commerce corridors along Montana highways  Revenue & Transportation IC 628
14 SJ 14 Study local government election procedures  State Administration and Veterans' Affairs IC 604
15 SJ 24 Study military training applicability to civilian jobs  Economic Affairs IC 558
16 SJ 4 Study Virginia City,  Nevada City, and Reeder's Alley  Environmental Quality Council 542
17 HJ 30 Study benefits for veterans Information Request (Staff)* 524
NA HB 609 Study of hunting and fishing licensing Environmental Quality Council NA
NA HB 633 Create select committee on efficiency in government--members--duties Select Committee (Vetoed/Poll) NA
NA SJ 13 Request MUS to study college completion Goes directly to MUS for their consideration NA

Mean Average points = 773 (SJR 22) Median points = 785 (SJR 22) BALLOTS = 107 returned as of 5 p.m., May 9, 2011 (71%). These rankings were compiled from the 107 "ballots" received by LSD as of 5 p.m., Thursday, May 9.

* Legislative Staff recommended that the study of statutory benefits provided to military veterans not be assigned to an interim committee but, instead, be conducted by staff as an information request. The staff's compilation of statutory veterans' benefits would be specifically presented to: State Admin. and Vets' Affairs; EQC; Children and Families; Economic Affairs; Revenue and Transportation; and, if requested, to other committees, including the Legislative Finance Committee.

Click Here for Further Details Regarding the Interim Study Poll Results

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MACo legislation and associated resolutions for the 63rd Legislative Session.  Please note that bill information will be posted as it becomes available.

MACo Bill Statuses
Res. No. Res. Short Title Bill LC Requestor/Sponsor Bill Short Title Action
2010-01 Amending the Interagency Bison Management Plan --- --- --- --- ---
2010-09 Interim Zoning SB 105 1063 Taylor Brown Revise interim zoning laws (S) Died in Process*
2010-13 Mobile Home Disposal HB 192 0542 Roger A Hagan Revise laws related to mobile home transfer and taxes Chapter Number Assigned
2010-17 Food Safety Compliance --- --- --- --- ---
2010-19 Statutory Continuation and Improvement of Tax Increment Financing SB 239 0734 Edward Buttrey Generally revise tax increment financing districts Chapter Number Assigned
2010-22 Technology Districts --- 0735 Edward Buttrey Allow Montana businesses to participate in technology districts Draft Died in Process*
2012-01 Automatic Re-Registration of Absentee Ballots HB 510 0496 Pat Ingraham Eliminate requirement for annual absentee forms Chapter Number Assigned
2012-02 Board of Adjustment Appeals --- --- --- --- ---
2012-03 Commissioner District Redistricting HB 164 1413 Amanda Curtis Revise county commissioner district laws related to time periods Chapter Number Assigned
2012-04 County Elected Official Vacancies SB 132 1172 Greg Jergeson Revise statutory dates related to filling mid-term county elected office Chapter Number Assigned
2012-05 EMS Council Run Review --- --- --- --- ---
2012-06 Equipment Auction Limits HB 371 1286 Pat Ingraham Revise county public auction laws Chapter Number Assigned
2012-07 Fuel Tax Bid Limits HB 194 1145 Pat Ingraham Revise gasoline and vehicle fuel tax fund laws Chapter Number Assigned
2012-08 Interim Appointments HB 193 1055 Roger Hagan Authorize interim appointments of county elected officials Chapter Number Assigned
2012-09 Justice Court Filing Fees HB 206 1064 Kelly Flynn Increase justice court filing fees Chapter Number Assigned
2012-10 Legal Holidays HB 325 0736 Keith Regier Revising local government legal holiday laws Chapter Number Assigned
2012-11 Livestock Assessment Date SB 72 0724 Debby Barrett Revise the livestock per-capita assessment date Chapter Number Assigned
2012-12 Medical Marijuana Ordinance Authority n/a n/a n/a n/a Bill not needed--current law stands.
2012-13 MT Land Information Act Funding n/a n/a n/a n/a Not going forward.
2012-14 Noxious Weed Act Compliance SB 301 1315 Terry Murphy Revise noxious weed laws Chapter Number Assigned
2012-15 Open Cut Permit Fees SB 234 0915 Jim Peterson Provisional permits for gravel pits (S) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal*
SB 332 1261 Bruce Tutvedt Generally revise open-cut laws Chapter Number Assigned
Replacement for SB 234, Provisional permits for gravel pits (Jim Peterson)
2012-16 Overweight Permit Fees HB 216 1104 Alan Doane Revise laws related to distribution of overweight and oversize permit fees (S) Died in Standing Committee*
2012-17 Public Safety Communications System --- 1296 Steve Lavin Revise public safety communication laws Draft Died in Process*
2012-18 School Zone Speed Limits SB 161 1353 Mitch Tropila Revise school zone speeding laws for state highways Chapter Number Assigned
2012-19 Special Use Fuel Permit Bond SB 116 0156 Ron Arthun Revise special fuel user permit requirements on local government projects Chapter Number Assigned
2012-20 State Agency Coordination HB 326 0441 Kelly Flynn Require state coordination with local governments when requested (H) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal*
2012-EC1
(Exec-Comm. Approved)		 Publication Notice HB 258 1523 Bridget Smith Revise local government laws related to public notice Chapter Number Assigned

* after a status indicates the bill is probably dead:"Probably Dead" is a Bill Progress Category and is assigned to those bills that have been voted down or missed a transmittal deadline and to those bill drafts that have been canceled. To revive a bill that is "probably dead" typically requires a supermajority vote (usually a 2/3 vote) by the House or Senate.

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Interim Meetings & Updates

Legislative Fiscal Division's Chart - Medicaid Enrollment #3
November 26, 2013

This week's chart is the third in a series on Medicaid.  Lois Steinbeck, Senior Fiscal Analyst compiled this chart that shows annual per person cost for Medicaid services by age for FY 2011.

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Legislative Fiscal Division's Chart - Medicaid Enrollment #2
November 21, 2013

This week's chart compiled by Lois Steinbeck, Senior Fiscal Analyst, shows the percent of the average monthly Medicaid enrollment by eligibility category compared to the percent of cost for FY 2011.

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Legislative Fiscal Division's Chart - Medicaid Enrollment
November 13, 2013

This week's chart, prepared by Senior Fiscal Analyst Lois Steinbeck, starts a three week series on Medicaid data.  The first chart shows historical Medicaid enrollment from July 2002 - August 2013.

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RTIC Seeks Public Input onTaxpayer Appeal Process
November 6, 2013
Megan Moore, Committee Staff, Revenue & Transportation Interim Committee

The Revenue and Transportation Interim Committee meets next on December 4-5 in Helena and is seeking public comment as part of the Senate Joint Resolution No. 23 study of the taxpayer appeal process. The Committee received background information about the county and state tax appeal board processes at the September meeting and is now moving into the phase of the study aimed at identifying issues.

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Legislative Fiscal Division's Chart - OPD Cases 2
November 6, 2013

This is the second in a two week series of charts prepared by Greg DeWitt that shows the Office of Public Defender caseload types and costs by case type.

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MACo JPIA Regional Training Registration small sticky image

Michele Puiggari, Personnel Consultant, will be presenting topics pertaining to Bullying in the Workplace, Effective Screening and Interviewing with class vignettes, Discipline: How to write a discipline (with class participation vignettes) and New ADA issues.  These trainings qualify for loss control credits and law enforcement will receive POST credits.  All trainings are scheduled for 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on their respective days:

  • January 14, 2014 - Polson
  • January 28, 2014 - Great Falls
  • April 22, 2014 - Glasgow
  • April 23, 2014 - Miles City
  • April 24, 2014 - Billings
  • April 25, 2014 - Butte

If you are signing up multiple people, please submit one registration per person.

MEMO: Courthouse Closures on Non-Legal Holidays small sticky image

Posted Date: 
November 20, 2013
Contact: 
Mike Sehestedt, MACo General Counsel & Personnel Services

To:  All County Elected Officials

MACo has been asked whether or not County Courthouses and County Offices may be closed on the day after Thanksgiving (or on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, Good Friday or any other day not specified as a holiday).  The short answer to the question is no for all of the line county offices headed by elected officials with the notable exception of the County Commissioner’s office.

ANNOUNCEMENT: MACo 2015 Annual Conference Location small sticky image

Posted Date: 
November 7, 2013
Contact: 
Karen Houston, Meeting Planner, Montana Association of Counties

As a result of the recommendation made by the MACo Conference Planning Committee to the Executive Committee, the MACo 2015 Annual Conference will be held at Big Sky and will be co-hosted by Madison and Gallatin Counties.

2013-2014 MACo Committees & Members

MACo committee assignments for 2013-2014.

Why Counties Matter

Counties provide the services on which people depend; they are the service arm of government services and provide the building blocks for healthy, resilient and fiscally sound communities.  Find out more about why counties matter, from providing simple services like flu shots to managing disasters in our communities.  Simply click on the video below for some quick education, or click here to download a PDF.

Current Issue of MACo News

December 2013

MACo News: Volume 42, No. 12

IN THIS ISSUE:  In this issue, read about the passing of Keith Stapely, MACo Claims Administrator, who will be greatly missed; check out a message from MACo President, Cascade County Commissioner, Joe Briggs; find out more about closing courthouses on non-legal holidays; review the 2014 New Year's Resolutions; see about reusing shingles for use on roads;   be "in the know" about what is occurring on the national level with news from NACo, and more!

Read This Issue

Recent County, State & National News

2014 Standard Mileage Rates Announced
December 6, 2013

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service issued the 2014 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.

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More News

MEMO: Courthouse Closures on Non-Legal Holidays
EPA Offers Funding to Reduce Pollution from Diesel Engines
Reclamation and Development Grants Program Planning Grants Now Available

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NACo Prescription Discount Card Program - Learn More

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