# Montana HB 118: Revise the Montana interstate compact on educational opportunities for military children Montana HB 118, Revise the Montana interstate compact on educational opportunities for military children, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Ed Buttrey (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-04-03 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB118-2025 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Montana HB 118 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Revise the Montana interstate compact on educational opportunities for military children - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-06 - Last action: 2025-04-03, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Ed Buttrey (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Military Affairs, Minors, Education - K-12 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (294 yes, 2 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - On-time graduation for transferring seniors: benefit, high. Schools must waive course requirements if a military student already finished similar classes, or give another way to meet them. The receiving state accepts exit or end‑of‑course exams or other allowed tests from the sending state instead of its own graduation tests. If a senior cannot meet the new… - Easier school moves for military kids: benefit, medium. This law makes school transfers smoother for children in military families. Schools must enroll students right away using unofficial records and get the official files within 10 days. Kids keep their grade level and initial course and program placement, as long as the school offers it and there is… - Military kids keep school and activities: benefit, low. A military child placed with a noncustodial caregiver in a different area may keep attending their prior school. Schools must let qualified military students join extracurriculars even if deadlines passed. Superintendents may grant extra excused absences for time with a parent who is deploying, on… - School fee relief and clearer coverage for military kids: benefit, low. Schools cannot charge local tuition when a military child lives with a noncustodial parent or caregiver in another district. The law defines active duty to include full-time service and Guard or Reserve on Title 10 orders. This sets who qualifies for these school protections. - Montana sets up compact council and help: benefit, low. Montana creates a state council for the compact, led by the superintendent of public instruction, with members from schools, the military, and state government. The council appoints a military family education liaison to help families with school moves. The governor appoints a compact commissioner… - Amending, leaving, or ending the compact: mixed, low. Any change to the compact only takes effect if every member state enacts it into law. Montana can withdraw by repealing the compact statute or by letting that statute expire. If only one state remains in the compact, it dissolves, the Commission winds down, and any surplus funds are handled under i… - How the compact is funded and capped: mixed, low. The Commission can charge member states an annual assessment to fund its approved budget. Montana’s yearly payment cannot be more than the Commission’s per‑student amount times the latest count of military children in Montana. If Montana defaults, is suspended, or is terminated, its total responsib… - Interstate compact rules, data, enforcement: mixed, low. Montana adopts the interstate compact and creates a joint Commission across member states. The Commission can make rules that have the force of law in Montana after a public rulemaking process, hold public meetings with limited closed sessions, and collect standard data on student moves. Member sta… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Ed Buttrey (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Sue Vinton (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-17 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 48 | 1 | | | 2025-03-15 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 1 | | | 2025-01-24 | House | Do Pass | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2025-01-23 | House | Do Pass | pass | 99 | 0 | | ## Actions (28) - 2025-04-03: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-04-03: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-03-25: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-03-24: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-03-21: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-03-18: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-03-17: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-03-17: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-15: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-06: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-01-27: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-01-24: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-01-23: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-01-20: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-20: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-17: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-13: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-01-13: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-01-13: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-11: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-07: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-01-07: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-01-06: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-01-06: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-03-18: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=0f39da3b-ce43-49f4-9fc6-6af11e89f8cf) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-01-20: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=0202e2ff-0e28-4400-b1bc-3145ee53c998) - Introduced, 2025-01-06: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=21a5a6e4-9365-4922-886b-8ac659749833) ## Related bills - SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law (signed) - HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit (vetoed) - HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws (vetoed) - SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act (vetoed) - SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed) - SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=0f39da3b-ce43-49f4-9fc6-6af11e89f8cf) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=0202e2ff-0e28-4400-b1bc-3145ee53c998) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=21a5a6e4-9365-4922-886b-8ac659749833) ## Related - [SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB437-2025) - [HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB831-2025) - [HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB628-2025) - [SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB410-2025) - [SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025) - [SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025) - [Montana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana/bills) - [Montana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB118-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).