All Roll Calls
Yes: 493 • No: 2
MontanaHB 25069th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)HouseWALLET
Generally revise education laws related to out-of-district attendance.
Sponsored By: David Bedey (Republican)
Signed by Governor
Education - K-12Taxation--PropertyEducation - School Finance
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 6 mixed.
How much districts pay for tuition
Your home district pays the attending district regular tuition, prorated for the student’s actual days enrolled. If a nonresident student turns 18 and becomes a resident during the year, tuition stays paid for the rest of that school year. The payment amount equals the smaller of the two districts’ BASE and over‑BASE levy shares of their general fund, capped at 35.3% of the tuition per‑ANB. If the home district is nonoperating, use the attending district’s share, also capped at 35.3%. If House Bill 156 also becomes law, nonoperating‑district tuition is tied to the attending district’s over‑BASE share and may not exceed 20% of the tuition per‑ANB.
New rules to enroll across districts
Schools must enroll resident students first and give set priority to some nonresident students. Trustees can set application timelines. Within 10 days of your application, the district tells you the expected decision date. Within 10 days of the decision, you get the approval or a specific denial reason with proof; approved agreements go to both county superintendents. Districts must deny if adding a student would break class‑size or teacher contact‑hour limits. They may also deny for past truancy, any expulsion, or suspensions in the last three school years (the suspension rule does not apply to students eligible for special education).
Remote classes across districts, with limits
Starting July 1, 2025, students may take a remote class from another district if their home district does not offer an equivalent course. Districts that offer remote classes must accept these students unless adding them would break accreditation class‑size rules. Students taught remotely count in the teaching district’s enrollment for state funding. Regular out‑of‑district tuition rules do not apply to remote instruction unless the student is enrolled and physically attends under an attendance agreement. The Superintendent will set rules to run and enforce this program.
Special and high‑cost placement tuition rules
When a child with a disability attends in another district, the home district pays regular tuition plus a special‑education tuition set under state rules. The receiving district must reduce that tuition by any funding it already gets for the student and may base it on the actual cost to provide a free appropriate public education. For Montana students without disabilities who need higher‑cost programs placed under law, the state pays extra only after subtracting 120% of the tuition per‑ANB and will pay no more than $2,500 per student. Starting July 1, 2025, the law confirms these tuition and transportation duties follow the student’s IEP placement decisions.
Who pays student transportation costs
If a parent requests the transfer, the parent pays for transportation, and the child is not an eligible transportee. If the child’s IEP includes transportation, the home district must pay for it. For transfers under 20‑5‑321(1)(a) or (1)(b), the home district must provide transportation. For placements under 20‑5‑321(1)(d) or (1)(e), the receiving district must provide transportation under federal rules. A district may not charge more than the home district’s average per‑student transport cost from the prior year. Every out‑of‑district agreement must state any transportation costs and who pays.
Lower levies from tuition accounting changes
Districts must count expected tuition receipts against their general‑fund levy and deposit tuition and transportation receipts in the correct funds. Extra tuition for students with disabilities or high‑cost programs goes to the miscellaneous programs fund. Certain reimbursements must go to the tuition fund and be used for out‑of‑state public school or day‑treatment tuition. These rules can slightly lower local property tax levies. Starting July 1, 2025, a district that is not operating a school uses a nonoperating fund to pay tuition to other districts, pupil transportation, and property upkeep.
Deadlines to bill and report tuition
By July 15 after the attendance year, the attending district must tell the home district what tuition is owed. The home district must pay at least 50% by December 31 of the next school fiscal year and the rest by June 15, using the tuition fund, transportation fund, general fund, or other legal funds; nonoperating districts use the nonoperating fund. To receive state reimbursement, trustees must file a report to the Superintendent by June 30 with required student and cost details.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
David Bedey
Republican • House
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/11/2025
Do Concur
Yes: 100 • No: 0
House vote • 4/11/2025
Do Concur
Yes: 98 • No: 1
Senate vote • 4/2/2025
Do Concur
Yes: 49 • No: 1
Senate vote • 4/1/2025
Do Concur
Yes: 47 • No: 0
House vote • 2/7/2025
Do Pass
Yes: 99 • No: 0
House vote • 2/6/2025
Do Pass
Yes: 100 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Chapter Number Assigned
5/8/2025HouseSigned by Governor
5/5/2025HouseTransmitted to Governor
4/25/2025HouseSigned by President
4/25/2025SenateSigned by Speaker
4/23/2025HouseReturned from Enrolling
4/14/2025HouseSent to Enrolling
4/11/2025House3rd Reading Senate Amendments
4/11/2025House2nd Reading Senate Amendments
4/11/2025HouseReturned to House with Amendments
4/2/2025Senate3rd Reading
4/2/2025Senate2nd Reading
4/1/2025SenateCommittee Report
3/28/2025SenateCommittee Executive Action
3/27/2025SenateHearing
3/19/2025SenateHearing Canceled
3/17/2025SenateReferred to Committee
2/20/2025Senate1st Reading
2/10/2025SenateTransmitted to Senate
2/7/2025House3rd Reading
2/7/2025House2nd Reading
2/6/2025HouseCommittee Report
2/4/2025HouseCommittee Executive Action
2/3/2025HouseCommittee Executive Action
2/3/2025HouseHearing
1/22/2025House
Bill Text
Enrolled
4/15/2025
As Amended (Version 2)
3/28/2025
Introduced
1/17/2025
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