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MontanaHB 56769th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)House

Revise education laws related to multidistrict agreements

Sponsored By: Brad Barker (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Education - K-12CountiesEducation - School Finance

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

50% educator payment for county partnerships

Beginning in school fiscal year 2027, districts that meet the countywide resource‑sharing goal get a 50% increase in their total quality educator payment. To qualify, the agreement must include all districts with a majority of their territory in the county. It must jointly fund and operate services and commit at least each district’s general fund direct state aid to shared operations. Partners jointly set and finance key programs like administration, instruction (including remote), career and technical education, food service, IT, extracurriculars, special education, and transportation. Activities must meet state accreditation standards, and staff sharing is allowed when consistent with collective bargaining and set by local boards.

Easier school district partnerships and sharing

Beginning July 1, 2025, school boards can form a multidistrict cooperative to run services and programs together and pool funding. Cooperatives may include public or private partners if school laws are followed. Agreements can offer culturally rooted instruction or Indian language immersion across districts, with costs written into the agreement. Every agreement must spell out how a district can exit and how to dissolve and handle leftover funds. The old 3‑year cap is removed, and districts in a countywide cooperative can still join other agreements or create multicounty regional partnerships.

New rules for school cooperative funds

Beginning July 1, 2025, districts can move money into an interlocal cooperative fund from their general fund and most other funds. Transfers from retirement and debt service funds are not allowed, and federally restricted dollars can move only if federal rules allow it. A general fund transfer cannot be more than the district’s direct state aid, and spending from the cooperative fund cannot exceed the original fund’s approved budget, including any amendments. If money came from a fund backed by a nonvoted levy, the district cannot raise that levy to replace it.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Brad Barker

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 455 • No: 37

House vote • 4/16/2025

Do Concur

Yes: 95 • No: 2

House vote • 4/15/2025

Do Concur

Yes: 100 • No: 0

Senate vote • 4/10/2025

Do Concur

Yes: 42 • No: 6

Senate vote • 4/5/2025

Do Concur

Yes: 43 • No: 7

House vote • 3/6/2025

Do Pass

Yes: 88 • No: 11

House vote • 3/4/2025

Do Pass

Yes: 87 • No: 11

Actions Timeline

  1. Chapter Number Assigned

    5/13/2025House

  2. Signed by Governor

    5/8/2025House

  3. Transmitted to Governor

    5/2/2025House

  4. Signed by President

    5/2/2025Senate

  5. Signed by Speaker

    4/29/2025House

  6. Returned from Enrolling

    4/19/2025House

  7. Sent to Enrolling

    4/16/2025House

  8. 3rd Reading Senate Amendments

    4/16/2025House

  9. 2nd Reading Senate Amendments

    4/15/2025House

  10. Returned to House with Amendments

    4/10/2025Senate

  11. 3rd Reading

    4/10/2025Senate

  12. Committee Report

    4/9/2025Senate

  13. Committee Executive Action

    4/9/2025Senate

  14. Hearing

    4/7/2025Senate

  15. Rereferred to Committee

    4/5/2025Senate

  16. 2nd Reading

    4/5/2025Senate

  17. Committee Report

    4/2/2025Senate

  18. Committee Executive Action

    4/1/2025Senate

  19. Hearing

    3/24/2025Senate

  20. Referred to Committee

    3/14/2025Senate

  21. 1st Reading

    3/14/2025Senate

  22. Transmitted to Senate

    3/6/2025House

  23. 3rd Reading

    3/6/2025House

  24. Committee Report

    3/4/2025House

  25. Committee Executive Action

    3/4/2025House

Bill Text

  • Enrolled

    4/17/2025

    PDF

  • As Amended (Version 2)

    4/2/2025

    PDF

  • Introduced

    2/19/2025

    PDF

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