# Montana HB 85: Reinstating former employer contributions for JRS, HPORS, SRS, GWPORS Montana HB 85, Reinstating former employer contributions for JRS, HPORS, SRS, GWPORS, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Marta Bertoglio (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-16 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB85-2025 - 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 85 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Reinstating former employer contributions for JRS, HPORS, SRS, GWPORS - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2024-12-16 - Last action: 2025-05-16, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Marta Bertoglio (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Public Officers and Employees, Retirement - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 6 (409 yes, 85 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More state money for patrol pensions: benefit, medium. The state pays 38.33% of highway patrol pay into retirement, split as 28.15% from regular appropriations and 10.18% from the general fund. Each year starting July 1, 2023, the treasurer transfers $500,000 to the highway patrol pension fund by August 15, stopping only when the plan is 100% funded by… - Counties can levy for sheriffs' pensions: cost, low. Counties may raise a property tax to fund required sheriffs' employer pension payments when general revenue is not enough. This levy does not need voter approval and is not limited by the usual mill cap, but a public hearing is required. A levy used to fund the sheriffs' retirement is specifically… - Game wardens' employer pension rate set: cost, low. Employers must pay 10.56% of pay for members of the Game Wardens' and Peace Officers' Retirement System. The Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks must request budget funds to cover the state's share. - Sheriffs' pension rates and possible cut: mixed, medium. The law sets sheriffs' member contributions at 10.495% of pay. The rate must drop to 9.245% on the next July 1 if two tests are met: the latest actuarial study shows the plan pays off in under 25 years, and cutting rates will not push payoff over 25 years. Employers must pay 9.535% of pay plus extr… - Judges' pension employer rate trigger: mixed, medium. The state's employer contribution to the Judges' Retirement System is 0% of pay. For the chief water court judge, the state pays monthly from a natural resources operations special revenue account. If the judges' plan funded ratio falls below 120% in the most recent actuarial study, the employer ra… - Standard payoff timelines for pensions: mixed, medium. Retirement boards must set unfunded liability payments as a level share of salaries to pay off within 30 years or less. The law removes earlier special payoff rules for judges, highway patrol, sheriffs, and game wardens systems. - Pension changes timing and retroactivity: mixed, low. Most of the act takes effect July 1, 2025. Sections 6 through 9 and 12, and the dates section, take effect on passage and approval. Employer contribution rate changes for highway patrol, sheriffs, and game wardens apply back to July 1, 2023. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Marta Bertoglio (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-22 | House | Do Concur | pass | 83 | 15 | | | 2025-04-18 | House | Do Concur | pass | 96 | 2 | | | 2025-04-15 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 29 | 20 | | | 2025-04-10 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 27 | 23 | | | 2025-01-31 | House | Do Pass | pass | 93 | 6 | | | 2025-01-22 | House | Do Pass | pass | 81 | 19 | | ## Actions (48) - 2025-05-16: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-12: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-05-05: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-05-02: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-05-01: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-24: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-22: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-22: 3rd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-18: 2nd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-15: Returned to House with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-15: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-04-12: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-04-11: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-04-11: Revised Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-04-10: Rereferred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-04-10: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Revised Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-04-09: Revised Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-04-07: Revised Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-04-05: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-25: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-18: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-03: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-01-31: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-01-30: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-29: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-29: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-23: Revised Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-01-23: Revised Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-01-23: Revised Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-22: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-22: Hearing Canceled (House) - 2025-01-22: Rereferred to Committee (House) - 2025-01-22: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-01-20: Revised Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-01-17: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-17: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-09: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-01-08: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-01-07: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-06: 1st Reading (House) - 2024-12-20: Referred to Committee (House) - 2024-12-18: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2024-12-16: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-22: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e186be6a-1c1b-4c89-9e23-b3e6eca72752) - As Amended (Version 3), 2025-04-05: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=cf6676d6-6b4c-4aa2-9542-2ca33f69ac2e) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-01-17: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=9e18ac81-657b-4da4-9a04-29face37622a) - Introduced, 2024-12-16: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=6d2b2207-b93a-470a-891c-3e68bcb437c4) ## 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=e186be6a-1c1b-4c89-9e23-b3e6eca72752) - [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=cf6676d6-6b4c-4aa2-9542-2ca33f69ac2e) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=9e18ac81-657b-4da4-9a04-29face37622a) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=6d2b2207-b93a-470a-891c-3e68bcb437c4) ## 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-HB85-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).