# Montana HB 863: Generally revise state finance laws Montana HB 863, Generally revise state finance laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Llew Jones (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-19 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB863-2025 - 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 863 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Generally revise state finance laws - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-03-25 - Last action: 2025-05-19, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Llew Jones (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: State Finance, Appropriations - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 14 (586 yes, 409 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 9 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More funding for court fitness evaluations: benefit, medium. The state provides a one‑time $7.35 million in the 2025–2027 biennium. The money funds community‑based, court‑ordered forensic fitness evaluations. This expands evaluation access and capacity. - Market wage raises for state workers: benefit, medium. The state studies market pay and can give agencies money to raise executive‑branch wages where pay lags the market. The biennium starting July 1, 2025 includes $25.8 million for these raises. The budget director must approve transfers. Approved raises increase base pay and stay in agency base budge… - Lodging tax money to tourism and heritage: benefit, medium. Starting July 1, 2027, 63% of lodging (accommodations) tax receipts go to the Department of Commerce for tourism and related programs. Each year, $400,000 from these taxes goes to the Montana Heritage Preservation and Development account. For the 2025–2027 biennium, $250,000 per year goes to the Mo… - Interest relief for 2024 tax underpayment: benefit, low. If you underpaid 2024 Montana estimated taxes, the Department of Revenue can waive the interest. You must file your 2024 return on time and pay any remaining tax when you file. This waiver power applies only to 2024 underpayments and ends January 1, 2026. - Study of state-run health facilities: benefit, low. The budget office studies principal departments and state‑owned health and long‑term care facilities. The study reviews operations, staffing, outcomes, contracting, and compliance. It must finish by September 1, 2026. The law provides $350,000 in the 2025–2027 biennium to complete this work. - Trade funding for Montana-Ireland work: benefit, low. The Department of Commerce gets $250,000 in the 2025–2027 biennium to carry out Montana‑Ireland trade and development work under SB 320. Lawmakers state intent to include this funding in the base budget for the next biennium starting July 1, 2027. - Property tax changes for homes and businesses: mixed, high. Beginning June 30, 2025, the residential class four tax rate drops from 1.35% to 0.76% of market value. For single‑family homes, the value over $1,500,000 is taxed at 1.4 times that rate. Commercial property is taxed at 1.4 times the residential rate, and certain golf courses pay half the commercia… - Triggers for 2027 special session funding: mixed, medium. The law encourages a 2027‑biennium special session if big federal revenue cuts or a U.S. recession hit. Triggers include losses over $500 million or $300 million as listed, or a recession before September 1, 2026. If a qualifying special session is held, $280,000 is available to the Legislative Ser… - How the state counts general revenue: mixed, low. Starting June 30, 2025, “general revenue appropriations” include money from the general fund and the school equalization and property tax reduction account. This is a budgeting and accounting change. It affects how the state classifies and tracks funds, not your tax bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Llew Jones (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-30 | House | Do Concur | pass | 55 | 45 | | | 2025-04-30 | House | Do Concur | pass | 59 | 41 | | | 2025-04-29 | House | ReconsAction and place on the 85th day - Howell | pass | 58 | 39 | | | 2025-04-29 | House | Do Concur | fail | 38 | 62 | | | 2025-04-25 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 28 | 21 | | | 2025-04-23 | Senate | Rerefer to Tax-Usher | fail | 21 | 29 | | | 2025-04-23 | Senate | AMD-HB0863.001.012 Mr. President D/PASS | fail | 18 | 32 | | | 2025-04-23 | Senate | AMD-HB0863.001.017 Kassmier D/PASS | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-04-23 | Senate | AMD-HB0863.001.023 Flowers D/PASS | pass | 29 | 21 | | | 2025-04-23 | Senate | Do Concur As Amended | pass | 28 | 22 | | | 2025-04-23 | Senate | AMD-HB0863.001.019 Esp D/PASS | fail | 19 | 31 | | | 2025-04-17 | Senate | Take HB 863 from Comm-Kassmier | pass | 26 | 24 | | | 2025-03-31 | House | Do Pass | pass | 78 | 21 | | | 2025-03-29 | House | Do Pass | pass | 79 | 21 | | ## Actions (33) - 2025-05-19: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-13: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-05-07: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-05-06: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-05-05: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-05-01: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-30: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-30: 3rd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-30: 2nd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-29: Reconsidered Previous Action (House) - 2025-04-29: 2nd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-25: Returned to House with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-25: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-23: Motion (Senate) - 2025-04-23: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-23: 2nd Reading Motion to Amend (Senate) - 2025-04-23: 2nd Reading Motion to Amend (Senate) - 2025-04-23: 2nd Reading Motion to Amend (Senate) - 2025-04-23: 2nd Reading Motion to Amend (Senate) - 2025-04-18: 2nd Reading Pass Consideration (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Take from Committee; Place on 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-04-01: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-03-31: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-03-29: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-03-27: Committee Report (House) - 2025-03-27: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-03-26: Hearing (House) - 2025-03-26: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-03-26: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-03-25: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-30: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3ebc01d9-b5f8-4917-8ed0-a6d59415a4c6) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-04-23: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=76f747f5-b9c3-4f73-baa8-4fb84b4ea092) - Introduced, 2025-03-25: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3840e0be-ca6f-409e-bbba-df9714c975de) ## 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=3ebc01d9-b5f8-4917-8ed0-a6d59415a4c6) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=76f747f5-b9c3-4f73-baa8-4fb84b4ea092) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3840e0be-ca6f-409e-bbba-df9714c975de) ## 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-HB863-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).