# Montana SB 177: Allow community choice school commission to seek public funding

Montana SB 177, Allow community choice school commission to seek public funding, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Sue Vinton (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-08 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB177-2025
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Montana SB 177
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Allow community choice school commission to seek public funding
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-21
- Last action: 2025-05-08, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Sue Vinton (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Subjects: Education - K-12, Education - School Finance
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (193 yes, 105 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- New statewide choice school commission: benefit, low. The law creates a statewide Community Choice School Commission. It is attached to the Board of Public Education and under the board’s general supervision. The commission approves who can authorize community choice schools. It has seven members: 2 named by the governor; 1 by the superintendent; 1 by…
- Open meetings and annual school reports: benefit, low. All commission meetings are open to the public. Each year by August 1, the commission reports to the State Board of Public Education. Reports include academic performance and financial results for each choice school the commission authorizes.
- Public and private funding for choice schools: benefit, low. The commission can accept private gifts and donations that fit the law’s purposes. Money goes into the state community choice school account. The commission can use it for its operations or give it to choice schools. The commission may also seek and receive public funding that aligns with these pur…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Sue Vinton (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Kenneth Bogner (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Randyn Gregg (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-11 | House | Do Concur | pass | 57 | 42 |   |
| 2025-04-10 | House | Do Concur | pass | 58 | 42 |   |
| 2025-02-06 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 38 | 11 |   |
| 2025-02-05 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 40 | 10 |   |

## Actions (25)

- 2025-05-08: Chapter Number Assigned (Senate)
- 2025-05-05: Signed by Governor (Senate)
- 2025-04-25: Transmitted to Governor (Senate)
- 2025-04-25: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-21: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-04-12: Returned from Enrolling (Senate)
- 2025-04-11: Sent to Enrolling (Senate)
- 2025-04-11: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-04-10: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-03-29: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-03-28: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-03-21: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-18: Fiscal Note Requested (Senate)
- 2025-02-07: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-02-07: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-06: Transmitted to House (Senate)
- 2025-02-06: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-05: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-04: 2nd Reading Pass Consideration (Senate)
- 2025-01-31: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-01-30: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-01-21: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-01-21: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-01-21: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-01-21: Introduced (Senate)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3dbe62b5-3622-4ce2-8f80-834201122a6b)
- Introduced, 2025-01-20: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=7b18d546-207d-4e44-97ee-b7e42c8526be)

## 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 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed)
- SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed)

## Sources
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3dbe62b5-3622-4ce2-8f80-834201122a6b)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=7b18d546-207d-4e44-97ee-b7e42c8526be)

## 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 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025)
- [SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025)
- [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-SB177-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).