# Montana SB 253: Revise administrative and certification processes for student scholarship organizations Montana SB 253, Revise administrative and certification processes for student scholarship organizations, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Sue Vinton (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-SB253-2025 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Montana SB 253 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Revise administrative and certification processes for student scholarship organizations - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-31 - Last action: 2025-05-16, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Sue Vinton (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Education - K-12, Taxation - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 8 (416 yes, 134 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Stricter money rules for scholarship groups: benefit, medium. Groups must use at least 90% of eligible donation revenue for scholarships each year, after subtracting the audit cost. Donations must be paid out within three calendar years. Groups must keep scholarship funds separate from operating funds and have a clear application process while following payme… - Parents can choose any qualified school: benefit, low. Scholarship groups cannot limit awards to one school or a type of provider. Parents can use scholarships at any qualified education provider. Each group must post its application steps and last year’s provider list on its website. The Department of Revenue posts the current certified groups, each g… - One-time $206,000 to Revenue Department: benefit, low. The law provides $206,000 from the general fund to the Department of Revenue for the two‑year budget starting July 1, 2025. Lawmakers intend this as a one‑time amount to run the new rules. - Scholarship amounts capped each year: cost, medium. A student’s scholarship for an academic year cannot be more than the per‑pupil average of total public school spending under 20‑9‑570. If a higher amount is requested, it is capped at that level. This cap starts October 1, 2025, and ends December 31, 2029. - New certification rules for scholarship groups: mixed, medium. Student scholarship groups must be certified by the Department of Revenue before taking donations that qualify for the state tax credit. The department decides within 60 days. If denied, a group has 30 days to fix problems; final denials cannot be appealed, but the group can apply again next tax ye… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Sue Vinton (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Randyn Gregg (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-29 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 49 | 1 | | | 2025-04-28 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 44 | 6 | | | 2025-04-24 | House | Do Concur | pass | 57 | 43 | | | 2025-04-23 | House | Do Concur | pass | 57 | 43 | | | 2025-04-15 | House | Do Concur | pass | 77 | 23 | | | 2025-03-21 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 45 | 5 | | | 2025-03-20 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 44 | 6 | | | 2025-02-28 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 43 | 7 | | ## Actions (51) - 2025-05-16: Chapter Number Assigned (Senate) - 2025-05-13: Signed by Governor (Senate) - 2025-05-05: Transmitted to Governor (Senate) - 2025-05-05: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-05-02: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-04-30: Returned from Enrolling (Senate) - 2025-04-29: Sent to Enrolling (Senate) - 2025-04-29: 3rd Reading House Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-28: 2nd Reading House Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-24: Returned to Senate with Amendments (House) - 2025-04-24: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-04-23: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-04-22: Revised Fiscal Note Printed (Senate) - 2025-04-22: Fiscal Note Unsigned (Senate) - 2025-04-22: Revised Fiscal Note Received (Senate) - 2025-04-18: Committee Report (House) - 2025-04-18: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-04-15: Hearing (House) - 2025-04-15: Rereferred to Committee (House) - 2025-04-15: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-04-09: Committee Report (House) - 2025-04-09: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-03-27: Revised Fiscal Note Printed (Senate) - 2025-03-27: Hearing (House) - 2025-03-26: Fiscal Note Unsigned (Senate) - 2025-03-26: Revised Fiscal Note Received (Senate) - 2025-03-24: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-03-24: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-03-21: Transmitted to House (Senate) - 2025-03-21: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-20: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Revised Fiscal Note Requested (Senate) - 2025-03-19: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-03-19: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-01: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-28: Rereferred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-28: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-25: Sponsor Rebuttal to Fiscal Note Printed (Senate) - 2025-02-25: Fiscal Note Printed (Senate) - 2025-02-24: 2nd Reading Pass Consideration (Senate) - 2025-02-24: Sponsor Rebuttal to Fiscal Note Signed (Senate) - 2025-02-24: Sponsor Rebuttal to Fiscal Note Received (Senate) - 2025-02-24: Fiscal Note Unsigned (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Fiscal Note Received (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Fiscal Note Requested (Senate) - 2025-02-06: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-03: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Introduced (Senate) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-29: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=8fc79241-f9db-416c-86a5-da9cb9562dea) - As Amended (Version 3), 2025-04-18: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=7fd5a82b-305c-41c4-b210-86c2587a6eb9) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-03-19: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=edea965a-4272-415a-9189-6dedabdb206c) - Introduced, 2025-01-31: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=9fa6436d-9da2-49b1-9d3c-81f3ffc607d8) ## 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=8fc79241-f9db-416c-86a5-da9cb9562dea) - [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=7fd5a82b-305c-41c4-b210-86c2587a6eb9) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=edea965a-4272-415a-9189-6dedabdb206c) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=9fa6436d-9da2-49b1-9d3c-81f3ffc607d8) ## 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-SB253-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).