# Montana SB 278: Revise education laws to support advanced opportunities Montana SB 278, Revise education laws to support advanced opportunities, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Sara Novak (Democrat); status signed, last action 2025-05-13 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB278-2025 - 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 278 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Revise education laws to support advanced opportunities - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-06 - Last action: 2025-05-13, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Sara Novak (Democrat) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Developmental Disabilities, Education - K-12, Education - School Finance, Education - Post-Secondary, Education - Technical and Trades - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 6 (303 yes, 95 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Advanced Opportunities aid rates and timing: benefit, medium. Starting July 1, 2025, qualified school districts get Advanced Opportunities aid based on last year’s quality educator payment. Elementary districts get 4.5%, high school districts get 30%, and K‑12 districts get 18%. The superintendent must pay qualified districts by October 1 each year into the d… - Most aid must cut student costs: benefit, medium. Starting July 1, 2025, districts must spend at least 75% of Advanced Opportunities aid on students’ out‑of‑pocket costs in grades 6–12. This can pay dual‑credit tuition, exam fees, work‑based learning costs (including workers’ comp), credential exams, enrichment activities, and other student‑reques… - Clear applications, deadlines, and progress reports: benefit, low. Starting July 1, 2025, a school board must submit an approved application on the superintendent’s form with a strategic plan and measurable goals. The plan must create an individualized advanced opportunity plan for each participating student in grades 6–12 and ensure equal access. The board of pub… - Facilitators help students and boost funding: benefit, low. Starting July 1, 2025, qualified districts may hire an advanced opportunity facilitator to connect students and families with dual credit, work‑based learning, credentials, and community partners. Districts can use program funds and other allowed spending to pay for this role. When facilitators are… - Funding cap limits district participation: cost, medium. Starting July 1, 2025, the board limits how many districts can qualify based on available funding for the next year. If money runs out, districts are prioritized by the date their applications were received. If an application is deferred, the district must update it each year after one full fiscal… - Technical tie-in with another education bill: mixed, low. If this law and House Bill 252 both pass and HB 252 also amends the same section, this law’s change to that section is void. In that case, HB 252 must include advanced opportunity facilitators as eligible for the quality educator payment. This rule only decides which bill’s wording applies. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Sara Novak (Democrat), Senate - Cosponsor: Eric Tilleman (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-17 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 36 | 14 | | | 2025-04-16 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 46 | 4 | | | 2025-04-11 | House | Do Concur | pass | 75 | 24 | | | 2025-04-11 | House | Do Concur | pass | 70 | 30 | | | 2025-03-04 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 38 | 12 | | | 2025-02-28 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 38 | 11 | | ## Actions (39) - 2025-05-13: 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) - 2025-04-29: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-04-20: Returned from Enrolling (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Sent to Enrolling (Senate) - 2025-04-17: 3rd Reading House Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-16: 2nd Reading House Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-15: 2nd Reading Pass Consideration (Senate) - 2025-04-11: Returned to Senate with Amendments (House) - 2025-04-11: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-04-11: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-04-10: Committee Report (House) - 2025-04-09: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-04-09: Hearing (House) - 2025-04-09: Rereferred to Committee (House) - 2025-04-08: Committee Report (House) - 2025-04-07: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-04-03: Hearing (House) - 2025-03-06: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-03-05: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-03-04: Transmitted to House (Senate) - 2025-03-04: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-03: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-03-03: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-01: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-28: Rereferred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-28: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-26: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-02-25: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Fiscal Note Printed (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Fiscal Note Signed (Senate) - 2025-02-17: Fiscal Note Received (Senate) - 2025-02-10: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-07: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-07: Fiscal Note Requested (Senate) - 2025-02-06: Introduced (Senate) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-17: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=6239c909-320f-4fc2-b880-096336d81020) - As Amended (Version 3), 2025-04-08: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=79800e4f-4a1c-4c13-a3b1-af6a32e422e0) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-26: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=17bf6981-a7e7-45d6-b306-68f4719ce456) - Introduced, 2025-02-06: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=1343c437-98c1-4492-9eee-8bef5529ee2f) ## 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=6239c909-320f-4fc2-b880-096336d81020) - [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=79800e4f-4a1c-4c13-a3b1-af6a32e422e0) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=17bf6981-a7e7-45d6-b306-68f4719ce456) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=1343c437-98c1-4492-9eee-8bef5529ee2f) ## 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-SB278-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).