MontanaMeasure would direct marijuana tax revenue to health and wildlife programs
If enacted, SB 537 would direct marijuana-tax money to addiction services, wildlife habitat, roadway crossings, and law-enforcement programs.
What it does
After keeping a three-month operating reserve, marijuana account money would support addiction and mental health services, wildlife programs, law enforcement, and other listed purposes.
A habitat legacy account would receive designated marijuana revenue and use it for wildlife habitat, subject to an inflation-adjusted funding target and yearly balance checks.
A special account would pay for wildlife highway crossings and related projects, including federal matches, studies, construction, maintenance, and transportation reimbursements.
Argument forDirecting marijuana revenue to wildlife crossings and habitat work could help agencies fund projects without relying only on regular program budgets.
Argument againstLaw-enforcement agencies would face a $100 application fee for certain grants, which could make small departments less able to apply.
More detail
The Department of Revenue would distribute excess marijuana account money among addiction, mental health, wildlife, law-enforcement, park, trail, veteran, and other listed programs. The rules apply to money in the marijuana state special revenue account after the required operating reserve. Money could be distributed only after keeping enough for three months of operating costs at the start of the next fiscal year. Law-enforcement agencies seeking certain grants would submit an application with a $100 fee. The bill text contains overlapping old and replacement wording in some distribution provisions, so the exact shares cannot be confirmed from this printing. Transfers would occur at the end of each fiscal year and would apply to funds above the operating reserve.
The state would route designated marijuana revenue through a habitat legacy account for wildlife habitat work. The account would support wildlife habitat projects administered by the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. At the end of a fiscal year, up to 75% of designated funds could be transferred for wildlife habitat work, subject to a balance target adjusted for inflation. If the related habitat account had at least the inflation-adjusted $50 million target, the transfer could not be made. The remaining money would stay in the habitat legacy account for habitat, wildlife, and highway-crossing purposes. Transfers and balance checks would occur at the end of each fiscal year.
The state would use a special account to pay for fish and wildlife highway crossings and related safety features. Eligible uses would include studying, planning, designing, building, maintaining, and protecting crossings and related roadway accommodations. The account could receive transfers, gifts, grants, donations, investment income, and other allocated money. Money could match federal funding and could reimburse the Department of Transportation for eligible projects. The Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks would consult with the Department of Transportation before reimbursements. Unspent or unencumbered money from the previous two-year budget period would remain in the account.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Jul 11(S) Veto OverrideLatest
- Jun 11(S) Veto Override Vote in Progress
- Jun 6(S) Vetoed by Governor Greg GianforteMajor
- May 28(S) Transmitted to GovernorTo Governor
- May 23(H) Signed by SpeakerPassed House
- May 21(S) Signed by PresidentPassed Senate
- May 1(S) Returned from Enrolling
- Apr 29(S) Sent to Enrolling
- Vote recorded Do Pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 29(S) 3rd Reading House Amendments
- Apr 29(S) Scheduled for 3rd ReadingMinor
- Apr 28(S) 2nd Reading House AmendmentsMinor
- Vote recorded Do Pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 28(S) Scheduled for 2nd ReadingMinor
- Apr 25(H) Returned to Senate with Amendments
- Vote recorded Do Concur. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 25(H) 3rd Reading
- Apr 25(H) Scheduled for 3rd ReadingMinor
- Apr 24(H) Committee Report - (H) Appropriations
- Apr 24(S) Revised Fiscal Note Printed
- Apr 24(S) Fiscal Note Unsigned
- Apr 24(S) Revised Fiscal Note ReceivedMinor
- Apr 23(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Appropriations
- Vote recorded be_concurred_in. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 22(H) Hearing - (H) Appropriations
- Vote recorded Do Concur. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 22(H) Rereferred to Committee - (H) AppropriationsMinor
- Apr 22(H) 2nd ReadingMinor
- Apr 22(H) Scheduled for 2nd ReadingMinor
- Apr 17(S) Revised Fiscal Note Requested
- Vote recorded be_concurred_in_as_amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 17(H) Committee Report - (H) Taxation
- Apr 17(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Taxation
- Apr 9(H) Hearing - (H) Taxation
- Apr 7(H) 1st Reading
- Apr 7(H) Referred to Committee - (H) TaxationMinor
- Apr 5(S) Transmitted to House
- Vote recorded Do Pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded do_pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 5(S) 3rd Reading
- Apr 5(S) Committee Report - (S) Finance and Claims
- Apr 5(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Finance and Claims
- Apr 5(S) Hearing - (S) Finance and Claims
- Apr 5(S) Rereferred to Committee - (S) Finance and ClaimsMinor
- Apr 4(S) 2nd ReadingMinor
- Vote recorded Do Pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 3(S) Committee Report - (S) Judiciary
- Vote recorded do_pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 3(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Judiciary
- Apr 3(S) Fiscal Note Printed
- Apr 2(S) Fiscal Note Unsigned
- Apr 1(S) Hearing - (S) Judiciary
- Apr 1(S) Fiscal Note ReceivedMinor
- Mar 31(S) Hearing - (S) Judiciary
- Mar 31(S) Hearing Canceled - (S) Judiciary
- Mar 28(S) Hearing - (S) Judiciary
- Mar 27(S) Fiscal Note Requested
- Mar 25(S) Fiscal Note Requested
- Mar 25(S) Referred to Committee - (S) JudiciaryMinor
- Mar 25(S) 1st Reading
- Mar 24(S) Introduced
- Mar 24(LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
- Mar 21(LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
- Mar 21(LC) Draft in Assembly
- Mar 21(LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- Mar 21(LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
- Mar 20(LC) Draft in Edit
- Mar 20(LC) Draft in Legal Review
- Mar 14(LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
- Jan 21(LC) Draft On Hold
- 2024
- Sep 24(LC) Drafter AssignedIntroduced
Taxes & BudgetEnvironment & EnergyHealthcare