The bill mandates that the state of Montana and Lake County must agree on the amount of reimbursement for the state assuming criminal jurisdiction over the Flathead Reservation. It amends Section 2-1-301 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to require the legislature to appropriate funds to the Department of Justice, which will then reimburse Lake County based on a mutually agreed amount. The bill stipulates that this agreement must be reached by March 1 of each odd-numbered year, and if no agreement is made or if the legislature fails to appropriate the agreed amount by May 1, the state will automatically assume criminal jurisdiction starting July 1 of that year.

Additionally, the bill repeals Section 5 of Chapter 556 from the Laws of 2021, which previously set a termination date for the assumption of jurisdiction. The new provisions ensure that the reimbursement amount is adjusted annually based on the consumer price index and establish an immediate effective date upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2-1-301