The bill amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to facilitate the deposit of revenue from school equalization levies into the newly established School Equalization and Property Tax Reduction Account. Key amendments include the replacement of references to the "state general fund" with the "school equalization and property tax reduction account" in multiple sections, specifically in Sections 17-3-222, 20-9-331, and 20-9-333. Additionally, the bill modifies the distribution of bentonite tax proceeds, ensuring that a significant portion is allocated to the new account rather than the state general fund.

The bill also outlines the distribution of taxes collected from bentonite mines, specifying that 20.75% of the tax will go to the school equalization and property tax reduction account, while 77.95% will be allocated to the county where production occurs. Furthermore, it mandates that any surplus funds from the basic county tax levies for both elementary and high school equalization be remitted to the new account. The effective date for these changes is set for July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_1(1): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_1(2): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_1(3): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_1(4): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_1(5): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_1(6): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_1: 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_2(1): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_2(10): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_2(2): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_2(3): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_2(4): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_2(5): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_2(6): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_2(7): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_2(8): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_2(9): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_2: 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_3: 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(1): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(10): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(11): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(12): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(13): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(14): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(2): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(3): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(4): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(5): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(6): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(7): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(8): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X(9): 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333
HB0018_X: 15-39-110, 17-3-222, 20-9-331, 20-9-332, 20-9-333