The bill aims to revise the unemployment insurance program in Montana by enhancing program integrity, adjusting collection rates, and creating a lower tax schedule for employer classifications. Key amendments include the introduction of a new tax schedule for eligible employers, which lowers contribution rates, and the ability to carry forward penalty and interest money across fiscal years. The bill also clarifies the duties of the Department of Labor and Industry in verifying the identity of benefit applicants and cross-matching them with various databases, including motor vehicle records, to ensure eligibility.

Additionally, the bill amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) related to unemployment insurance, including provisions for penalties associated with false statements made to obtain benefits. It specifies that 70% of collected penalties will be allocated to a designated account for detecting unpaid taxes and overpayments, while the remaining 30% will go to the unemployment insurance fund. The bill repeals Section 39-51-703 and introduces limited disclosure of personal information from motor vehicle records for unemployment insurance program integrity purposes. The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025, with certain sections becoming effective upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_1(1): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_1(10): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_1(11): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_1(12): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_1(2): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_1(3): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_1(4): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_1(5): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_1(6): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_1(7): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_1(8): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_1(9): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_1: 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_2: 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_X(1): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_X(2): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_X(3): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_X(4): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_X(5): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_X(6): 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508
HB0210_X: 39-51-702, 39-51-706, 39-51-1218, 39-51-3201, 39-51-3202, 61-11-508