Senate Bill 537 seeks to revise the distribution of marijuana tax revenue in Montana by establishing several new state special revenue accounts dedicated to wildlife and habitat conservation. These accounts include the Habitat Legacy Account, the Big Game and Wildlife Highway Crossings and Accommodation Account, the Land and Wildlife Stewardship State Special Revenue Account, and the Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project State Special Revenue Account. The bill also provides for appropriations to support law enforcement and homeless shelters through the Healing and Ending Addiction Through Recovery and Treatment Account (HEART). Notably, it removes the requirement for a fee for certain law enforcement grant applications and increases the allocation of funds to the HEART account while redistributing funds to various wildlife and law enforcement initiatives.

Additionally, the bill amends existing sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to clarify definitions related to wildlife habitat improvement projects and the roles of advisory councils. It expands eligible activities for wildlife habitat improvement projects, allowing for improvements to both terrestrial and aquatic habitats, participation in water enhancement projects, and addressing detrimental impacts on wildlife habitats. The bill also modifies administrative cost limits for the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and establishes a scoring system for project proposals. The effective date for the bill is set for July 1, 2025, with coordination instructions to ensure consistency with related legislation.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_1(1): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_1(2): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_1(3): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_1(4): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_1(5): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_1(6): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_1(7): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_1: 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_2(1): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_2(2): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_2(3): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_2: 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X(1): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X(10): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X(11): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X(12): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X(13): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X(2): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X(3): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X(4): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X(5): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X(6): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X(7): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X(8): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X(9): 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808
SB0537_X: 16-12-111, 16-12-122, 87-5-802, 87-5-803, 87-5-804, 87-5-806, 87-5-808