House Bill No. 69 revises the fee structure for hard rock and rock products mining in Montana, introducing a tiered system for various permits and applications. The bill establishes a new application fee structure, replacing the previous basic permit fee of $500 with a tiered fee system where most applicants will pay $5,000, while those primarily mining rock products will pay $500. It also introduces an annual administrative fee of $100 for small miners, along with a late fee of $100 for non-compliance with annual reporting requirements. The bill creates a hard-rock mining permitting program account to manage the funds collected from these fees, which will be used for the administration and enforcement of mining regulations.

Additionally, the bill modifies the annual reporting requirements for permit holders, changing the flat $100 fee to a tiered structure based on the size of the mining operation, with fees ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the acreage disturbed. It establishes specific fees for minor and major amendments to permits, with a $100 fee for minor amendments and a $5,000 fee for major amendments, while also allowing for reduced fees for those primarily mining rock products. The bill outlines necessary information for permit applications and conditions for permit denial, including previous violations of environmental laws. The provisions of this act are set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and will be codified as part of Title 82, chapter 4, part 3 of the Montana Code Annotated.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_1(1): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_1(2): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_1(3): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_1(4): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_1(5): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_1(6): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_1(7): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_1: 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_X(1): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_X(2): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_X(3): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_X(4): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_X(5): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_X(6): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_X(7): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_X(8): 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343
HB0069_X: 82-4-305, 82-4-311, 82-4-331, 82-4-332, 82-4-335, 82-4-339, 82-4-342, 82-4-343