This bill establishes priorities for the awarding of cultural and aesthetic project grants in Montana and appropriates funds for these grants. The Montana Arts Council is tasked with awarding grants based on the amounts specified in the bill, with a total of $953,500 allocated from the cultural and aesthetic projects trust fund for the biennium ending June 30, 2027. Additionally, $30,000 is specifically appropriated to the Montana Historical Society for the care and conservation of Capitol complex artwork. The bill mandates that grant recipients must acknowledge support from coal tax funds in their promotional materials.

The bill also includes provisions for the reversion of unencumbered grant balances back to the trust fund on July 1, 2027, and outlines that if the trust fund is insufficient to meet the appropriation levels, reductions will be made on a pro rata basis for projects receiving more than $2,000. Notably, several organizations have had their funding amounts adjusted, with some being deleted from the list of grantees, while others have had their funding increased. The effective date for this act is set for July 1, 2025.