The bill clarifies the authority of the Montana Legislature to provide inflationary adjustments for school funding that differ from the standard calculations used to determine the present law base. Specifically, it amends Section 20-9-326 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to allow the legislature to implement inflationary adjustments that exceed the previously established limit of 3%. This change is intended to give the legislature more flexibility in addressing the funding needs of schools in response to inflationary pressures.

The amended language specifies that the legislature, exercising its appropriation and lawmaking authority, may enact laws that provide for these alternative inflationary adjustments. This adjustment aims to ensure that school funding can keep pace with economic changes and adequately support educational institutions. The bill retains the existing methodology for calculating the inflation factor based on the consumer price index but expands the options available to the legislature for funding adjustments.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 20-9-326
SB0258_1(1): 20-9-326
SB0258_1(2): 20-9-326
SB0258_1: 20-9-326