The bill aims to revise the Quality Educator Loan Assistance Program in Montana by expanding eligibility to include all newly hired quality educators in public schools, with a specific priority for those hired in impacted schools. It amends existing sections of the law to remove the previous requirement that only educators working at impacted schools could receive loan repayment assistance. The bill establishes a process for prorating loan assistance payments if the available funding is insufficient to cover all eligible educators, ensuring that those in impacted schools are prioritized for assistance.

Key amendments include the insertion of language that prioritizes newly hired quality educators in impacted schools for loan assistance and outlines a clear process for prorating payments based on available funds. Additionally, the bill specifies that if funding is inadequate, the superintendent of public instruction will first allocate funds to educators in impacted schools before considering those in non-impacted schools. The effective date for the bill is set for July 1, 2025, and it applies to applications submitted on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505
HB0509_1(1): 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505
HB0509_1(2): 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505
HB0509_1(3): 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505
HB0509_1(4): 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505
HB0509_1(5): 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505
HB0509_1(6): 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505
HB0509_1: 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505
HB0509_X(1): 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505
HB0509_X(2): 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505
HB0509_X(3): 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505
HB0509_X(4): 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505
HB0509_X(5): 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505
HB0509_X: 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505