House Bill No. [insert bill number] aims to revise the Quality Educator Loan Assistance Program in Montana by expanding eligibility to include all newly hired quality educators in public schools. The bill prioritizes loan assistance payments for those newly hired educators working in impacted schools, ensuring they receive support first. Additionally, it establishes a process for prorating loan assistance payments if the available funding is insufficient to cover all eligible educators. The bill amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA), specifically sections 20-4-503, 20-4-504, and 20-4-505.

Key amendments include the removal of the requirement that quality educators must work specifically at impacted schools to qualify for loan repayment assistance, thereby broadening access. The bill also introduces a new prioritization system for loan repayment assistance, ensuring that educators in impacted schools are funded first. Furthermore, it clarifies the process for prorating assistance amounts if funding is limited, and it specifies that applications for loan repayment assistance must be submitted after July 1, 2025, when the act becomes effective.

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: 20-4-503, 20-4-504, 20-4-505