House Bill No. introduced by K. Walsh and others aims to create the Montana Water Development State Special Revenue Account, which will facilitate authorized expenditures related to water developments. The bill establishes a new fund that will consist of revenue gifted to the state or transferred by the legislature, along with the interest generated by the account. It mandates that 90% of the earnings from this fund be allocated to the water storage state special revenue account, while the remaining 10% will support the natural resources projects state special revenue account for water storage pilot projects and dam inspections.

Additionally, the bill amends existing sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to incorporate these changes. Specifically, it modifies Sections 15-38-302 and 85-1-631 to include provisions for the allocation of interest earned from the new Montana water development state special revenue account. The bill also outlines a plan for transferring $50 million from the general fund to this new account in two installments by August 2026. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 15-38-302, 85-1-631
HB0256_1(1): 15-38-302, 85-1-631
HB0256_1(2): 15-38-302, 85-1-631
HB0256_1(3): 15-38-302, 85-1-631
HB0256_1(4): 15-38-302, 85-1-631
HB0256_1: 15-38-302, 85-1-631