House Bill 606 seeks to revise Montana's education laws to facilitate the reorganization of school districts into unified K-12 districts. It mandates that county superintendents adjust school district boundaries as needed to support these reorganizations and replaces the term "consolidation" with "reorganization" throughout the relevant laws, reflecting a more collaborative approach. The bill outlines the process for initiating a reorganization, which can be initiated by a resolution from trustees or a petition from at least 20% of electors in each district. It also addresses the management of trustee positions, bonded indebtedness, and financial obligations during the reorganization process.

Additionally, the bill introduces provisions for voted levies aimed at enhancing school safety and security, which must be approved by district electors and will not be classified as outstanding indebtedness for calculation purposes. The elections for these levies will follow existing school election laws. The effective date for the bill is set for July 1, 2025, ensuring that the new provisions are implemented in a timely manner. Overall, the legislation aims to streamline the reorganization process while ensuring financial responsibilities are clearly defined and educational opportunities are enhanced.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_1(1): 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_1(2): 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_1(3): 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_1(4): 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_1(5): 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_1(6): 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_1: 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_X(1): 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_X(2): 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_X(3): 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_X(4): 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_X(5): 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_X(6): 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_X(7): 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502
HB0606_X: 20-3-205, 20-3-302, 20-3-312, 20-3-342, 20-6-202, 20-6-314, 20-6-410, 20-6-411, 20-6-413, 20-6-414, 20-6-423, 20-6-424, 20-6-704, 20-9-311, 20-9-502