House Bill No. introduced by M. Caferro establishes a Technology Interim Committee tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Montana Information Technology Act. The committee will have functions including administrative rule review, draft legislation review, program evaluation, and monitoring of technology-related projects. It will coordinate with the legislative finance committee to review long-range technology appropriations and ensure consistent application of technology legislation across the state. Additionally, the bill amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to incorporate the new committee and its responsibilities, including amendments to sections 2-17-526, 5-5-202, 5-5-228, and 5-11-105.

The bill also includes an appropriation of $84,300 for committee member compensation and expenses, as well as $243,290 to hire a research analyst to support the committee's work. These appropriations are intended to be part of the ongoing base for the next legislative session. The new section created by this bill will be codified as part of Title 5, chapter 5, part 2 of the MCA, and the act will take effect upon passage and approval, with the appropriations becoming effective on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 2-17-526, 5-5-202, 5-5-228, 5-11-105
HB0909_1: 2-17-526, 5-5-202, 5-5-228, 5-11-105