The bill establishes priorities for the Criminal Justice Data Warehouse Project for the 2025-2026 interim, aiming to enhance data collection and integration within the criminal justice system in Montana. It mandates the Board of Crime Control to collaborate with the Criminal Justice Oversight Council to prioritize projects that include creating unique identifiers for data linkage, acquiring software applications for data management, and expanding data contributions from local stakeholders. The bill also outlines the reporting requirements for the Board to keep the council and legislative committees informed about progress and future recommendations.

Additionally, the bill amends Section 44-7-126 of the Montana Code Annotated to clarify the purpose of the criminal justice data warehouse, emphasizing its role in facilitating data-informed decisions by state and local officials. The amendments specify the types of data to be included in the warehouse, such as comprehensive criminal histories and offender programming details. The bill appropriates a total of $1,484,243 from the general fund for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, to support the implementation of the data warehouse, including funding for software applications and personnel. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
HB0117_X(1): 44-7-126
HB0117_X(2): 44-7-126
HB0117_X(3): 44-7-126
HB0117_X(4): 44-7-126
HB0117_X(5): 44-7-126
HB0117_X(6): 44-7-126
HB0117_X: 44-7-126