House Bill No. [insert bill number] proposes revisions to the distribution and allocation of interest from the Coal Severance Tax Permanent Fund. The bill allocates a portion of the interest to highway-related accounts, specifically designating $2 million annually to the Department of Justice to partially fund highway patrol officers' salaries and the remainder to the Department of Transportation for purposes aligned with the highway restricted account. Additionally, the bill extends the termination dates for appropriations from the interest of the Coal Severance Tax Permanent Fund from June 30, 2027, to June 30, 2029.

The bill amends Section 15-35-108 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) and makes several adjustments to the allocation percentages for various programs funded by coal severance taxes. Notably, it deletes the previous statutory appropriation language regarding the general fund and replaces it with specific allocations for highway-related purposes. The effective date of the act is set for July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 15-35-108
HB0615_1(1): 15-35-108
HB0615_1(2): 15-35-108
HB0615_1(3): 15-35-108
HB0615_1(4): 15-35-108
HB0615_1: 15-35-108