It has been a busy and productive week on the hill this past week.   Closing in on the deadline for the transmittal of appropriation bills, the House Appropriations Committee has been focused on HB 2.  HB 2 is the bill that appropriates general fund money to the various state agencies for the biennium ending June 30, 2011.   On Wednesday HB2 passed out of committee with at 18-2 vote.  Monday and Tuesday of next week, this bill will be debated on the House Floor.   

Adding to the complexity of the budgeting process, HB 645 to implement the appropriation of funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the federal stimulus package, has also begun hearings this past week in the various agency subcommittees.   

HB 163 (Cohenour): Big Sky on the Big Screen Act
Monday, March 9, 2009 we had a good hearing in Senate Taxation on the Big Sky on the Big Screen Act, the film production incentive bill HB 163.  Sponsor Representative Jill Cohenour did a great job of presenting the bill and has been a strong advocate for this legislation.  We asked for your support, and you delivered.  Thank you to all who contacted their legislators on this committee and also to those of you who traveled to Helena to testify.  Your involvement made the difference.  HB 163 passed out of Senate Taxation on a 7-4 vote.  We are anticipating that this bill will be referred to Senate Finance and Claims.   We will keep you posted on the progress. 

Highlights for the week:

HB 150 (Brown): Montana recreation safety act. This bill states that in some recreational activities there is inherent risk, and it limits the liability of providers of those recreational activities.  The bill was heard in Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday 3/11/09.  There were several proponents for this bill with one opponent.   We are waiting on executive action.

SB 506 (Essmann) Uniform local option tourism tax:  This bill has been introduced and is now viewable on the LAWS site.  This bill provides for a local option tourism tax of 4% on the retail value of tourism goods and services, such as accommodations; prepared meals; alcoholic beverages sold by the drink; rental of automobiles, recreation vehicles, recreational equipment; and on recreational services such as hunting and fishing guide services and guided tours in addition to others.  This bill has been referred to the Senate Taxation Committee.     

Legislative Activity next week:

HB 190 (Van Dyk) Clarify bridge access law: This bill deals with the revision to laws related to access to state waters from county roads and bridges; providing that a fence attached to or abutting a country road bridge is not considered an encroachment under certain circumstances.  The bill is scheduled for hearing on Thursday March 19, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. in the Senate Fish and Game Committee.
 
The chart below is for introduced bills that may have direct impact on the accommodation tax or issues important to the tourism and film industry. 

When looking at the status of a bill on this chart, here are some helpful hints:

• Referred to committee means the bill has been assigned to the committee, but the hearing date has not been set.
• Hearing means a hearing is scheduled.

* after status indicates the bill is probably dead

Bill Type - Number	Primary Sponsor	Status	Status Date	Short Title
HB 5	Jon C Sesso	(H) Hearing -- (H) Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Long-Range Planning	01/30/2009; 8:00 AM, Rm 350	Long-range building appropriations -- include energy conservation
HB 9	Galen Hollenbaugh	(H) Hearing -- (H) Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Long-Range Planning	02/13/2009; 8:00 AM, Rm 350	Cultural and aesthetic grant appropriations
HB 150	Dee Brown	(S) Hearing -- (S) Judiciary	03/11/2009; 9:00 AM, Rm 303	Montana recreation responsibility act
HB 163	Jill Cohenour	(S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred -- (S) Taxation	03/12/2009	Revise tax incentives for motion picture industry
HB 167	Diane Sands	(H) Hearing -- (H) Appropriations	01/13/2009; 3:00 PM, Rm 102	Funding for Travelers' Rest State Park
HB 190	Kendall Van Dyk	(S) Hearing -- (S) Fish and Game	03/19/2009; 3:00 PM, Rm 422	Clarify bridge access law
HB 199	Robin Hamilton	(H) Tabled in Committee* -- (H) Taxation	01/20/2009	Revise allocation of lodging facility use tax
HB 229	Gary MacLaren	(H) Hearing -- (H) Appropriations	01/15/2009; 3:00 PM, Rm 102	Fund St.Mary's preservation
HB 239	Bob Lake	(H) Hearing -- (H) Appropriations	01/21/2009; 3:00 PM, Rm 102	Fund restoration and maintenance of Daly mansion
HB 304	Jon Sonju	(S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended -- (S) Highways and Transportation	03/12/2009	Name portion of US Highway 2 after Highway Patrol officer David Graham
HB 311	Mark Blasdel	(S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading	03/13/2009	Name portion of Highway 2 in honor of Evan Schneider
HB 312	Bill Beck	(H) Committee Vote Failed; Remains in Committee -- (H) Taxation	02/12/2009	Increase population requirement for resort tax purposes
HB 329	Dee Brown	(H) Tabled in Committee* -- (H) Taxation	02/12/2009	Donut area population included in resort community population
HB 385	Bob Ebinger	(H) Tabled in Committee* -- (H) Business and Labor	02/13/2009	Fund media institute
HB 465	Paul Beck	(H) Tabled in Committee* -- (H) Transportation	03/09/2009	Allow Mammoth residents to use Montana license plates
HB 644	Jon C Sesso	(H) Referred to Committee -- (H) Appropriations	03/07/2009	Funding for national folk festival
HJ 15	Mike Milburn	(S) Hearing -- (S) Fish and Game	03/17/2009; 3:00 PM, Rm 422	Study resolution on funding for a recreation and tourism enhancement program
SB 117	David E Wanzenried	(S) Transmitted to Governor	03/11/2009	Revise or eliminate certain statutory appropriations
SB 118	Verdell Jackson	(S) Bill Not Heard at Sponsor's Request -- (S) Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation	01/07/2009	Create invasive and destructive species council
SB 190	Bob Hawks	(S) Tabled in Committee* -- (S) Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs	01/30/2009	Bed tax for heritage sites, historic preservation, and travel Montana
SB 237	Dave Lewis	(S) 3rd Reading Failed*	02/05/2009	Primary seatbelt enforcement for motor vehicle occupants
SB 309	Jim Shockley	(S) Hearing -- (S) Finance and Claims	03/05/2009; 8:00 AM, Rm 317	Increase lodging and per diem reimbursement for state employees
SB 329	Gregory D Barkus	(S) Referred to Committee -- (S) Highways and Transportation	02/02/2009	Revise automobile licensing and insurance laws
SB 343	Verdell Jackson	(S) Hearing -- (S) Finance and Claims	03/06/2009; 8:00 AM, Rm 317	Regulation of zebra mussel and other invasive species
SB 457	Gary Branae	(H) Referred to Committee -- (H) Transportation	02/24/2009	Revise scenic byways laws
SB 506	Jeff Essmann	(S) Hearing -- (S) Taxation	03/18/2009; 8:00 AM, Rm 405	Uniform local option tourism tax
SJ 6	Ken (Kim) Hansen	(H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading	03/13/2009	Urge 24-hour operation for Turner port of entry
SJ 13	Ryan Zinke	(S) Filed with Secretary of State	03/09/2009	Commemorate Glacier Park's centennial
SJ 15	Bruce Tutvedt	(H) Hearing -- (H) Fish, Wildlife and Parks	03/12/2009; 3:00 PM, Rm 152	Urge vigorous defense of gray wolf delisting

Unintroduced Bills

Bill Draft No. (LC No.)	Request Date	Requestor	Status	Status Date	Short Title
LC0092	04/14/2008	Joseph (Joe) Tropila	(C) Draft On Hold	10/23/2008	Primary seatbelt law
LC0827	11/13/2008	Bill Nooney	(C) Draft On Hold	11/26/2008	Generally revise short-term lodging criteria
LC1156	12/01/2008	Jim Peterson	(C) Draft Ready for Delivery	02/13/2009	Generally revise recreation laws--hunting w permission as recreational use
LC1268	12/02/2008	Mike Menahan	(C) Draft Ready for Delivery	01/07/2009	Revise laws governing heritage commission
LC2052	01/05/2009	Debby Barrett	(C) Draft On Hold	01/06/2009	Revise statutory appropriation law
LC2225	01/16/2009	(H) Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Education	(C) Draft On Hold	01/21/2009	Revise lodging facility use tax allocation

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Remember, the legislature has now set up a system for contacting representatives by e-mail. 
http://leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/61st/legwebmessage.asp

Until next week…

 

Betsy Baumgart
Division Administrator
Montana Promotion Division
bbaumgart@mt.gov

 

 

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