Bill #: HB 260 Sponsor: Luke Muszkiewicz D - Helena

Title: Revise Teacher Stipends For National Board Certification

Summary: This bill increases the state stipend for teachers with a current National Board Certificate. Districts must provide at least a $500 stipend to NBC teachers and the state will provide a stipend equal to 50% ($3783 in 2026)of the Quality Educator Payment for teachers at a non-impacted school and 85% of the Quality Educator Payment for teachers at an impacted school.

What this means for MFPE members: National Board Certification is one of the professional development opportunities organized by MFPE. As an MFPE member, you can attend Jump Start and Quick Start conferences at a reduced price and enjoy the support of NEA-trained facilitators as you move through the certification process. If you do not have a district stipend for NBCT, consider adding one the next time you are at the bargaining table.

Bill #: HB 515 Sponsor: Linda Reksten R - Polson

Title: Generally Revise Laws Relating to School Facilities Consolidating Two Existing State Special Revenue Accounts a.k.a. Major Maintenance.

Summary: This bill increases the major maintenance amount as well as the multiplier for the major maintenance formula. This bill provides money for school safety and technology funds out of the coal fund. It appropriates $1 million a year for school technology grants.

What this means for MFPE members: Districts can apply for and bank maintenance dollars for building needs. This bill increases the amount of money districts can receive for maintenance each year. In addition to maintenance, money from this bill can be used for safety measures which includes paying for licensed counselors. It can also be used for updating technology needs. Don't let your district use STARS dollars for maintenance, safety or technology issues; they should be applying for and using money from this bill.

Bill #: HB 471 Sponsor: Jedidiah Hinkle R - Belgrade

Title: Revise Education Laws Related to Human Sexuality and Identity Instruction

Summary: A school may NOT allow a student to attend identity instruction without first obtaining in writing parent permission (parents must opt the student into instruction). Parents may submit permission at the beginning of the year or semester, but must be given the opportunity to withdraw that permission in writing to the district superintendent at any time. Any district providing identity instruction, must notify parents not less than 5 days and not more than 14 days before the FIRST introduction of the material. A school district must notify annually a parent or guardian if a student is to be enrolled in a course which includes human sexuality or identity instruction. The district must provide an electronic link to a summary or materials used in the districts health enhancement curriculum, a calendar of events or assemblies at which human sexuality or identity instruction will be provided. If a district determines, after investigation, that an individual has knowingly or repeatedly violated this bill, the trustees shall report their findings to the Board of Public Education. This bill purports to create a new curriculum identified as "gender identity," but this curriculum does not exist under the current Board of Public Education approved standards. Gender identity as outlined in the bill is instruction with the goal or purpose of studying, exploring or informing students about gender identity or gender expression or sexual orientation.

What this means for MFPE members: This bill expands SB 99 from a few sessions ago. If a class includes instruction on human sexuality, instead of sending an annual notice and a 48 hour notice, the district may obtain the annual notification with the beginning of the year notifications/ paperwork. In addition, the school district must adopt a policy to notify parents not less than 5 days and not more than 14 days before the material is first introduced. Parents may opt their student out of human sexuality instruction. The DISTRICT must make health enhancement curriculum available online and must include lesson plans and materials for parents to examine. Ask your district what their plan for these notifications is. Gender identity instruction is a new category of instruction. Parents must opt IN to gender identity instruction, and it can be obtained at the beginning of the school year when other paperwork is being signed. Parents may rescind this permission at any time by writing to the district superintendent. The bill defines both human sexuality instruction and identity instruction. If a teacher knowingly violates this law, the district must investigate and shall report findings to the Board of Public Education.

Bill #: HB 509 Sponsor: Debo Powers D - Polebridge

Title: Revise the Quality Educator Loan Forgiveness Program to Expand Eligibility

Summary: This bill opens the existing quality educator loan forgiveness program to all newly hired teachers, with priority given to those hired in impacted schools. Teachers with at least $1000 of student loan debt may apply through the OPI.

What this means for MFPE members: If your district hires a new teacher, make sure they are aware of this program. This bill opens the loan forgiveness program up to more teachers.

Bill #: HB 15 Sponsor: David Bedey R - Hamilton

Title: Implement K-12 Inflation

Summary: This bill provides for a 3% inflationary adjustment to each variable in the school funding formula per year for this biennium.

What this means for MFPE members: This is a statutory bill and is passed during each session. This session they approved the maximum increase of 3%. This means that the 5 state-funded components: Quality Educator Payment, At Risk Payment, Indian Ed for All Payment, American Indian Achievement Gap Payment, and the Data for Achievement will increase by 3% for the biennium. The other variables, such as ANB and BASE aid, will also increase by 3%, but the state only pays a portion of those variables. When you are at the bargaining table, remember that this increase is there.

Bill #: HB 340 Sponsor: Melissa Romano D - Helena

Title: Establishes MT BEST Mentoring Grant to Bolster Educator Support and Training

Summary: This bill establishes a mentoring program at the OPI. The program connects early career teachers (teachers within their first three years of teaching) with mentors who are trained in best practices in new teacher support. The bill provides a stipend for mentors and mentees as well as the online platform and ongoing support.

What this means for MFPE members: We all know that early career teachers who are mentored are more likely to stay in the classroom. This program will be managed by OPI. If you have new teachers coming into your district and your district does not have a mentor program, please make them aware this program exists. If you have experienced teachers who would be good mentors, they will earn a stipend for participating if they are selected.

Bill #: HB 551 Sponsor: Melissa Romano D- Helena

Title: Eliminate Reduced Price Co-Payments for School Lunch and Breakfast

Summary: This bill provides state funding to eliminate co-payments for families who qualify for reduced-price breakfast and lunch. The program will be managed by the OPI.

What this means for MFPE members: Starting in the next school year, families who qualify for reduced-price meals at school will no longer have to pay the co-payment for those meals.

Bill #: HB 168 Sponsor: Johnathan Karlen D - Missoula

Title: Provide State Funding for Children with Disabilities

Summary: This bill provides funding for 3-4-year-olds with disabilities who are admitted to a district special education program. Students admitted to these programs will be eligible to be counted for ANB based on their aggregate hours attending the program.

What this means for MFPE members: According to IDEA, districts are required to provide services for preschool students who have disabilities. There is some federal funding for those students, but the majority of the funding falls on the local district. The passage of this bill will allow students in these programs to be counted for ANB based on students' aggregate hours of attendance, therefore increasing the amount of funding for these important programs. If your district has a pre-school program, you will see this funding start in FY 2027 since ANB is always based on the previous year's enrollment.

Bill #: HB 266 Sponsor: Luke Muszkiewicz D - Helena

Title: Establish Inflation Reconciliation Process

Summary: This bill requires the actual inflationary index be reported to the Education Interim committee in the even-numbered years of the biennium. This will give the legislature a more accurate understanding of how inflation is impacting schools.

What this means for MFPE members: This bill doesn’t directly impact our members, but will give the legislature a better idea of what actual inflation rates are, which in turn can be beneficial to districts and bargaining units. The Education Interim Committee takes public comment at all of their meetings. Please think about participating either in person or via Zoom to explain how inflation is impacting your ability to do your job.

Bill #: HB 628 Sponsor: Melissa Nikolokakos R - Great Falls

Title: Revise Early Literacy Targeted Intervention Laws

Summary: This bill expands the early literacy intervention program established last session to include numeracy. It adds early numeracy to the previous bill and allows schools to admit one on-target student for every five eligible students. All of these students will be included in ANB calculations.

What this means for MFPE members: In an effort to ensure that all of our students start kindergarten with the necessary skills to be successful in both reading and math, districts may enroll 4-year-olds in an early "scholastic intervention" program. Students should be identified using methods approved by the Board of Public Education. This program will now include not only reading intervention, but math as well. In addition, schools may enroll one on-target student per five intervention students. These students are now counted in ANB calculations. This may mean adding more FTE to your team. Watch the BPE website for approved methodologies. This bill is in effect upon passage and signing by the governor.

Bill #: HB 357 Sponsor: Eric Tilleman R - Cascade

Title: Provide Funding for Middle School Career and Technical Education

Summary: This bill appropriates $240,000 to the OPI to be used to form or supplement CTE programs at the middle school level.

What this means for MFPE members: This bill appropriates $240,000 for schools to enhance MS CTE offerings in FY 2027. The distribution of the money will be handled by OPI. If your district does not have a MS CTE program, this bill will help to fund it. Consider adding CTE classes at the MS level.

Bill #: HB 462 Sponsor: David Bedey R - Hamilton

Title: Encourage Academic Excellence Through High Quality Instructional Materials

Summary: When new standards are adopted or old ones are revised, the OPI will, through the negotiated rule-making process, will develop cost estimates and recommendations for high quality instructional materials. Districts adopting these HQIM will be able to do so at a reduced cost, depending on appropriation by the legislature.

What this means for MFPE members: The purchase of instructional materials and the professional development required is expensive. When new standards are adopted or existing standards are revised, like the math standards most recently were, OPI will develop recommendations and cost estimates for high-quality instructional materials. Districts deciding to use these materials will be able to purchase them at a reduced cost. If your district is planning to purchase new curricular materials for the updated math standards, contact OPI to investigate the approved materials. There is $5 million appropriated starting July 1, 2025. The new math standards will be required starting in July 2026.

Bill #: SB 278 Sponsor: Sara Novak D - Anaconda

Title: Revise Education Laws to Support Advanced Opportunities

Summary: This bill allows districts with an advanced opportunity program to pay for the cost of employing a facilitator who will coordinate the program out of the program funds.

What this means for MFPE members: The advanced opportunities program is designed to expand personalized CTE opportunities, reduce out-of-pocket costs for families in support of post-secondary success (paying for AP exams, etc., and expanding post-secondary success, which aligns with student interests). If your district does not have an advanced opportunity plan, encourage them to submit one. This bill allows 25% of the money for that plan to be used for someone to facilitate the program. This will free up people who would normally be doing this to do their actual job. Also, there is money in the STARS Act for districts with an advanced opportunity program so your district would be eligible for that as well. This bill goes into effect immediately.

Bill #: SB 369 Sponsor: Mike Yakawich R - Billings

Title: Strengthen Suicide Prevention Efforts in Schools

Summary: The OPI in partnership with DPHHS will provide no or low-cost suicide prevention trainings for school districts. Suicide awareness and prevention training is now required for all district employees.

What this means for MFPE members: This bill requires that OPI, working with DPHHS, develop suicide awareness and prevention training and make it available to districts. If your district currently pays for this service, as of July 1, 2025, you will be able to access it for free.

Bill #: HB 338 Sponsor: Melissa Romano D - Helena

Title: Revise Laws Regarding Targeted Early Numeracy Intervention

Summary: This bill includes early numeracy in the early literacy bill from last session. 4 year olds who qualify for targeted interventions in math or literacy may be admitted to school and counted in ANB calculations.

What this means for MFPE members: This bill will be voided if HB 628 is signed by the governor. Early literacy programs can now be expanded to include math interventions. If your school doesn't have a program for identified 4-year-olds, these programs can add to a district's ANB counts.

Bill #: SB 181 Sponsor: Johnathan Windy Boy D - Box Elder

Title: Generally Revise Indian Education for All Laws

Summary: If a district fails to file their annual financial report, the OPI shall reduce the district's BASE and max budget limits and BASE aid funding by the full amount of the IEFA payment. If a district fails to show all funds received for IEFA were spent for approved purposes, their budget will be reduced by the IEFA payment amount.

What this means for MFPE members: This bill was proposed by Senator Windy Boy to ensure schools are not just checking a box, saying they are teaching Indian Education For All. This bill requires school districts to truly teach IEFA. Consider asking your members how they are approaching IEFA in their classrooms and working to enhance not only the manner in which it is being implemented, but also the way the district is reporting it. Because of this bill and a recent lawsuit against the state, the Board of Public Education will be watching IEFA activities closely. This bill will be enacted starting school year 2025-26.

Bill #: HB 151 Sponsor: Connie Keogh D - Missoula

Title: Revise Educational Laws Pertaining to Recruitment and Retention and MSDB

Summary: This bill makes educational sign language interpreters eligible for the Quality Educator Payment and Quality Educator Loan Assistance.

What this means for MFPE members: This one only impacts our members at MSDB. If someone is an educational sign language interpreter at MSDB, their district is now eligible to receive the QEP payment for them.

Bill #: HB 866 Sponsor: Melissa Romano D - Helena

Title: Allow the Term "Emotional Disability" to be Used Instead of "Emotional Disturbance" as it Relates to Special Education

Summary: The term emotional disability MAY be used in place of emotional disturbance as that term applies to special education.

What this means for MFPE members: This bill is fairly simple, but extremely necessary to remove the stigma associated with using the term emotional disturbance. This bill only impacts those in
special education and is not required, but districts may choose to change the language. Discuss it with your special education teachers/staff to determine how you should proceed.

Bill #: HB 819 Sponsor: Braxton Mitchell R - Columbia Falls

Title: Revise Laws Related to Flag Displays In and On State Buildings and Grounds

Summary: This bill states that state government and public school buildings shall serve neutral governmental purposes. It defines what flags are allowed to be displayed in public school buildings or on the grounds.

What this means for MFPE members: Only the official US flag, official state flag, tribal flags, school flag, foreign nation flags, historical flags of the US or MT, POW/MIA flags, US military flags, law enforcement flags and flags or banners of school mascots are allowed to be hung in or on a public school building or grounds. This bill will be enacted upon signing by the governor. It would be a good idea to make sure all of your members are aware of this bill so they may remove any flags or banners which violate this law.