April 9, 2021
The final transmittal deadline has now passed. Any bills that have not made it through the first house at the Legislature (House or Senate) is now considered dead and can no longer be considered. Bills that have passed that initial hurdle will continue to be heard through the end of the session. It should be noted that the session was extended to May 11 in order to appropriate the money coming in from the American Rescue Plan passed at the federal level. Even though the transmission deadline has passed, the pace of the session will remain quick as legislators try to get all bills still alive across the finish line.

The Chamber has taken positions on a number of bills. You can see the full list below. If you'd like to add your voice to ours, we've made it easier than ever. Visit the Chamber's Advocacy webpage and select the bill you'd like to comment on. You'll find a form that will allow you to add your own comments and have it sent directly to your elected representative. This is an easy way for you to be part of the legislative process and share your thoughts with local legislators. We hope you will take advantage of it and make sure the voice of Missoula business is heard in Helena.
Bills we support
  • HB 21 - The re-authorization of the Multifamily Coal Trust Homes Program
  • HB 303 - Business Investment Grows (BIG) Jobs Act – Increases the business equipment tax exemption from the current $100,000 to $200,000.
  • HB 252 - Montana Comeback Trades Education and Training Act – Provides non-refundable tax credit to employers who pay trades education tuition for employees. The credit covers 50% of the cost of the training up to $2,000 per employee with a cap of $25,000 per company.
  • SB 159 - Personal Income Tax Relief Act – Lowers the top personal income tax bracket from 6.9% to 6.75%.
  • SB 182 - Economic Growth Income Tax Rate Trigger Act – Creates a system to automatically lower the top personal income tax bracket if certain economic factors are met each year.
  • SB 184 - Entrepreneur Magnet Act – Exempts the sale of employee-owned stock from capital gains for businesses relocated to, or started in Montana after Jan. 1, 2021.
  • SB 181 - Corporate Tax Modernization Act – Transitions Montana from a 3-factor corporate license tax to a single-factor, sales based system.
  • SB 161 – Expedited review of some subdivisions – Allows for an expedited review of subdivision applications in municipalities with zoning and infrastructure in place.
  • HB 340 - Revisions to the MEDIA Act. Chamber member JPS Real Estate Investment asked the Chamber to support this bill in the legislature that would remove the cap on a film/tv production tax incentive.
  • HB 624 - This bill will create a child care task force at the state level and includes representatives from business as well as two dedicated seats for Chambers of Commerce, one of which will likely to to the Missoula Chamber. This request for support was brought to us by the Funders for Montana's Children, a collaborative partner we have worked with over the past couple years.
  • SB 262 - Revise forest lands taxation advisory committee
  • SB 263 - Revise forest lands property taxes and rates - This bill and SB 262 are intended to address a decision by the Department of Revenue that would result in up to an 81% increase on property taxes for private forested lands.
Legislature 2021
The 2021 Legislative session kicked off at the beginning of January. The Chamber's GA Committee is continually monitoring bills and their potential impacts on the Missoula business community. Below is a list of some of the bills currently being monitored. This list changes regularly as bills are passed or voted down.

If you would like the Chamber's Government Affairs committee to discuss a bill introduced during this legislative session, please reach out to Clint Burson, Director of Government Affairs at clintb@missoulachamber.com.
HB 112 - Require interscholastic athletes to participate under sex assigned at birth
HB 257 - Revise laws relating to government mandates and businesses
HB 261 - Constitutional amendment for taxpayer protection act to limit tax types - MISSED TRANSMITTAL DEADLINE - PROBABLY DEAD
HB 303 - Revise business equipment tax laws: Business Investment Grows (BIG) Jobs Act
HB 340 - Revise the MEDIA Act film tax credits
HB 397 - Establish workforce housing tax credits
HB 464 - Repeal local option gas tax
HB 650 - Establish business income and venture capital credits - MISSED TRANSMITTAL DEADLINE
SB 182 - Generally revise laws on state finance, reducing tax rate if conditions met
SB 184 - Montana Entrepreneur Magnet Act
SB 257 - Prohibit local governments from imposing carbon penalties, fees, or taxes
SB 263 - Revise forest lands property taxes and rates
SB 398 - Generally revise vaping laws
We're here for you
The Government Affairs desk at the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce is here to help you, our members. Do you have questions you're having trouble finding answers to? We can help you find those answers. Are you running into problems with city, county, state or federal government? Reach out, we'll do our best to help you get past them.

We also welcome suggestions for policy manual updates. If you have an issue you believe is having a big impact on your ability to start or grow your business in Missoula, please let us know.
Thank you to our Visionary Members!