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SB 337MONTANASession 2025State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Montana grants five-year property tax exemption for residential subdivisions upon prepayment

Original title: Provide a 5 year prepaid property tax exemption during subdivision development

Last action · May 16, 2025: Chapter Number AssignedSponsor: Greg Hertz

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

Montana establishes a temporary five-year property tax exemption for residential subdivision development projects, requiring developers to prepay five times the prior year's property taxes plus a five percent fee. The law takes effect for property tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Why it matters

Developers gain temporary property tax relief during the construction phase of residential subdivisions by making a lump-sum prepayment to local county treasurers, while county taxing jurisdictions receive their anticipated tax revenues upfront.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

residential subdivision developers

Developers must submit an application and prepay five times the prior year's property taxes plus a 5% fee to receive a temporary exemption for up to five years.

Directly affected

county treasurers

County treasurers receive the prepayment and fee, distribute the funds to accounts in the standard ratio, and record the exemption notice filed by the clerk and recorder.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is required to qualify for the temporary property tax exemption?
A developer must submit a timely property tax exemption application that is approved by the department, and within 30 days of approval (and before January 1), pay a property tax prepayment equal to five times the previous year's taxes plus a 5% fee.
When does the temporary tax exemption expire for a specific lot?
The exemption expires on any lot at the start of the property tax year after a habitable residential structure has been constructed on it, or on December 31 of the year when at least 95% of the subdivision lots contain a habitable structure.

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

61 actions
  1. May 16, 2025Senate
    Chapter Number Assigned
  2. May 13, 2025SenateEnrolled
    (S) Signed by Governor
  3. May 5, 2025Senate
    (S) Transmitted to Governor
  4. May 5, 2025House
    (H) Signed by Speaker
  5. May 2, 2025Senate
    (S) Signed by President
  6. Apr 29, 2025Senate
    (S) Returned from Enrolling
Show 55 earlier actions
  1. Apr 28, 2025Senate
    (S) Sent to Enrolling
  2. Apr 24, 2025House
    (H) Returned to Senate
  3. Apr 24, 2025House
    (H) 3rd Reading
  4. Apr 24, 2025House
    (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
  5. Apr 23, 2025HouseCommittee
    (H) Committee Report
  6. Apr 23, 2025HouseCommittee
    (H) Committee Executive Action
  7. Apr 22, 2025Senate
    (S) Revised Fiscal Note Printed
  8. Apr 22, 2025Senate
    (S) Fiscal Note Unsigned
  9. Apr 22, 2025Senate
    (S) Revised Fiscal Note Received
  10. Apr 17, 2025HouseCommittee
    (H) Taken from Table in Committee
  11. Apr 16, 2025Senate
    (S) Revised Fiscal Note Printed
  12. Apr 16, 2025Senate
    (S) Fiscal Note Unsigned
  13. Apr 16, 2025Senate
    (S) Revised Fiscal Note Received
  14. Apr 15, 2025House
    (H) Hearing
  15. Apr 15, 2025House
    (H) Hearing Canceled
  16. Apr 14, 2025House
    (H) Hearing
  17. Apr 14, 2025HouseCommittee
    (H) Rereferred to Committee
  18. Apr 14, 2025House
    (H) 2nd Reading
  19. Apr 14, 2025House
    (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
  20. Apr 9, 2025HouseCommittee
    (H) Committee Report
  21. Apr 9, 2025HouseCommittee
    (H) Committee Executive Action
  22. Apr 3, 2025House
    (H) Hearing
  23. Mar 28, 2025House
    (H) 1st Reading
  24. Mar 28, 2025HouseCommittee
    (H) Referred to Committee
  25. Mar 28, 2025Senate
    (S) Transmitted to House
  26. Mar 27, 2025Senate
    (S) 3rd Reading
  27. Mar 27, 2025Senate
    (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
  28. Mar 25, 2025SenateCommittee
    (S) Committee Report
  29. Mar 25, 2025SenateCommittee
    (S) Committee Executive Action
  30. Mar 21, 2025Senate
    (S) Hearing
  31. Mar 20, 2025SenateCommittee
    (S) Rereferred to Committee
  32. Mar 20, 2025Senate
    (S) 2nd Reading
  33. Mar 20, 2025Senate
    (S) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend
  34. Mar 20, 2025Senate
    (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
  35. Mar 18, 2025SenateFloor
    (S) 2nd Reading Pass Consideration
  36. Mar 1, 2025SenateCommittee
    (S) Committee Report
  37. Feb 28, 2025SenateCommittee
    (S) Committee Executive Action
  38. Feb 26, 2025Senate
    (S) Fiscal Note Printed
  39. Feb 25, 2025Senate
    (S) Fiscal Note Unsigned
  40. Feb 25, 2025Senate
    (S) Fiscal Note Received
  41. Feb 18, 2025Senate
    (S) Hearing
  42. Feb 17, 2025Senate
    (S) 1st Reading
  43. Feb 17, 2025Senate
    (S) Fiscal Note Requested
  44. Feb 17, 2025SenateCommittee
    (S) Referred to Committee
  45. Feb 17, 2025SenateIntroduced
    (S) Introduced
  46. Feb 17, 2025House
    (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
  47. Feb 13, 2025House
    (LC) Draft in Assembly
  48. Feb 12, 2025House
    (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
  49. Feb 12, 2025House
    (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
  50. Feb 8, 2025House
    (LC) Draft in Edit
  51. Feb 7, 2025House
    (LC) Draft in Legal Review
  52. Jan 24, 2025House
    (LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
  53. Jan 24, 2025House
    (LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
  54. Dec 16, 2024House
    (LC) Draft On Hold
  55. Nov 11, 2024House
    (LC) Drafter Assigned

Version history

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Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Greg HertzSenate · District 7RepublicanPrimary sponsor

Connected Entities

Montana
locationMontana“State where the legislation was enacted.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

bills.legmt.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy25
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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