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SB 339MONTANASession 2025State BillSigned into law

Enacted

Montana revises oil and gas production tax distributions and damage mitigation account funding

Original title: Revise oil and gas production damage mitigation account

Last action · May 13, 2025: Chapter Number AssignedSponsor: Daniel Zolnikov

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Does

Senate Bill 339 revises the distribution of oil and natural gas production taxes and modifies deposits into the oil and gas production damage mitigation account, effective July 1, 2025. Under the new law, tax revenue is redirected into the board's expense account as reserves or for legislative transfer if the mitigation account's unobligated cash balance reaches or exceeds $10 million.

Why it matters

Changes how state oil and gas production tax revenues are allocated among local taxing units, university funds, and environmental damage accounts, establishing a $10 million cap before tax revenues are diverted to board reserves or legislative transfers.

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

county and school district taxing units

Their distribution of oil and natural gas production taxes is subject to statutory allocation schedules and potential withholding if local financial reports are delayed.

Directly affected

Montana university system

Receives 2.65% of the remaining state portion of oil and natural gas production taxes to be appropriated for state tax levies.

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 happens to oil and gas tax revenue when the damage mitigation account has a large balance?

If the unobligated cash balance in the oil and gas production damage mitigation account equals or exceeds $10 million, deposits to that account stop, and the funds remain in the board's expense account as reserves or for legislative transfer.

When does Senate Bill 339 take effect?

The act is effective July 1, 2025.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

39 actions

May 13, 2025Senate
Chapter Number Assigned
May 8, 2025SenateEnrolled
(S) Signed by Governor
May 1, 2025Senate
(S) Transmitted to Governor
May 1, 2025House
(H) Signed by Speaker
Apr 22, 2025Senate
(S) Signed by President
Apr 17, 2025Senate
(S) Returned from Enrolling

Show 33 earlier actions

Apr 15, 2025Senate
(S) Sent to Enrolling
Apr 15, 2025House
(H) 3rd Reading
Apr 15, 2025House
(H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
Apr 14, 2025House
(H) 2nd Reading
Apr 14, 2025House
(H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
Apr 9, 2025HouseCommittee
(H) Committee Report
Apr 9, 2025HouseCommittee
(H) Committee Executive Action
Apr 4, 2025House
(H) Hearing
Apr 3, 2025House
(H) 1st Reading
Apr 3, 2025HouseCommittee
(H) Referred to Committee
Apr 2, 2025Senate
(S) Transmitted to House
Apr 2, 2025Senate
(S) 3rd Reading
Apr 2, 2025Senate
(S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
Apr 1, 2025Senate
(S) 2nd Reading
Apr 1, 2025Senate
(S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
Mar 20, 2025SenateCommittee
(S) Committee Report
Mar 19, 2025SenateCommittee
(S) Committee Executive Action
Feb 27, 2025Senate
(S) Fiscal Note Printed
Feb 26, 2025Senate
(S) Fiscal Note Signed
Feb 25, 2025Senate
(S) Hearing
Feb 25, 2025Senate
(S) Fiscal Note Received
Feb 17, 2025Senate
(S) 1st Reading
Feb 17, 2025Senate
(S) Fiscal Note Requested
Feb 17, 2025SenateCommittee
(S) Referred to Committee
Feb 17, 2025SenateIntroduced
(S) Introduced
Feb 17, 2025House
(LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
Feb 15, 2025House
(LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
Feb 14, 2025House
(LC) Draft in Assembly
Feb 14, 2025House
(LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
Feb 12, 2025House
(LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
Feb 7, 2025House
(LC) Draft in Edit
Feb 6, 2025House
(LC) Draft in Legal Review
Dec 10, 2024House
(LC) Drafter Assigned

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

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.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

financial connection98% confidence

Account Balance Cap Triggers Diverted Funds

The bill creates a specific fiscal threshold ($10 million) that redirects tax revenues from environmental mitigation reserves into board reserves or legislative transfers.

oil and gas production damage mitigation account

Connected Entities

Daniel Zolnikov

PersonDaniel Zolnikov“Republican senator from District 22 introducing Senate Bill 339”Map →

Sources

Open source document

bills.legmt.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy15
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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