Rotunda Roundup

from Montana Farmers Union

Legislative Update for

Feb 24th - 28th

The following is a weekly update of Montana Farmers Union involvement in the 2025 Montana Legislative Session. MFU is the state's largest and oldest grassroots family farm advocacy organization representing family farms, ranches, and rural communities for more than 100 years.

Support Montana Agricultural Right to Repair! 

SB 509- Revise ownership laws related to farm equipment embedded software- electronic control unit, sensor, switches, and controls, sponsored by Sen. Willis Curdy MFU supported SB 509. The bill would provide farmers, ranchers, and independent mechanics the tools and diagnostic software necessary to repair their own equipment by designating that all embedded software in agricultural equipment is considered sold to the owner, rather than just licensed.

Status & Next Steps: The bill had a hearing on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m. in the Senate Agriculture Committee. The committee will vote on the bill next week.

 Click here to send a letter to the committee today urging they support the bill!

HB 813- Provide for the agricultural emissions right to repair act, sponsored by Rep. Tom France. MFU supports HB 813. The bill would provide farmers, ranchers, and independent mechanics the tools and diagnostic software necessary to repair their own equipment and emissions systems. 

Status & Next Steps: The bill has a hearing in the House Business and Labor Committee onTuesday, March 4th at 8am. Call (406) 444-4800 to reach the Legislative Information Desk to leave a message for the full committee, urging they vote yes on the bill! 

Additional Updates: 

HB 440 - Providing tax incentives to put Montana-produced food first, sponsored by Rep. Jane Weber. After a successful 2nd reading vote on the House Floor of 52-41, the House Appropriations committee tabled the bill on a 13-10 vote. 

Legislators who voted to kill the bill: Albus, Eric (R-28) Barker, Brad (R-55) Bedey, David (R-86) Falk, Terry (R-10) Fitzpatrick, John (R-76) Gillette, Jane (R-77) Jones, Llew (R-18) Mercer, Bill (R-52) Nave, Fiona (R-56) Nicastro, Anthony (R-50) Schillinger, Jerry (R-34) Vinton, Mike (R-40) Walsh, Ken (R-69)

Legislators who voted to support the bill: Caferro, Mary (D-81)Crowe, Thedis (D-15)Fox, Mike (D-32)Hawk, Donavon (D-72)Keogh, Connie (D-92)Matthews, Eric (D-66)Muszkiewicz, Luke (D-79)Powers, Debo (D-3)Rosenzweig, Scott (D-57)Tuss, Paul (D-27)

The goal of this bill was to provide an incentive opportunity for retailers to stock Montana foods on their shelves, providing a subtraction from individual income and corporate income taxes for the income from Montana-Produced food. This is completely voluntary. 

SB 371 (detailed later in this update) is a similar bill that will provide a tax incentive for the shelf space of Montana-produced goods. Watch for SB 371 to have a hearing soon. 

HB 119 - Establish MT Cattle Committee: second beef check-off in the works. Sponsored by Rep. Brandon Ler and Senator Butch Gillespie. MFU is opposed to the bill as written. The bill provides for a politically appointed committee that would collect an assessment fee of $1 from Montana Cattle producers upon a referendum vote. 

 Status & Next Steps: The bill was scheduled for a hearing on Thursday, 2/27/25 and was postponed at the last minute. 

We are asking folks to act in two ways: 

Tell the Governor to vote no:

 Click here to use this action alert to contact the Governor and the Lt. Governor and let them know your concerns with the bill

Click here to use our action alert system to send an email to members of the Senate Ag Committee asking they send the bill back to the drawing board.  

HB 649 – Establish a farm to food bank program, sponsored by Rep. Shelly Fyant. MFU supported HB 649. The bill sets up a Farm to Food Bank grant program to be run through the Department of Agriculture. This program can help to build a new, local, more reliable market for farmers and ranchers, direct local money into rural communities, help Food Pantry’s strengthen their local economic buying power, and enable more Montanans to get fresh, locally grown food. 

Status & Next Steps: The bill passed out of the House Agriculture Committee 11-6 and will be heard on the House Floor soon for Second reading. 

SJ 11 –  Interim study on farmer's markets and food systems, sponsored by Sen. Butch Gillespie. MFU supports SJ 11. This study will look at clarifying the regulatory framework around farmers markets in Montana and provides the opportunity for stakeholders to come to the table and figure out what may or may not be working. There have been a lot of changes around cottage food laws and homemade local foods in the last couple of legislative sessions which has created confusion for both those selling at markets and those working on the food safety and liability.

 Status & Next Steps: The bill unanimously passed the Senate Ag Committee and will have a 2nd reading vote in the Senate soon.

SB 376 – Establish Right to Work act, sponsored by Sen. Mark Noland. MFU opposed SB 376. Our promise to serve and represent family farmers/ranchers is delivered through cooperation, legislation, and education -- to continue to strengthen our family farms and cooperative programs that benefit farmers, consumers, laborers and rural communities alike. Our members specifically have policy that opposes “right-to-work” for less legislation. The bill would lead to lower wages and fewer benefits and workplace protections for workers. Montana Farmers Union has long opposed right to work legislation. 

Status & Next Steps: The bill was heard in the Senate Business and Labor Committee on Friday, Feb. 28. The committee will vote on the bill soon. 

SB 246 - Provide for Montana First Procurement laws and establish reporting requirements, sponsored by Sen. Cora Neumann. MFU supports SB 246. The bill provides a reporting requirement for contracts for the procurement of food products by a governmental body with a total contract value of $100,000 or more. SB 246 is a great starting place to gain an understanding of where we are at with using Montana taxpayer dollars for procurement of our large state institutional contracts (think food for the state hospital, Department of Corrections, University systems, etc). 

Status & Next Steps: The bill passed second reading in the Senate 45-4. Following a 3rd reading vote on the bill, the bill will transmit to the House for further consideration. 

SB 186 - Provide for expedited processing in district courts of water cases arising under final decrees, sponsored by Sen. Barry Usher. SB 186 is in response to the proposed creation of a new Water Court to oversee water cases after the adjudication process is finished. MFU supports water cases going to the District Court level once the adjudication process is finished. This bill would help to expedite water cases in the district court. It keeps the water cases to be decided at the local level first. It allows the district court judge to have experts if needed to assist in the water case.

 Status & Next Steps: The bill is being considered on the Senate floor again following a vote to reconsider a tied 2nd reading vote. 

Notable Bills to be scheduled soon for hearing: 

SB 371 - “An Act Providing Tax Incentives for the Sale of Montana-produced Goods; Providing aSubtraction from Individual Income and Corporate Income Taxes for the Income from Montana-Produced goods, sponsored by Sen. Cora Neumann. This bill provides an incentive opportunity for retailers to stock Montana-produced goods on their shelves, providing a subtraction from individual income and corporate income taxes for the income from Montana-Produced goods. This is completely voluntary for retailers. More competition in the marketplace is good for consumers and producers. Corporate control and influence hinders competitive opportunity for Montana producers to gain shelf and market access.

Status & Next Steps: The bill will be heard in the Senate Tax Committee soon. 

We will continue to track bills that impact family farms and ranches and rural communities and keep you informed. 

Questions?

Please contact Rachel Prevost at rprevost@montanafarmersunion.com

or Jasmine Krotkov at jkrotkov@montanafarmersunion.com

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Press Information: montanafarmersunion.com/media-press-kit/

MFU President Walter Schweitzer: 406-799-3782

Montana Farmers Union has worked more than 100 years for family farms, ranches, and rural communities. MFU supports its members through: Strong education programs for both youth and adults, by advocating member-driven policies and legislation at the state and federal level, and cooperation through producer-owned co-ops. For more information, visit www.montanafarmersunion.com.