1-2-112. Statutes imposing new local government duties. (1) As provided in subsection (3), a law enacted by the legislature that requires a local government unit to perform an activity or provide a service or facility that requires the direct expenditure of additional funds and that is not expected of local governments in the scope of their usual operations must provide a specific means to finance the activity, service, or facility other than a mill levy. Any law that fails to provide a specific means to finance any activity, service, or facility is not effective until specific means of financing are provided by the legislature from state or federal funds.

(2) Subsequent legislation may not be considered to supersede or modify any provision of this section by implication. Subsequent legislation may supersede or modify the provisions of this section if the legislation does so expressly.

(3) The mandates that the legislature is required to fund under subsection (1) are legislatively imposed requirements that are not necessary for the operation of local governments but that provide a valuable service or benefit to Montana citizens, including but not limited to:

(a) entitlement mandates that provide that certain classes of citizens may receive specific benefits;

(b) membership mandates that require local governments to join specific organizations, such as waste districts or a national organization of regulators; and

(c) service level mandates requiring local governments to meet certain minimum standards.

(4) Subsection (1) does not apply to:

(a) mandates that are required of local governments as a matter of constitutional law or federal statute or that are considered necessary for the operation of local governments, including but not limited to:

(i) due process mandates;

(ii) equal treatment mandates;

(iii) local government ethics mandates;

(iv) personnel and employment mandates;

(v) recordkeeping requirements; or

(vi) mandates concerning the organizational structure of local governments;

(b) any law under which the required expenditure of additional local funds is an insubstantial amount that can be readily absorbed into the budget of an existing program. A required expenditure of the equivalent of approximately 1 mill levied on taxable property of the local government unit or $10,000, whichever is less, may be considered an insubstantial amount.

(c) a law necessary to implement the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, Public Law 103-31.

History: En. 43-517, 43-518 by Secs. 1, 2, Ch. 275, L. 1974; R.C.M. 1947, 43-517, 43-518; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 217, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 416, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 246, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 574, L. 2001.