Montana HB883 (2023): Funding for Fire Suppression and Preparedness Efforts
On May 22, 2023, the Montana State Legislature passed House Bill 883. HB 883 amended Montana Code § 76-13-150 (2023), adding a one-time grant of $152 million to the fire suppression account in the state special revenue fund and expanding fund usage to include fire preparedness.
As established by Montana Code § 76-13-150 (2023), the fire suppression account is used by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) to fund wildfire suppression efforts. Previously, the fund has been allotted around $50 million per biennium from the state revenue fund. With the goal of “provid[ing] a more reliable revenue source and increasing the available balance in the fire suppression account,” HB 883 strengthened the fire suppression fund by:
- Providing a one-time grant of $152 million,
- Allowing for excess general funds to be deposited into the fire suppression account (bringing the fire suppression account to 6% of the general fund revenues, once in a biennium), and
- Increasing the amount that DNRC can use for fire mitigation and preparedness from $5 million per biennium to $30 million per biennium.
In practice, the increased funding and addition of the fire preparedness clause improve DNRC’s ability to assist counties when wildfires grow beyond their capacity, as well as to train, equip, and provide organizational or technical support at no cost to the county.
Publication Date: May 22, 2023
Related Organizations:
- State of Montana
Sectors:
Resource Category:
Resource Types:
- Laws
States Affected:
Impacts:
- Wildfires
