Bill > HB53

This bill revises Montana's public contract law to allow the Department of Military Affairs to use troop labor for facility upgrades, preservation, and restoration projects without being required to follow standard competitive bidding and public notice procedures. Specifically, the legislation creates an exception to existing procurement rules that normally require state agencies to publicly advertise and seek competitive bids for construction or improvement projects costing $150,000 or more. The new provision allows the Department of Military Affairs to use military personnel for facility-related work when such projects are part of military training, effectively enabling troops to directly execute infrastructure and maintenance projects within their facilities. This change provides more flexibility for the military department by removing bureaucratic barriers and allowing them to leverage military personnel's skills and training for facility improvements. The bill also maintains existing provisions that allow periodic inflation adjustments to the competitive bidding threshold and includes similar existing exceptions for other specific scenarios, such as work done by corrections inmates or historic preservation projects by the Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Department.

Government Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/20251/LC0279