Bill > HB833

This bill addresses Montana's correctional system capacity by establishing a Future of Corrections Fund and appropriating significant financial resources to expand and improve the state's correctional facilities. The legislation creates a new state special revenue fund administered by the Department of Corrections, which can be used to secure additional correctional facilities through various means, including build-to-lease, lease-to-own, and agreements with private correctional facilities. The bill appropriates $4 million for immediate needs like system assessment, transitional costs, and prison population management, and transfers $246 million to a capital developments account for constructing new correctional facilities or renovating existing ones. The budget director has discretion to redirect funds if new construction is not deemed in the state's best interests, with considerations including the availability of workforce needed for inmate rehabilitation. The bill mandates quarterly reporting to legislative committees about expenditures and requires that any future facility expansion must include funding for operations and maintenance. An interesting provision requires a two-thirds legislative vote to authorize lease-to-own agreements, and the bill becomes effective immediately upon passage. Overall, the legislation aims to address potential overcrowding and improve the state's correctional infrastructure through strategic funding and flexible implementation approaches.

Budget and Finance

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1119