Bill > HB313

This bill establishes a new grant program to provide financial support for public swimming pools across Montana, with several key provisions. The Department of Commerce will administer a new public swimming pool infrastructure account with $5 million transferred from the Capital Developments Long-Range Building Program Account, which will fund grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations for swimming pool projects. These grants can cover property acquisition, construction, repairs, equipment purchases, and limited operational costs (up to one year within the first five years of operation). Grant recipients must provide matching funds on a one-to-one basis, meaning they must contribute $1 for every $1 of grant money received. The bill limits total state funding to $1 million per county, with no more than two applications funded per county, and individual project grants cannot exceed $500,000. Eligible applicants include counties, cities, towns, school districts, tribal governments, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. The bill defines "public swimming pool" broadly to include various aquatic facilities like hot water pools, splash decks, water slides, and lazy rivers, while explicitly excluding private residential pools. The grant program will be in effect from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2029, and requires recipients to submit detailed project management plans and comply with design standards.