Bill > HB853

This bill revises and increases licensing fees for various types of establishments in Montana, including retail food establishments, public accommodations, trailer courts, campgrounds, and public swimming pools. The bill introduces new categorizations for establishments based on size and operating hours, such as small, medium, and large retail food establishments, and seasonal and year-round pools and spas. Specifically, the bill increases license fees across multiple categories: for retail food establishments, fees range from $150 for small establishments to $275 for large establishments; for public accommodations, fees now range from $100 to $250 depending on the number of rooms; for trailer courts and campgrounds, fees increase from $40-$120 to $80-$225 based on the number of spaces; and for public swimming pools, fees are now differentiated between seasonal ($225) and year-round ($325) facilities. The bill also maintains the existing structure of fee allocation, with most fees (typically 85-90%) going to local board inspection funds, a small percentage to the general fund, and the remainder to specific related accounts. Additionally, the bill introduces new definitions for establishment types and clarifies seasonal and year-round operations, providing more precise categorization for licensing purposes.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC3536