Senate Bill No. 131

Introduced By _______________________________________________________________________________



A Bill for an Act entitled: "An Act Increasing to 25 Acres the Size of a Tract of State Land That The Board of Land Commissioners May Sell or Lease to a School District For Use as a School Site; amending section

20-6-621, MCA; and providing an immediate effective date."



Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Montana:



Section 1.  Section 20-6-621, MCA, is amended to read:

"20-6-621.   Selection of school sites, approval election, and lease of state lands. (1)(a) The Except as provided in subsection (1)(b), the trustees of a district may select the sites for school buildings or for other school purposes, but the selection must first be approved by the qualified electors of the district before a contract for the purchase of a site is entered into by the trustees,.

(b) except the The trustees may purchase or otherwise acquire property contiguous to an existing site that is in use for school purposes without a site approval election. The trustees may take an option on a site prior to the site approval election.

(2)  The election for the approval of a site must be called under the provisions of 20-20-201 and must be conducted in the manner prescribed by this title for school elections. An elector who may vote at a school site election is qualified to vote under the provisions of 20-20-301. If a majority of those voting at the election approve the site selection, the trustees may purchase the site. A site approval election is not required when the site was specifically identified in an election at which an additional levy or the issuance of bonds was approved for the purchase of the site.

(3)  Any site for a school building or other building of the district that is selected or purchased by the trustees must:

(a)  be in a place that is convenient, accessible, and suitable;

(b)  comply with the minimum size and other requirements prescribed by the department of public health and human services; and

(c)  comply with the statewide building regulations, if any, promulgated by the department of commerce.

(4)  The board of land commissioners may sell, at the appraised value, or lease for any period of time less than 99 years, at an amount of $1 per year, to a district any tract of state land of not more than 10 25 acres to be used as a school site in the district."



NEW SECTION. Section 2.  Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.

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