2007 Montana Legislature

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HOUSE BILL NO. 688

INTRODUCED BY OLSON


AN ACT CREATING A COAL AND URANIUM MINE PERMITTING AND RECLAMATION PROGRAM ACCOUNT; ALLOCATING COAL SEVERANCE TAXES TO THE COAL AND URANIUM MINE PERMITTING AND RECLAMATION PROGRAM ACCOUNT; PROVIDING THAT THE MONEY IN THE ACCOUNT BE USED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF COAL AND URANIUM MINE PERMITTING AND RECLAMATION; AMENDING SECTION 15-35-108, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND AN APPLICABILITY DATE.

 

AN ACT CREATING A COAL AND URANIUM MINE PERMITTING AND RECLAMATION PROGRAM ACCOUNT; ALLOCATING COAL SEVERANCE TAXES TO THE COAL AND URANIUM MINE PERMITTING AND RECLAMATION PROGRAM ACCOUNT; PROVIDING THAT THE MONEY IN THE ACCOUNT BE USED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF COAL AND URANIUM MINE PERMITTING AND RECLAMATION; AMENDING SECTION 15-35-108, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND AN APPLICABILITY DATE.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

 

     Section 1.  Section 15-35-108, MCA, is amended to read:

     "15-35-108.  (Temporary) Disposal of severance taxes. Severance taxes collected under this chapter must, in accordance with the provisions of 15-1-501, be allocated as follows:

     (1)  Fifty percent of total coal severance tax collections is allocated to the trust fund created by Article IX, section 5, of the Montana constitution. The trust fund money must be deposited in the fund established under 17-6-203(6) and invested by the board of investments as provided by law.

     (2)  The amount of 12% of coal severance tax collections is allocated to the long-range building program account established in 17-7-205.

     (3)  The amount of 5.46% must be credited to an account in the state special revenue fund to be allocated by the legislature for provision of basic library services for the residents of all counties through library federations and for payment of the costs of participating in regional and national networking, conservation districts, and the Montana Growth Through Agriculture Act. Expenditures of the allocation may be made only from this account. Money may not be transferred from this account to another account other than the general fund. Any unreserved fund balance at the end of each fiscal year must be deposited in the general fund.

     (4)  The amount of 1.27% must be allocated to a permanent fund account for the purpose of parks acquisition or management. Income from this permanent fund account, excluding unrealized gains and losses, must be appropriated for the acquisition, development, operation, and maintenance of any sites and areas described in 23-1-102.

     (5)  The amount of 0.95% must be allocated to the debt service fund type to the credit of the renewable resource loan debt service fund.

     (6)  The amount of 0.63% must be allocated to a trust fund for the purpose of protection of works of art in the capitol and for other cultural and aesthetic projects. Income from this trust fund account, excluding unrealized gains and losses, must be appropriated for protection of works of art in the state capitol and for other cultural and aesthetic projects.

     (7)  The amount of 2.9% must be credited to the oil, gas, and coal natural resource account established in 90-6-1001.

     (8) After the allocations are made under subsections (2) through (7), $250,000 for the fiscal year must be credited to the coal and uranium mine permitting and reclamation program account established in [section 2].

     (8)(9)  (a) Subject to subsection (8)(b) (9)(b), all other revenue from severance taxes collected under the provisions of this chapter must be credited to the general fund of the state.

     (b)  The interest income from $140 million of the coal severance tax permanent fund that is deposited in the general fund is statutorily appropriated, as provided in 17-7-502, on an annual basis as follows:

     (i)  $65,000 to the cooperative development center;

     (ii) $1.25 million for the growth through agriculture program provided for in Title 90, chapter 9;

     (iii) $3.65 million to the research and commercialization state special revenue account created in 90-3-1002;

     (iv) to the department of commerce:

     (A)  $125,000 for a small business development center;

     (B)  $50,000 for a small business innovative research program;

     (C)  $425,000 for certified regional development corporations;

     (D)  $200,000 for the Montana manufacturing extension center at Montana state university-Bozeman; and

     (E)  $300,000 for export trade enhancement. (Terminates June 30, 2010--sec. 6, Ch. 481, L. 2003.)

     15-35-108.  (Effective July 1, 2010) Disposal of severance taxes. Severance taxes collected under this chapter must, in accordance with the provisions of 15-1-501, be allocated as follows:

     (1)  Fifty percent of total coal severance tax collections is allocated to the trust fund created by Article IX, section 5, of the Montana constitution. The trust fund money must be deposited in the fund established under 17-6-203(6) and invested by the board of investments as provided by law.

     (2)  The amount of 12% of coal severance tax collections is allocated to the long-range building program account established in 17-7-205.

     (3)  The amount of 5.46% must be credited to an account in the state special revenue fund to be allocated by the legislature for provision of basic library services for the residents of all counties through library federations and for payment of the costs of participating in regional and national networking, conservation districts, and the Montana Growth Through Agriculture Act. Expenditures of the allocation may be made only from this account. Money may not be transferred from this account to another account other than the general fund. Any unreserved fund balance at the end of each fiscal year must be deposited in the general fund.

     (4)  The amount of 1.27% must be allocated to a permanent fund account for the purpose of parks acquisition or management. Income from this permanent fund account, excluding unrealized gains and losses, must be appropriated for the acquisition, development, operation, and maintenance of any sites and areas described in 23-1-102.

     (5)  The amount of 0.95% must be allocated to the debt service fund type to the credit of the renewable resource loan debt service fund.

     (6)  The amount of 0.63% must be allocated to a trust fund for the purpose of protection of works of art in the capitol and for other cultural and aesthetic projects. Income from this trust fund account, excluding unrealized gains and losses, must be appropriated for protection of works of art in the state capitol and for other cultural and aesthetic projects.

     (7)  The amount of 2.9% must be credited to the oil, gas, and coal natural resource account established in 90-6-1001.

     (8) After the allocations are made under subsections (2) through (7), $250,000 for the fiscal year must be credited to the coal and uranium mine permitting and reclamation program account established in [section 2].

     (8)(9)  All other revenue from severance taxes collected under the provisions of this chapter must be credited to the general fund of the state."

 

     Section 2.  Coal and uranium mine permitting and reclamation program account. (1) There is a coal and uranium mine permitting and reclamation program account within the special revenue fund established in 17-2-102.

     (2) Each fiscal year, there must be deposited in the account the proceeds from the coal severance tax, as provided in 15-35-108, to be appropriated by the legislature to the department for the administration and enforcement of this part.

 

     Section 3.  Codification instruction. [Section 2] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 82, chapter 4, part 2, and the provisions of Title 82, chapter 4, part 2, apply to [section 2].

 

     Section 4.  Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2007.

 

     Section 5.  Applicability. [This act] applies to severance tax collections from coal produced after June 30, 2007.

- END -

 


Latest Version of HB 688 (HB0688.ENR)
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