INTRODUCED
BY D. Loge
By Request of the ****
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT ESTABLISHING A FIRE HAZARD REDUCTION FUND; REQUIRING THE DEPOSIT OF REVENUE FROM FORFEITED FIRE HAZARD REDUCTION PERFORMANCE BONDS INTO A STATE SPECIAL REVENUE FUND FOR AUTHORIZATION, MANAGEMENT, AND COMPLETION OF FIRE HAZARD REDUCTION ACTIVITIES; CREATING A STATUTORY APPROPRIATION; AMENDING SECTIONS 17-7-502 AND 76-13-410, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Fire hazard reduction fund. (1) There is a fire hazard reduction fund in the state special revenue fund established in 17-2-102.
(2) There is deposited in the fund all revenue from forfeited performance bonds provided for in 76-13-410.
(3) The fund is statutorily appropriated, as provided in 17-7-502, to the department of natural resources and conservation for the purposes of authorizing, managing, and completing fire hazard reduction activities pursuant to this part.
Section 2. Section 17-7-502, MCA, is amended to read:
"17-7-502. Statutory appropriations -- definition -- requisites for validity. (1) A statutory appropriation is an appropriation made by permanent law that authorizes spending by a state agency without the need for a biennial legislative appropriation or budget amendment.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (4), to be effective, a statutory appropriation must comply with both of the following provisions:
(a) The law containing the statutory authority must be listed in subsection (3).
(b) The law or portion of the law making a statutory appropriation must specifically state that a statutory appropriation is made as provided in this section.
(3) The following laws are the only laws containing statutory appropriations: 2-17-105; 5-11-120; 5-11-407; 5-13-403; 5-13-404; 7-4-2502; 10-1-108; 10-1-1202; 10-1-1303; 10-2-603; 10-2-807; 10-3-203; 10-3-310; 10-3-312; 10-3-314; 10-3-802; 10-3-1304; 10-4-304; 15-1-121; 15-1-218; 15-31-1004; 15-31-1005; 15-35-108; 15-36-332; 15-37-117; 15-39-110; 15-65-121; 15-70-101; 15-70-130; 15-70-433; 16-11-119; 16-11-509; 17-3-106; 17-3-212; 17-3-222; 17-3-241; 17-6-101; 17-7-215; 18-11-112; 19-3-319; 19-3-320; 19-6-404; 19-6-410; 19-9-702; 19-13-604; 19-17-301; 19-18-512; 19-19-305; 19-19-506; 19-20-604; 19-20-607; 19-21-203; 20-8-107; 20-9-534; 20-9-622; 20-9-905; 20-26-617; 20-26-1503; 22-1-327; 22-3-116; 22-3-117; 22-3-1004; 23-4-105; 23-5-306; 23-5-409; 23-5-612; 23-7-301; 23-7-402; 30-10-1004; 37-43-204; 37-50-209; 37-54-113; 39-71-503; 41-5-2011; 42-2-105; 44-4-1101; 44-12-213; 44-13-102; 50-1-115; 53-1-109; 53-6-148; 53-9-113; 53-24-108; 53-24-206; 60-11-115; 61-3-321; 61-3-415; 67-1-309; 69-3-870; 69-4-527; 75-1-1101; 75-5-1108; 75-6-214; 75-11-313; 75-26-308; 76-13-151; 76-13-150; [section 1]; 76-17-103; 76-22-109; 77-1-108; 77-2-362; 80-2-222; 80-4-416; 80-11-518; 80-11-1006; 81-1-112; 81-1-113; 81-7-106; 81-7-123; 81-10-103; 82-11-161; 85-2-526; 85-20-1504; 85-20-1505; [ 85-25-102]; 87-1-603; 90-1-115; 90-1-205; 90-1-504; 90-6-331; and 90-9-306.
(4) There is a statutory appropriation to pay the principal, interest, premiums, and costs of issuing, paying, and securing all bonds, notes, or other obligations, as due, that have been authorized and issued pursuant to the laws of Montana. Agencies that have entered into agreements authorized by the laws of Montana to pay the state treasurer, for deposit in accordance with 17-2-101 through 17-2-107, as determined by the state treasurer, an amount sufficient to pay the principal and interest as due on the bonds or notes have statutory appropriation authority for the payments. (In subsection (3): pursuant to sec. 10, Ch. 360, L. 1999, the inclusion of 19-20-604 terminates contingently when the amortization period for the teachers' retirement system's unfunded liability is 10 years or less; pursuant to sec. 73, Ch. 44, L. 2007, the inclusion of 19-6-410 terminates contingently upon the death of the last recipient eligible under 19-6-709(2) for the supplemental benefit provided by 19-6-709; pursuant to sec. 27, Ch. 285, L. 2015, and sec. 1, Ch. 292, L. 2015, the inclusion of 53-9-113 terminates June 30, 2021; pursuant to sec. 6, Ch. 291, L. 2015, the inclusion of 50-1-115 terminates June 30, 2021; pursuant to sec. 5, Ch. 383, L. 2015, the inclusion of 85-25-102 is effective on occurrence of contingency; pursuant to sec. 6, Ch. 423, L. 2015, the inclusion of 22-3-116 and 22-3-117 terminates June 30, 2025; pursuant to sec. 33, Ch. 457, L. 2015, the inclusion of 20-9-905 terminates December 31, 2023; pursuant to sec. 12, Ch. 55, L. 2017, the inclusion of 37-54-113 terminates June 30, 2023; pursuant to sec. 4, Ch. 122, L. 2017, the inclusion of 10-3-1304 terminates September 30, 2025; pursuant to sec. 55, Ch. 151, L. 2017, the inclusion of 30-10-1004 terminates June 30, 2021; pursuant to sec. 1, Ch. 213, L. 2017, the inclusion of 90-6-331 terminates June 30, 2027; pursuant to secs. 5, 8, Ch. 284, L. 2017, the inclusion of 81-1-112, 81-1-113, and 81-7-106 terminates June 30, 2023; pursuant to sec. 1, Ch. 340, L. 2017, the inclusion of 22-1-327 terminates July 1, 2023; pursuant to sec. 10, Ch. 374, L. 2017, the inclusion of 76-17-103 terminates June 30, 2027; pursuant to sec. 5, Ch, 50, L. 2019, the inclusion of 37-50-209 terminates September 30, 2023; pursuant to sec. 1, Ch. 408, L. 2019, the inclusion of 17-7-215 terminates June 30, 2029; pursuant to secs. 11, 12, and 14, Ch. 343, L. 2019, the inclusion of 15-35-108 terminates June 30, 2027; pursuant to sec. 7, Ch. 465, L. 2019, the inclusion of 85-2-526 terminates July 1, 2023; and pursuant to sec. 5, Ch. 477, L. 2019, the inclusion of 10-3-802 terminates June 30, 2023.)"
Section 3. Section 76-13-410, MCA, is amended to read:
"76-13-410. Failure to comply. (1) If a person fails, refuses, or neglects to properly reduce or manage the fire hazard in accordance with the requirements of 76-13-407 and 76-13-408, the person may be enjoined from further cutting, clearing, and construction operations until the department has found the person to be in compliance with 76-13-407 and 76-13-408. The department may initiate the proceedings and may obtain a temporary restraining order, injunction, or writ of mandate. The proceedings must be conducted in the district court of the county where the land is located.
(2) If a person claims to have a minimum slash hazard but the department's inspection determines otherwise, the hazard reduction requirements of this part apply.
(3) If a person fails to comply with 76-13-407 or 76-13-408 and fails to comply within 30 days after being notified to do so by the department, the department may complete, direct, or authorize the fire hazard reduction or management at the expense of the contractor or of the owner of the timber or other forest products cut or produced from the land upon which the unabated fire hazard remains.
(4) (a) The cost and expense of the fire hazard reduction or management work, plus 20% of the cost and expense of the work as a penalty, constitute a lien upon the forest products cut or produced from the land and upon the real and personal property of the contractor. If payment of the sum demanded is not made to the department within 15 days of its written demand, the performance bond required by 76-13-408 and 76-13-409, upon notice to the contractor, must be automatically forfeited to the extent needed to cover the cost and expenses of reducing or managing the fire hazard, plus a penalty of 20% of the cost and expenses. If the bond is insufficient to cover the cost, expenses, and penalty, the department may bring legal action on behalf of the state to recover the cost, expenses, and penalty.
(b) Revenue from forfeited performance bonds required by 76-13-408 and 76-13-409 must be
deposited into the fire hazard reduction fund established in [section 1].
(5) In addition to other remedies provided in this part, the department may, after notice, require a person to show cause why the department should not withhold the issuance of any further fire hazard reduction agreement or exemption certificate to a person that:
(a) harvests timber without a valid fire hazard reduction agreement; or
(b) has forfeited the performance bond on a fire hazard reduction agreement within the 2 preceding years and fails, refuses, or neglects to properly reduce or manage the fire hazard in accordance with 76-13-407 or 76-13-408 within 30 days after being notified by the department.
(6) If the person fails to show sufficient cause as required by subsection (5), the department may withhold the issuance of any further fire hazard reduction agreement or exemption certificate for a period not to exceed 3 years."
Section 4. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 76, chapter 13, part 4, and the provisions of Title 76, chapter 13, part 4, apply to [section 1].
Section 5. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.