2023 Legislative Session

2023 Legislative Session

Early childhood policies greatly impact the lives of children and families across Montana.

The 2023 Legislative Session was an opportunity for Montana’s lawmakers to make a long-overdue investment in our children, small businesses and the state economy. We saw an unprecedented number of early childhood-related bills this session and worked to support a variety of legislation focused on tax credits, early learning programs & expanding quality child care in Montana.

It was an intense and challenging 87 days, but we would like to acknowledge some wins! We are celebrating the following bills that align with our policy agenda and made it across the finish line:

• HB 187 (Rep. Alice Buckley) establishes that child care is a residential use of property, aims to help increase the number of child care providers in the state and boosts access to care for families
• HB 287 (Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy) helps preserve the cultural integrity of Montana’s tribes through Indian language preservation and it recognizes early learning providers as partners in a tribe’s long-term strategy in dual language development
• HB 317 (Rep. Windy Boy) provides for the Montana Indian Child Welfare Act, codifying the practices needed to ensure American Indian children in our state remain within their communities whenever possible
• HB 352 (Rep. Brad Barker) provides targeted, optional interventions to support 3rd grade reading proficiency – responding directly to the needs of children, families, school districts and communities across Montana
• HB 648 (Rep. Buckley) will lower families’ child care costs and increase availability by expanding the Best Beginnings scholarship program and reducing copays for families

To see these bills move through with bipartisan support says a lot about the common commitment we all share towards children and families in our state. This legislation will result in more Montana kids having access to quality early care and education experiences, more families able to participate in the workforce, and more partners working together across our state to prioritize kids and build a stronger economy.