TRS Legislative Updates

2023 Legislative Session

Photo of signing ceremony for HB 117
Signing ceremony for HB 117
(L-R) Rep. Marta Bertoglio (HD 75); TRS Executive Director Shawn Graham; Gov. Greg Gianforte

Page last updated May 4, 2023

The 68th session of the Montana Legislature convened on January 2 and adjourned on May 2, 2023.

Four bills affecting TRS became law:

HB 117, introduced at the request of the TRS Board, relaxed certain restrictions on working retirees to provide additional hiring flexibility for TRS employers.
HB 135, the TRS "Housekeeping bill," made several language clarifications and technical fixes in TRS law. It also provided a more stringent process for TRS employers to establish that an individual is an independent contractor (effective July 1, 2024).
SB 18 inserted a benefit policy statement to each pension system requiring that any future benefit addition must be fully funded. TRS supported this policy change as it mirrored the TRS Board's own Funding and Benefits Policy.
SJ 4 requested another interim study of TRS and the PERS Defined Benefit plan to develop recommendations for a long-term, strategic approach to funding. TRS supported this joint resolution as a way to increase lawmakers' understanding of defined benefit pensions and the consequences of legislative funding decisions.

Our 2023 Legislative Update document (pdf) provides more details about the four bills listed above as well as a few bills that did not pass the Legislature.

TRS Legislative News Archives

2021 Session

A TRS "housekeeping bill" (HB 88) was passed by the 67th Montana Legislature, and a joint House and Senate Resolution (HJ 8) instructed an interim committee to review Montana's defined benefit pensions. Read more at the links below:

2021 Legislative Update (pdf)
TRS Horizons member newsletter – legislative issue (June 2021) (pdf)

2019 Session

Two bills passed by the 66th Montana Legislature resulted in minor changes and clarifications to TRS law. These and other bills are summarized in the following documents:

2019 Legislative Update (pdf)
TRS Horizons member newsletter – legislative issue (June 2019) (pdf)

2017 Session

Four bills affecting TRS were passed by the 65th Montana Legislature and are described in the documents below:

2017 Legislative Update (pdf)
TRS Horizons member newsletter – legislative issue (June 2017) (pdf)

2015 Session

Three bills affecting TRS are summarized in the documents below:

2015 Legislative Update (pdf)
TRS Horizons member newsletter – legislative issue (May 2015) (pdf)

2013 Session

The 63rd Montana Legislature enacted significant changes to TRS, and a bill passed in the 2009 session also took effect in 2013. See summaries and related news items below: