85-2-280. Water adjudication account. - Montana Statutes

     85-2-280. (Temporary) Water adjudication account. (1) There is a water adjudication account within the state special revenue fund created in 17-2-102.
     (2) (a) Subject to legislative fund transfers, for the period ending June 30, 2015, there is allocated to the department and the water court up to $2.6 million, plus the approved inflation factor contained in the revenue estimating resolution, each fiscal year from the water adjudication account for the sole purpose of funding the water adjudication program. These funds may not be used for the purpose of updating or maintaining a computer database.
     (b) For the period beginning July 1, 2015, and ending June 30, 2020, there is allocated to the department and the water court up to $1 million, plus the approved inflation factor contained in the revenue estimating resolution, each fiscal year from the account for the sole purpose of funding the water adjudication program.
     (c) The allocations in subsections (2)(a) and (2)(b) are subject to appropriation by the legislature.
     (3) Interest and income earnings on the water adjudication account must be deposited in the account.
     (4) Money remaining in the water adjudication account on June 30, 2020, must be transferred to the water right appropriation account provided for in 85-2-318.
     (5) If the accountability benchmarks contained in 85-2-271 are not met, expenditures from the account in the previous biennium may not be included in the department's base budget, as defined in 17-7-102, for the current biennium. (Terminates June 30, 2020--sec. 18, Ch. 288, L. 2005; sec. 11, Ch. 319, L. 2007.)

     History: En. Sec. 7, Ch. 288, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 319, L. 2007; amd. Sec. 24, Ch. 486, L. 2009.