UPDATE: SB 171 Amended to Protect Recycling Incentives

The Montana Recycling Association in please to announce that Senate Bill 171 was amended in House Taxation to protect recycling incentives. MRA will continue to monitor SB 171, but is not longer opposing the bill. - MRA

Letter to the Editor by Mark Nelson, President of the Montana Recycling Association

"Recycling incentives important to economy, environment,"

- Published in Montana Standard April 10, 2015

Submitted to Montana Papers April 8, 2015:

Protect Recycling and Recycling Jobs in Montana by Protecting Montana's Recycling Incentives

Recycling helps individuals and communities in Montana create a resource from items that would otherwise be trash.  Recycling also provides jobs.  A 2004 study showed recycling created more than 300 full-time jobs across the state.  Since that time, Montana’s recycling rate has gone from 12% to nearly 17% in 2012.

However, recycling can be difficult in Montana due to the lack of infrastructure to collect and process recyclables, as well as end-uses for recycling in the manufacturing process.  Recognizing these challenges, Montana policy makers established important incentives to help Montana realize the economic and environmental benefits of recycling. 

Unfortunately, Senate Bill 171, now before the House Taxation Committee would strike these important incentives without any review of the fiscal, community, and environmental impact of losing these recycling incentives.  Senate Bill 171 needs to be amended to preserve Montana’s Recycling incentives.

These incentives help Montana businesses invest in recycling collection, recycling processing, and recycling-based manufacturing; bringing economic and environmental benefits to our state.  Please let your legislators know you support policies to encourage recycling in Montana.

Please visit us at www.MontanaRecyclers.org to learn more about this legislation and other issues important to Montana’s recyclers.

Sincerely,

​- Mark​

Mark E Nelson, President

Montana Recycling Association

P.O. Box 1360

Helena, MT 59624

Senate Bill 171 to be Heard this Friday, April 10th; Let Your Representative's Know You Support an Amendment to Protect Montana's Recycling Incentives

Senate Bill 171 will be heard this Friday, April 10th, at 8am in House Taxation. 

Please take a moment to contact your local representative and members of the House Taxation committee (listed below), to let them know you support Montana's Recycling Incentives. 

The Montana Recycling Association position on SB 171, to oppose unless amended, in shown in more detail here.

Thanks!

- MRA

​[Click on Legislators Name for More Details and Contact Information]

House Taxation, 2015 Legislature
Mike Miller  (R) HD 80 HELMVILLE	Chair
Greg Hertz  (R) HD 12 POLSON, MT	Vice Chair
Kathleen Williams  (D) HD 61 BOZEMAN	Vice Chair
Zach Brown  (D) HD 63 BOZEMAN
Rob Cook  (R) HD 18 CONRAD
Geraldine Custer  (R) HD 39 FORSYTH
Mary Ann Dunwell  (D) HD 84  ​Helena​
Kelly Flynn  (R) HD 70 TOWNSEND
Tom Jacobson  (D) HD 21 GREAT FALLS
Steve Lavin  (R) HD 8 KALISPELL
Ed Lieser  (D) HD 5 WHITEFISH
Edith (Edie) McClafferty  (D) HD 73 BUTTE
Albert Olszewski  (R) HD 11 KALISPELL
Lee Randall  (R) HD 37 BROADUS
Alan Redfield  (R) HD 59 LIVINGSTON
Nicholas Schwaderer  (R) HD 14 SUPERIOR
Bridget Smith  (D) HD 31 WOLF POINT
Kerry White  (R) HD 64 BOZEMAN
Nancy Wilson  (D) HD 95 MISSOULA
Daniel Zolnikov  (R) HD 45 BILLINGS

Legislative Update: Oppose Senate Bill 171 Unless Amended

Current Status: Senate Bill 171 passed the Senate March 6 and was assigned to House Taxation March 10th. First heading in House Taxation has/had not been scheduled at the time of this post. 

Friends,

The Montana Recycling Association is closely monitoring the 2015 Legislature in Helena. Our priority this session is to protect recycling incentives that help keeping recycling capacity and recycling manufacturing-and the jobs they create-in Montana. 

Senate Bill 171, outlined in more detail below, would eliminate the recycling incentives at the end of the 2016 calendar year without any review of how the loss of the incentives would effect the industry. Whatever merits the bill may have, the recycling incentives were established and recently extended with bi-partisan support. They are the cornerstone of Montana's policy to support and expand the economic, environmental and community benefits of recycling in Montana.  

MRA is also monitoring House Bill 154, which provided for a more measured approach to review economic policies such as the recycling incentives. Such an approach, with the schedule outlined in the bill, would provide a responsible way to review the recycling incentives without abruptly hurting the industry. 

Senate Bill 171 needs to be opposed unless it is amended to protect Montana's recycling incentives. 

- MRA

Montana Recycling Association

Box 1360, Helena, Montana 59601

MontanaRecyclers(at)gmail.com

Representing Recyclers and Recycling in Montana!

RSVP today  for Montana Recycles Day at the Capitol March 24, 2015!
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Senate Bill 171: 

​Eliminate Recycling Incentives Calendar Year 2016; Amendment Needed to Protect Recycling Incentives

Senate Bill 171 would repeal a large number of credits and deductions, including those for recycling, at the end of 2016. This Bill is very similar to is similar to Senate Bill 282  which then Recycle Montana President Mark Nelson discussed is a letter to the editor entitled “Recycling Incentives Important for Montana.”  MRA's opposition to the bill is the abrupt elimination of recycling incentives​ that help expand recycling capacity and maintain recycling based manufacturing in Montana​. MRA otherwise has no position on the bill. 

Senate Bill 171 had an extensive hearing on January 29th. The sponsor, Senator Tutvedt, 

​initially prepared an amendment to SB 171 to leave the recycling incentives in tact.  ​Unexpected to persons on both sides of the isle, the amendment not introduced during executive action in Senate Taxation. 

MRA is working to ensure the final version of the bill does not include eliminate the recycling credits. ​ Senate Bill 171 has been assigned to House Taxation, but has not been scheduled for a hearing as of time of this post. 

House Bill 154: Review of Tax Targeted Tax Policy

Summary: 

House Bill 154 as amended sets termination dates for 28 tax credits over a staggered timeline based on how long the credit has been in place (older credits are up for review sooner). The credits would be reviewed by the Revenue and Transportation Interim Committee (RTIC), which could then recommend their extension to the legislature for an eight year period.  

The recycling credit is slated for termination at the end of 2021 in HB 154. RTIC would to tasked with reviewing the credit during the 2019-2020 interim. Montana Recycling Association is monitoring this bill.

Current Status: Re-Referred from House Floor to House Tax, Passed Committee March 24th with addition amendments

House Bill 154 narrowly passed second reading and only passed third reading due to an accidental vote in support. The scheduled termination of the capital gains credit was a concern raised by some legislators. The bill has been returned to House Taxation. ​There was some discussion of the bill advancing without including the termination dates of the various tax provisions. The bill passed the House Taxation committee March 24 having been further amended to no longer include termination and review of the capital gains, elderly homeowner & renter, and income for taxes paid to other states or countries credits. 

More Details:

House Bill 154 (from this fiscal note prior to amendments): "HB 154 sets termination dates for 25 personal income and corporate income tax credits. Under current law, none of the 25 tax credits have termination dates. The Revenue and Transportation Interim Committee (RTIC) would review five or six of the credits each interim and make recommendations to the Legislature as to whether the credits should be extended. This bill effectively sunsets these credits in two year tranches. All the credits, if none were extended, would expire by TY 2025. The Legislature would have to amend statutes of the RTIC reviewed credits in order to extend the termination dates. Each extended credit would be reviewed every eight years under the sunset provisions of this bill. The elimination of the first tranche of tax credits in CY 2018 is estimated to increase general fund revenue by $48,315,779 in FY 2019. Once fully implemented, the elimination of tax credits in future years (TY 2025) will result in the elimination of approximately $100 million in tax credits increasing general fund revenue by a like amount." [End quotes fiscal note]

Montana's Recycling Incentives [from this link]

Table of Contents

TITLE 15. TAXATION
CHAPTER 32. ENERGY-RELATED AND ECOLOGICAL TAX INCENTIVES

Part 6. Recycling of Material

Back Up One Level in Table of Contents

15-32-601. Definitions.
15-32-602. Amount and duration of credit -- how claimed.
15-32-603. Credit for investment in property used to collect or process reclaimable material or to manufacture a product from reclaimed material.
15-32-604. Limitation of credit.
15-32-605. through reserved.
15-32-609. Recycled material qualifying for deduction -- purpose -- rulemaking.
15-32-610. Deduction for purchase of recycled material.
15-32-611. Department to make rules.

Welcome to the Montana Recycling Association!

Welcome to the official blog of the Montana Recycling Association. 

We represent recyclers and promote recycling in Montana.

Contact us at Montana Recyclers (at) gmail.com for more details.

Thanks for Recycling!