Representative Fiona Nave introduced House Bill 815 on March 1, 2025, proposing that county election administrators administer all school elections in Montana rather than permitting school districts in some counties to run their own contests.

Sponsor Nave framed the bill as a standardization and integrity measure: the county election administrator has professional experience and consistent procedures to administer elections statewide. The bill would direct counties and school districts to plan a transition and report back to the legislature, with an implementation target of mid‑2029.

"This bill is actually pretty simple," Nave said in opening remarks, urging standardization so that "we always know that our school elections are conducted with the same level of fidelity and integrity" as other county elections.

Nicole Thuot of the Office of Public Instruction told the committee the issue had been studied previously (SJR 14) and that about half of Montanas school districts currently run their own elections. Thuot and Bradley Seaman, Missoula County elections administrator speaking for the Montana Association of Clerk and Recorders and Election Administrators, said counties and school districts already coordinate in many places and that counties generally bill districts at actual cost when they run the election.

Seaman described how Missoula County allocates shared election costs proportionally and said counties typically use trained election judges. OPI staff said school districts are subject to the same judge‑training requirements as counties; OPI also noted a process exists to challenge improperly run school elections.

Committee members raised practical concerns about logistics in large, rural counties and the absence of a formal appropriation in the bill. Sponsor Nave said the bill allows time for local planning and negotiation of costs; she recommended counties and districts work together during the transition period and return to the legislature for funding adjustments if needed.

At executive action the committee voted to table House Bill 815 (13 ayes, 6 noes).