• AHD's 2027 Biennium Budget Request – New Proposals
• oNP 40 – Milk Inspection Fee Shift: This budget request is to move $150,000 of authority in FY 2026 and FY 2027 from state special revenue to general fund due to the 74% reduction (144 to 38) of dairy producers in the state since CY 2000. Milk inspection in the past was a wholly general funded program. Industry stakeholders and the department collaborated to propose a 70% shift from SSR to general fund to ensure Montana milk production continues.
• oNP 42 – New Construction Laboratory Expenses (BIEN/OTO): This budget request is for $863,048 in FY 2026 of state special revenue to fund new lab facility furnishings, equipment, and moving expenses. These items were pulled from the original construction budget in order to narrow the gap between the low bid and the approved building budget. The bulk of this request is for lab casework totaling $510,048 and laboratory equipment totaling $243,000. It also includes new construction augments of $50,000 for furnishings, $35,000 for A/V conferencing equipment and $25,000 for moving expenses and equipment requalification. The funding is requested as biennial and one-time-only.
• oNP 43 – Meat Inspection Additional Staff: This budget request is for $630,780 in FY 2026 and $631,141 in FY 2027 of general fund to support five additional Meat & Poultry Inspector FTEs, one Meat Inspection Supervisor FTE, one Compliance Investigator FTE, and one relief Meat Inspector FTE. Additional meat inspectors are needed to address increased requests for inspection and enrollment in the Cooperative Interstate Shipping (CIS) program. Meat plants are increasing in far eastern Montana and the current region size is no longer manageable for one supervisor. Additionally, the relief inspector responsibility is too large for one employee to reasonably assist with growth in this area. An additional compliance investigator is needed to manage the growth of this program. Due to the FY 2024 FSR cut of $300,000 and additional anticipated shortfalls of federal funding, this request is entirely state funded but if additional federal funding becomes available, then the program will use the that to match the state funding as close to 50/50 as allowed.
• oNP 44 – State Milk Laboratory Instruments (BIEN/OTO): This budget request is for 200,400 in FY 2026 of general fund to replace two grade A milk laboratory instruments that are at the end of their effective operational lifespan. The funding is requested as biennial and one-time-only.
• oNP 45 – Animal Health Application Maintenance: This budget request is for $75,000 in FY 2026 and FY 2027 of state special revenue to fund the annual maintenance contract for Animal Health Software Application - The current cost of maintenance is $35,000 per year and has been paid primarily through a federal cooperative agreement. Two changes that precipitate this request: 1) AH is in the process of researching and transitioning to a new software. The maintenance cost for the new software is expected to be $75,000 annually. 2) Montana received a $40,000 reduction in funding from USDA for animal disease traceability and it has been communicated that additional reductions may occur in Federal FY 2025.