5-12-501. Interim budget committees. (1) During an interim when the legislature is not in session, the committees listed in subsection (2) are the interim budget committees of the legislature. They are empowered to sit as committees and may act in their respective areas of responsibility.

(2) The following are the interim budget committees of the legislature:

(a) general government budget committee to oversee the budget activities of the department of administration, department of military affairs, department of commerce, state auditor's office, governor's office, secretary of state, commissioner of political practices, department of revenue, department of labor and industry, legislative branch, and consumer counsel;

(b) health and human services budget committee to oversee the budget activities of the department of public health and human services;

(c) natural resources and transportation budget committee to oversee the budget activities of the department of livestock, department of environmental quality, department of agriculture, department of natural resources and conservation, department of transportation, and department of fish, wildlife, and parks;

(d) judicial branch, law enforcement, and justice budget committee to oversee the budget activities of the judicial branch, department of justice, public service regulation, office of state public defender, and department of corrections; and

(e) education budget committee to oversee budget activities related to the Montana arts council, Montana historical society, board of public education, office of public instruction, school for the deaf and blind, Montana state library, and commissioner of higher education; and

(f) long-range planning budget committee to oversee the budget activities related to long-range program implementation issues considered by the subcommittee during the session.

(3) An interim budget committee may refer an issue to an interim committee provided for in 5-5-202 that the referring committee determines to be more appropriate for the consideration of the issue.

(4) If there is a dispute between interim committees and an interim budget committee as to which committee has proper jurisdiction over a subject, the legislative council and legislative finance committee shall consult and determine the most appropriate committee and assign the subject to that committee.

(5) Interim budget committees may not be assigned interim studies pursuant to 5-5-217.