Revise worker's compensation law to cover PTSD for first responders and others
HB 552 revises Montana's workers' compensation laws to include coverage for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This bill directly affects first responders, such as firefighters, law enforcement officers, dispatchers, and employees of county detention centers or prisons. For a claim to be compensable, the PTSD must be diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and be caused by events arising out of their employment, excluding personnel-related actions. This creates an exception for first responders' PTSD claims within the state's existing policy that generally excludes stress claims from workers' compensation.
Bill status
died
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 18, 2025
Last action May 20, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB0552_2(2).pdf
→
HB0552_2(3).pdf
·
3 edits
MINOR
The bill significantly restricts workers' compensation coverage for stress-related claims, explicitly stating that mental-mental or mental-physical stress claims are not compensable. It also redefines 'first responders' to include emergency care providers and adds a specific provision requiring PTSD claims to follow Title 39, Chapter 71 procedures.
Scope change
The scope of the bill was narrowed by removing eligibility for stress-related injuries and adding specific procedural requirements for PTSD claims.
ELIGIBILITY
Stress claims (mental-mental or mental-physical) are now explicitly excluded from compensable injuries under workers' compensation law.
DEFINITION
The definition of 'first responder' was expanded to include 'emergency care providers' as defined in another statute.
REQUIREMENT
A new requirement mandates that claims for posttraumatic stress disorder must follow the specific provisions of Title 39, Chapter 71.
Floor votes · House Mar 4, 2025
How they voted
51–47
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 100
Mar 4, 2025
D
Democratic42
97% Yea
R
Republican58
81% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
40
Key actions
3
Committee
4
Amendments
1
Mar 4, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (51-47-2)
house
Mar 3, 2025
Amended
(H) Tabled in Committee - (H) Appropriations
lower
Mar 3, 2025
Committee
(H) Rereferred to Committee - (H) Appropriations
lower
Feb 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Report - (H) Business and Labor
lower
Feb 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Business and Labor
lower
Feb 19, 2025
Committee
(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Business and Labor
lower
Feb 18, 2025
Introduced
(H) Introduced
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
James Reavis
DDemocratic
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