Senate Bill 456 revises professions and occupations laws related to the dispensing of drugs by medical practitioners. It allows health care staff, other than the practitioner, to convey dispensed drugs to patients at the practitioner's office. For this to happen, the practitioner must first prepare and seal the drugs with two forms of identification on the package. The staff member is then required to verify the patient's identity before handing over the medication. The bill maintains other requirements for practitioners who dispense drugs, such as registration with the board of pharmacy.
SB 280 revises the grant requirements for Montana's domestic violence intervention program. The bill allows the Montana Board of Crime Control to provide grants to communities. These grants are specifically for funding probation or compliance officers who monitor individuals charged with or convicted of certain domestic violence offenses, such as partner or family member assault, strangulation, or protection order violations, to ensure they follow court-ordered requirements. The legislation also continues to allow grants for courts to implement offender intervention programs.
Senate Bill 5 (SB 5) revises the compensation for members of county tax appeal boards. It increases the daily pay for these board members when they meet to hear property tax appeals or attend state-level meetings. Specifically, the compensation for 4 hours of work or less will increase from $45 to $60, and for more than 4 hours, it will increase from $90 to $120. This change directly affects county tax appeal board members in Montana and will become effective on July 1, 2025.
SB 12 eliminates the Board of County Printing and transfers all of its duties to the Department of Administration. This bill means the Department of Administration will now be responsible for setting and annually adjusting the maximum prices that can be charged for county legal advertising, using an inflation factor. Additionally, the department will adopt necessary printing standards for county legal advertising and ensure county commissioners receive the updated price schedules. This change centralizes the oversight of county printing services under the Department of Administration.
SB 11 revises the laws governing local government ballot issues for cities, towns, counties, and consolidated city-counties. The bill establishes new requirements and procedures for local electors to propose, repeal, or amend ordinances through petitions. Key provisions include mandating that petitions address a single comprehensive subject and requiring signatures from at least 15% of the local government's qualified electors. It also outlines a process for submitting sample petitions for review by local government attorneys, who must then prepare a concise, impartial statement of purpose and implication, as well as "yes" and "no" statements for the ballot.
Senate Bill 64 clarifies how legislators are compensated and reimbursed for expenses when the legislature is not in session. It establishes new guidelines for their salary, meal allowances, mileage, and lodging costs when they are engaged in authorized legislative business, such as committee meetings. The bill differentiates between remote participation and in-person attendance, with in-person compensation and expenses tiered based on the round-trip distance a legislator travels from their residence to the meeting location. It also outlines additional compensation for consecutive days of legislative business and specifies that legislators are not compensated for extended stays due to non-legislative activities.
SB 256 revises laws concerning the access and confidentiality of child abuse and neglect investigation records. The bill expands the exceptions to confidentiality, allowing a broader range of individuals and entities to access these records under specific conditions. This includes courts, authorized agencies, health professionals, certain family members, foster and adoptive parents, and for purposes like research or background screenings. It also revises discovery procedures in abuse and neglect proceedings and provides for record access in child custody cases.
SB 249 revises Montana's child abuse and neglect laws, specifically impacting the court's adjudication process. It requires courts to hear additional evidence from individuals who have been caring for a child, beyond just the child's parents. This evidence will detail the extent and continuity of care provided by these individuals and the circumstances surrounding the child's placement with them. The aim is to provide courts with more comprehensive information when determining if a child is a youth in need of care, particularly when child abandonment is alleged.
SB 33 transfers the authority for building code review, permitting, inspection, and enforcement for public buildings owned or operated by state government entities. These responsibilities, previously held by counties, cities, and towns, will now be managed by the Department of Labor and Industry. The bill amends existing law to establish this change, centralizing the oversight of state building codes under a state-level department. This directly affects state agencies and the regulatory process for their construction projects.
SB 29 allows state and other governmental entities to accept electronic bid bonds for building or construction projects. This bill amends existing law to permit the electronic submission of these bonds, which are typically required as security when contractors submit bids. It directly affects contractors bidding on state projects and the governmental bodies that manage these bids, by providing an electronic alternative to physical bid security.
SB 261 revises the existing law concerning endangering the welfare of children. It expands the definition of this offense to include knowingly exposing a child to marijuana or dangerous drugs. The bill also makes it an offense to assist a child in entering an adult-use dispensary or a place where human trafficking or the production of dangerous drugs is taking place. Additionally, it updates sections related to drug manufacturing and exposure in the presence of children to apply to a broader range of dangerous drugs instead of specifically methamphetamine.
SB 104 expands access to low-cost capital for public-benefit facilities and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in Montana. The bill increases the bond issuance cap for the Montana Facility Finance Authority to $1.5 billion and includes a biennial adjustment for inflation. It also amends definitions within existing law to specifically include 501(c)(3) entities as eligible for project financing through the Authority. This allows these organizations to secure funding for various projects, such as those related to family services, higher education, and other community benefits.
