HB 373 aimed to revise the allocation of excess state lottery revenue, dedicating it to education funding instead of the state general fund. The Office of Public Instruction would distribute these funds quarterly to school districts based on a per-quality-educator formula. Districts would deposit these funds into their school flexibility funds, which could be used for various expenditures, including teacher salaries, benefits, housing, technology enhancements, and facility improvements.
HB 52 aimed to revise the Montana Administrative Procedure Act. The bill proposed that reviewing courts would no longer give deference to a state agency's interpretation of law or its past interpretations during judicial review. This means courts would interpret the law independently when evaluating agency decisions. Additionally, the bill required the publication of stipulations of agreements on the State of Montana website. These changes would affect how state agency actions are legally reviewed and increase public access to certain agency agreements.
House Bill 928 sought to revise the property tax calculation for agricultural land owned by specific nonprofit corporations. It proposed creating a new subcategory of Class three property for agricultural land acquired by nonprofits after the bill's effective date, excluding entities like churches, schools, and hospitals. For this particular land, its taxable value would have been determined by multiplying its productive capacity value by 10 times the standard agricultural land taxable percentage rate. This mechanism aimed to increase the taxable value of agricultural property held by certain nonprofits.
House Bill 556 regulates how health insurance issuers use artificial intelligence (AI) for reviewing and managing healthcare services. It prohibits AI, algorithms, or other software tools from solely determining medical necessity or denying, delaying, or modifying healthcare services. Instead, medical necessity determinations must be made by licensed healthcare professionals, considering individual patient history and circumstances, not just group data. The bill also requires AI tools to be applied fairly, avoid discrimination, and be open to audit, making non-compliance an unfair claim settlement practice.
HB 412 proposed a new property tax exemption for homeowners who modify their existing residential properties to add living space. This exemption would apply to the increase in market value due to the modification, up to a limit of 15% of the property's market value before the modification. However, it would not apply to modifications made within three years of new construction, and only one exemption could be granted every six years, terminating upon the sale of the property. The Department of Revenue would automatically grant this exemption, which was set to begin in tax years after December 31, 2025.
HB 838 would revise election laws to allow candidates for Chief Justice and Justice of the Supreme Court to indicate a political party affiliation. These candidates could include their party affiliation on their nomination declaration, which would then appear on primary and general election ballots. The bill also permits these candidates to publicly announce their political affiliations and campaign endorsements. If a candidate does not indicate a party affiliation, the word "Nonpartisan" would appear next to their name on the ballot. This changes the current nonpartisan nature of these specific judicial races.
HB 813, known as the "Agricultural Emissions Right to Repair Act," aimed to revise laws concerning the repair and maintenance of agricultural equipment. The bill would have required original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to provide independent repair providers and equipment owners with documentation, parts, and tools necessary for diagnosing, maintaining, and repairing agricultural equipment *emission systems*. These resources were to be made available on "fair and reasonable terms," and the bill prohibited practices such as parts pairing that could hinder repairs. The goal was to ensure greater access to the resources needed for fixing emissions-related components on agricultural machinery.
HB 948 clarifies that the office of the Commissioner of Insurance is not considered a criminal justice agency. This bill specifies that the department must refer all criminal matters, such as those related to violations of insurance laws, to the attorney general, the relevant county attorney, or another appropriate criminal justice agency with jurisdiction. This change defines the scope of the Commissioner's office as regulatory oversight and consumer protection, rather than criminal investigation or prosecution.
HB 452 creates a new specific criminal offense for assaulting an employee of a public utility. The bill defines different levels of assault, including causing bodily injury, causing serious bodily injury, or creating reasonable apprehension of serious bodily injury with a weapon. It establishes distinct penalties for these offenses, which include imprisonment terms ranging from 8 to 20 years and fines up to $50,000, depending on the severity of the assault. This legislation aims to provide specific legal consequences for acts of violence against individuals working for public utilities.
HB 500 aimed to revise laws related to chiropractic practitioners in Montana. The bill sought to establish a new license endorsement, allowing chiropractors who obtain it to prescribe certain noncontrolled, nonscheduled drugs like muscle relaxants and NSAIDs for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The Board of Chiropractors would have been responsible for setting the educational qualifications and protocols for this prescriptive authority. Additionally, the bill proposed that chiropractic services be included as part of the Montana Medicaid program.
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.
HB 797, also known as the "Expanding Physician Access Act," aims to revise occupational licensing laws to facilitate the licensure of international physicians. The bill establishes a process for the board to grant provisional licenses to international physicians who meet specific educational, examination, and experience requirements, and have an employment offer from a healthcare provider in the state. These provisional licenses automatically convert to full licenses after three years of continuous active practice in the state. This initiative seeks to remove barriers for internationally licensed physicians to fill vacancies, particularly in rural and primary care settings, while maintaining existing standards of care and licensing requirements.
