HB 586 revises child safety restraint system laws, establishing new age-specific requirements for children traveling in motor vehicles. It mandates that children under 2 years use a rear-facing system, children aged 2-4 use a rear-facing or forward-facing system with a harness, and children aged 4-8 use a forward-facing system with a harness or a booster seat. Children 9 years or older, or those who have outgrown a booster, must use an adult safety belt. The bill also defines various restraint types and provides exemptions for certain vehicles like school buses or in emergency situations.
HB 869, titled "Provide for the sudden cardiac arrest prevention in youth sports," establishes measures to prevent sudden cardiac arrest in youth athletes. It requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop informational resources on cardiac arrest symptoms and risks. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, schools with athletic programs must implement cardiac emergency response plans, including accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and staff training in CPR and AED use. Coaches will be required to be certified in CPR, first aid, and AED use, and hold informational meetings for parents and athletes. The bill also allows coaches or officials to remove athletes exhibiting cardiac arrest symptoms, who then require written medical clearance to return to play, and clarifies that AED purchases are an allowable expenditure for school safety.
HB 584 revises laws regarding dental anesthesia inspections, directly affecting dentists who administer deep sedation, general anesthesia, or moderate sedation. The bill requires these dentists to obtain a permit and undergo facility inspections by the Board of Dentistry. It authorizes the Board to establish standards for permits, including education, experience, and facility equipment, and to charge associated fees. Initial inspections are required for facilities, with reinspections mandated every five years, and temporary permits may be granted.
House Bill 682 revises laws concerning gender transition treatment, primarily affecting minors who receive such treatment and individuals seeking detransition services. It establishes a statute of limitations, allowing individuals 25 years from turning 18, or 4 years from discovery of injury, to file tort actions for damages from gender transition treatment received as a minor. The bill also mandates that private insurance and public employee/university system plans that cover gender transition treatment must provide reciprocal coverage for detransition treatment. Finally, it requires detransition treatment to be included as a service under Medicaid and Healthy Montana Kids in specific situations.
House Bill 626 revises Montana's laws concerning driving under the influence (DUI), directly affecting individuals charged with these offenses. The bill redefines "prior offense" to include pending charges, which impacts how repeat DUI offenses are categorized. It also modifies the penalties for first, second, and third DUI offenses, including increased fines and imprisonment terms, particularly when passengers under 16 are present. Additionally, the bill outlines conditions for suspending parts of sentences, often requiring participation in chemical dependency treatment or monitoring programs.
HB 11 appropriates money from the Montana coal endowment special revenue account to the Department of Commerce for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025. This bill authorizes over $20 million in grants for specific water and wastewater infrastructure projects in various towns, cities, and water/sewer districts across Montana. Additionally, it allocates over $3.5 million for bridge projects in several counties. The grants are conditional upon recipients meeting specified requirements and the availability of funds, with deadlines for project completion to maintain eligibility.
HB 913 increases the number of district court judges in the 13th judicial district from eight to ten, directly affecting the judicial system and residents of that area. It also revises legal representation in child abuse and neglect cases, clarifying the appointment of counsel for parents, children, and other parties, including conditions for putative fathers. The bill mandates an interim study on state offender re-entry services and another on consolidating legal services across state agencies. Additionally, it requires the Department of Corrections to report on efforts to reduce inappropriate communications to and from inmates at the Montana State Prison.
HB 117 establishes project priorities for the state's criminal justice data warehouse, affecting the Board of Crime Control, the Criminal Justice Oversight Council, and various state and local criminal justice agencies. It directs the Board of Crime Control to focus on tasks like creating unique identifiers to link data across agencies, acquiring specialized software for data management, and integrating more local criminal justice data. The bill also mandates regular reporting on progress to legislative committees and appropriates over $1.4 million in general funds for software, staff positions, and judicial data contributions.
HB 599 revises parental rights concerning data collection and health screenings for children within schools. It establishes that parents can opt-out of school evaluations, surveys, or data collection that does not require personally identifiable information, and must opt-in for those that do. The bill requires schools to notify parents about any physical or mental health screenings or surveys, allowing parents to opt their child out, and to inform parents of any resulting issues. Furthermore, it mandates parental consent for biometric scans, certain audio/video recordings, and specific school trip accommodations. It also prohibits government entity employees from withholding relevant health information from parents.
HB 833 provides funding to increase Montana's correctional capacity, directly affecting the state's prison system and the Department of Corrections. The bill establishes a "Future of Corrections Fund" and appropriates a total of $250 million from the general fund. Of this, $30 million is for system assessment, planning, and technology. The remaining $220 million is allocated either for constructing a new state correctional facility or, contingently, for securing additional capacity through other agreements, which may include private correctional facilities, if the budget director determines state construction is not in the state's best interest.
HB 817 revises hunting license laws to allow youth under 18 with a life-threatening illness to receive a free special permit license for elk, deer, or antelope. To qualify, these youth must be recommended by a Montana charity or nonprofit organization. The Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks can also waive hunter safety requirements for these youth. The department has the authority to limit the number of these special permits issued annually to 25.
HB 490 revises civil liability laws for electric facilities providers in Montana related to wildfires. It allows electric facilities providers, such as regulated utilities and electric cooperatives, to develop and submit wildfire mitigation plans outlining strategies to reduce wildfire risks. These plans must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate governing body after public input. With an approved plan, electric facilities providers are not civilly liable for injuries or damages caused by wildfires, revising their standard of care.
