This bill allows police departments, sheriff's offices, fire departments, and emergency medical services in Montana to create peer support programs for their staff and volunteers. It requires these programs to have written policies covering supporter qualifications, session guidelines, confidentiality rules, and protections against discrimination or forced participation by supervisors. The legislation also establishes that peer support sessions are confidential and prohibits qualified supporters from testifying about what occurs during those sessions, with exceptions only for situations involving imminent harm or criminal activity.
This bill updates Montana's regulations for surety bail bond insurance licenses by raising the minimum age requirement from 18 to 21 and adding new educational and background standards. It mandates that applicants complete a 16-hour basic training course covering constitutional law, civil rights, use of force, and handling individuals with mental health or substance use challenges, with existing licensees exempt from initial training but required to participate in biennial continuing education. The legislation also introduces a temporary license option for up to 12 months to allow applicants to work under supervision while completing training requirements, and clarifies that law enforcement or military training can substitute for the basic course.
This bill creates a temporary committee to investigate civil rights violations and censorship at Montana's public universities and colleges. The six-member committee, composed of state legislators from both parties, will gather testimony from students and submit findings and recommendations to federal and state officials. The committee is authorized to meet no more than three times and must complete its work by September 15, 2026, with $13,500 appropriated for member expenses. The legislation includes provisions for member appointments, staff assistance, and specifies that the act becomes void if the funding is not approved.
This joint resolution requests an interim study on how criminal record expungement affects Montanans' access to housing, employment, and other opportunities. The study will examine practical barriers like online background checks that still show expunged records, legal ambiguities around expunged histories, and discrimination in hiring/housing. It will analyze Montana's current expungement laws, compare them with other states, and evaluate how landlords and employers interpret expunged records. The committee must complete the study by September 2026 and report findings to the 70th Legislature as proposed legislation. This resolution does not change existing law but seeks to identify gaps for future policy action.
HJ 45 is a joint resolution requesting an interim study in Montana on the impact of collateral consequences on criminal record expungement. The study will investigate challenges faced by individuals with expunged criminal records, particularly concerning employment and housing barriers due to existing laws, online information, and discrimination. It aims to review current expungement laws, analyze outcomes for individuals with expunged records, and examine practices in other states. The study will suggest specific changes to state law to address these barriers and report its findings to the 70th Legislature in the form of introduced legislation.
