SB 537 revises Montana's marijuana tax revenue distribution, directing funds from the marijuana state special revenue account to new and existing state accounts. It requires transferring excess funds annually to specific accounts, including 12% to the HEART account for addiction treatment and mental health programs, 20% to wildlife habitat projects, and 14% to behavioral health initiatives. The bill also allocates funds for law enforcement canine training, sexual assault evidence kits, and homeless shelter support, while modifying existing transfer rules for agencies like the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. These changes apply to all state agencies receiving marijuana tax revenue under Montana law.
HB 832 creates a Montana state grant program to fund training for healthcare providers in nonmedication therapies for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The program, administered by the Department of Labor and Industry, awards grants to entities developing 2-year projects that train licensed providers (including Veterans Affairs-certified professionals) in these therapies, develop treatment protocols, and engage in community planning. It appropriates $600,000 from the state general fund for the 2025-2027 biennium as a one-time allocation, requiring grantees to report outcomes like providers trained, patients served, and treatment impact by 2026. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.
HB 610 would have removed a requirement for prior approval (preauthorization) under Montana's Medicaid program for specific FDA-approved antipsychotic drugs. These drugs must be recognized in the latest DSM-5 as effective for certain mental health conditions. The bill would have directly affected Medicaid patients needing these medications and their healthcare providers, who would no longer need to seek pre-approval for covered antipsychotics. The law would have applied to claims for services provided after its effective date. (Note: The bill was vetoed by the governor and the veto override failed, so this policy change did not take effect.)
HB 558 establishes the Montana Nurse Corps Act, enabling licensed nurses to provide home health care visits to specific patient groups at a fixed $10 fee per visit. It directly affects eligible patients (those enrolled in Medicare/Medicaid or with family income under 400% of the federal poverty level) and participating nurses who join the program. Key provisions include limiting nurse charges to $10 per visit for eligible patients, shielding nurses from liability for ordinary negligence (except gross negligence), and requiring patient notice of this liability protection. The bill also outlines nurse eligibility requirements and program oversight by the state nursing board.
HB 377 revises Montana law to ensure parents generally have access to their minor child's health care records. It requires health providers to give parents access to a child's health information within 3 days of a request (or provide contact details for the records' location), with exceptions for court-limited parental rights, child abuse investigations, or government guardianship. The bill also clarifies that minors who can consent to certain care (like mental health services) have exclusive control over information related to that specific care, removing a minor's ability to enforce privacy violations by non-HIPAA-covered providers. This primarily affects parents, minors seeking care without parental consent, and health care providers managing minors' records.
HB 50 protects parents and pregnant women with drug use disorder by preventing child welfare investigations or custody actions solely based on positive drug test results. It amends Montana law to shield individuals seeking treatment or prenatal care from criminal charges related to drug use, and prohibits using drug test results alone to initiate child abuse cases or remove children from homes. The bill directly affects pregnant women, parents, healthcare providers, and child welfare systems by ensuring medical care access isn't penalized. Key provisions include immunity for seeking overdose help and requiring medical evaluation as the primary factor in child welfare decisions.
HB 912 proposes creating a new secure forensic facility in Montana, overseen by the Department of Public Health and Human Services. This facility would provide care, treatment, and security for up to 70 individuals involved in the legal system due to mental illness, including those needing competency restoration or forensic evaluations. The bill allocates $60 million from the Behavioral Health System for Future Generations Fund to plan, construct, and equip this facility, while also expanding the fund's uses to support new behavioral health infrastructure.
HB 199 proposed to modify the composition of the Montana State Board of Medical Examiners. The bill aimed to reduce the number of doctor of medicine members on the board from five to four. Concurrently, it sought to increase the number of physician assistant members from one to two. This adjustment would directly affect the representation of these medical professionals on the 12-member board.
HB 237 would prohibit the placement of certain sentenced defendants in the state forensic mental health facility at Galen. The bill amends existing law to specify that individuals found to have a mental disease, disorder, or developmental disability at the time of their offense, and who are committed for treatment, cannot be placed at the Galen facility. Instead, these defendants could be placed in other appropriate correctional, mental health, residential, or developmental disabilities facilities for their custody, care, and treatment. The director of the department would retain the authority to transfer individuals between these alternative facilities.
HB 737, titled "Generally revise suicide prevention laws," establishes a voluntary do-not-sell list to aid in suicide prevention for Montana citizens. This bill allows individuals to voluntarily waive their firearm rights by adding themselves to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) indices, restricting them from purchasing firearms. Voluntary waiver forms would be made available by state departments, courts, medical professionals, and local law enforcement.
Individuals can request removal from the list, which typically takes 21 days, or seek expedited removal through a court hearing within two business days. The bill also provides for the confidentiality of waiver documents and prohibits discrimination based on a person's voluntary waiver, while outlining penalties for false statements or coercion.
