Healthcare

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 936: Authorize transfers and other necessary measures to implement HB 2-Section B

HB 936 implements specific provisions of the state's General Appropriations Act, primarily affecting healthcare funding and operations. It reallocates a portion of the hospital utilization fee to provide incentive payments for hospital quality and efficiency, and to support independent critical access hospitals. The bill also expands the eligible uses of the Behavioral Health System for Future Generations Fund to include student loan repayment for certain healthcare professionals and funding for additional beds at the Montana State Hospital on a one-time basis. Finally, it establishes new reporting requirements for comprehensive school and community treatment services for children and for hiring efforts at the Montana State Hospital.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareReallocates hospital fees for quality incentives and expands behavioral health fund to include mental health services and healthcare professional loan repayment.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 620: Revise laws prohibiting contracts that restrict practice to include physicians of all specialties

House Bill 620 revises state law concerning contracts that restrict a healthcare provider's ability to practice after leaving an employer or partnership. It expands existing protections, previously applicable to specific behavioral health professionals, to now include licensed physicians of all specialties. The bill amends Section 28-2-724, MCA, ensuring that contracts cannot prevent these medical professionals from practicing, providing services, or establishing patient relationships in any geographic area after their professional relationship ends.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands protections for physicians to practice freely after employment changes, preventing restrictive contracts that could limit patient access to care and strengthen healthcare provider mobility.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands employment protections for physicians by prohibiting restrictive practice contracts, advancing workers' right to practice freely post-employment.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 669: Revise laws related to educating children receiving in-state inpatient treatment of serious emotional disturbances

HB 669 revises laws concerning educational programs for children receiving in-state inpatient treatment for serious emotional disturbances, directly affecting these children, their school districts, and qualifying treatment facilities. The bill authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to contract with facilities to deliver these educational programs, establishing a daily rate for services based on actual costs. Funding responsibility is shared, with the SPI paying the facility the daily rate minus a contribution from the child's school district of residence. It also clarifies the SPI's rulemaking authority for tuition calculations and outlines alternative methods for providing education if a facility fails to offer appropriate programs or contract with the state.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAuthorizes SPI to contract for educational programs for inpatient treatment children, establishing funding mechanisms to ensure access to education for this vulnerable group.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAuthorizes funding for educational programs tied to mental health treatment for children with serious emotional disturbances, ensuring access to care during inpatient treatment.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 869: Provide for the sudden cardiac arrest prevention in youth sports

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.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates school athletic safety protocols including AEDs and CPR training, enhancing student protection within educational settings per Schools and Education subject.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires schools to implement cardiac emergency response plans with AEDs and CPR training, directly advancing public health safety measures for youth athletes.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 891: Provide subpoena powers to the office of inspector general

HB 891 grants the Office of Inspector General (OIG) within the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) new authority. This bill allows the OIG to issue subpoenas to compel the production of financial records, documents, and data. These subpoenas are specifically for investigations into waste, fraud, or abuse within health care services and public assistance programs administered by the DPHHS. The measure specifies that both the DPHHS director and the inspector general must sign these subpoenas. It also appropriates $5,000 to the DPHHS for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, to implement these provisions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill grants OIG subpoena authority to investigate fraud/waste in healthcare programs, protecting public funds and strengthening program integrity within DPHHS services.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · Senate May 19, 2025

SB 560: Provide for a hospital community benefit fee

SB 560 requires nonprofit hospitals to report their annual charity care and community benefit spending to the state. The bill mandates that a nonprofit hospital's total community benefit must exceed the amount of property taxes it would have paid if it were not tax-exempt. If a hospital's reported community benefit does not meet this threshold, a fee equal to the difference will be assessed. These collected fees are then deposited into a new Critical Access Health Care Special Revenue Account, which provides funding to critical access hospitals not affiliated with other hospitals.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates fees from tax-exempt hospitals to fund critical health care access, creating new state revenue for public services while ensuring proportional community benefit.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates hospital community benefits funding via fees, directing collected funds to Critical Access Health Care Special Revenue Account, directly increasing healthcare program funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · Senate May 16, 2025

SB 260: Provide for alteration of service district boundaries

SB 260 establishes procedures for altering the boundaries of hospital and school service districts. It allows real property owners to petition for these changes if they have difficulty accessing public services or to improve public safety services like law enforcement, firefighting, or emergency medical services. The process involves petitions, public hearings, and election procedures to transfer property between existing districts or create new divisions. The bill also provides for sharing tax collections and making reconciliation payments between districts when boundaries are altered.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill enables boundary changes to improve access to emergency medical services, directly enhancing healthcare access as part of public safety services.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · Senate May 16, 2025

SB 497: Provide laws related to healthcare provider burnout

SB 497 establishes laws for professional wellness programs aimed at addressing career fatigue in healthcare providers, including physicians, nurses, and dentists. The bill grants civil immunity to members and consultants of these wellness programs for actions performed within their duties. It revises reporting requirements, stating that participation in a wellness program alone does not obligate reporting a healthcare provider to their licensing board, unless there is a good faith determination of incompetence or danger. Additionally, the bill provides an evidentiary privilege, generally protecting the proceedings and records of these programs from discovery in civil actions or admission in licensing actions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes wellness programs for healthcare providers to address burnout, supporting workforce retention and quality care through mental health-focused initiatives.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · Senate May 16, 2025

SB 435: Generally revise laws related to mentally ill individuals

SB 435 revises laws related to individuals experiencing mental illness by establishing a new 72-hour mental health hold. This provision allows a mental health professional to place an individual in a facility for up to 72 hours if, due to a mental disorder, they cannot meet basic needs, cause injury, or pose an imminent threat to themselves or others. During this hold, the individual receives an evaluation, and options upon release include further voluntary care or a petition for commitment. Additionally, the bill allows for the waiver of an individual's physical presence at mental health hearings under specific conditions, such as if their presence would seriously adversely affect their mental health condition.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes 72-hour mental health hold for evaluation and voluntary care options, advancing access to mental health services per bill's focus on crisis intervention for mentally ill individuals.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · Senate May 16, 2025

SB 447: Revise laws related to prior authorization

SB 447 revises state laws related to prior authorization for health care services, affecting individuals with health insurance and health insurance issuers. The bill extends the length of a prior authorization certification. For treatment of chronic conditions, a prior authorization would be valid for the duration of that condition. Additionally, this bill prohibits prior authorization for certain prescriptions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExtends prior auth validity for chronic conditions and prohibits auth for certain prescriptions, improving patient access to care without restricting coverage.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare