Healthcare

died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 377: Generally revise access by parent to child patient health care information

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.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill clarifies parental access to minor's health records while protecting minors' privacy in mental health services, supporting patient rights in healthcare.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 912: Generally revise behavioral health laws to create a secure forensic facility

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.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates secure forensic facility for mental health treatment in legal system, advancing rehabilitation and competency restoration within criminal justice framework.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates $60M from behavioral health fund to create facility providing mental health care/treatment for forensic patients, directly advancing mental health services under healthcare topic.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 747: Authorize certain day-care centers to adopt policy regarding certain immunization exemptions

HB 747 permits day-care centers that care for children under one year of age or those at higher risk of severe illness from communicable diseases to adopt a policy regarding whether they accept children with certain immunization exemptions. The bill requires these day-care centers to notify parents or guardians if such a policy is adopted. This allows specific day-care centers to determine their own stance on accepting children with exemptions from required immunizations, impacting both the centers and families seeking childcare.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllows day-care centers to require full immunizations for high-risk children, strengthening public health measures to protect vulnerable minors.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 199: Increase physician assistant membership on the board of medical examiners

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.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill increases PA representation on medical board, potentially enhancing provider roles in healthcare policy and access to services.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 500: Generally revise laws related to chiropractic practitioners

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.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands chiropractors' prescriptive authority for noncontrolled drugs, improving patient access to treatment options within healthcare services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 526: Adopt the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse license compact

HB 526 proposes that the state join the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) compact. This initiative allows Advanced Practice Registered Nurses licensed in one member state to practice in other compact states without needing to obtain a separate license for each. The bill establishes a framework for uniform licensure requirements and facilitates the exchange of information between states for regulatory and enforcement purposes. Its aim is to streamline the licensing process for APRNs and enhance their ability to provide care across state lines, potentially increasing access to healthcare services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareStreamlines APRN licensing across states, improving patient access to healthcare services by removing regulatory barriers.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 828: Generally revise consumer rights laws to repair powered wheelchairs

HB 828, known as the "Powered Wheelchair Right to Repair Act," sought to revise consumer rights laws related to powered wheelchair repairs. The bill would have required original equipment manufacturers to provide powered wheelchair owners and independent repair businesses with access to documentation, parts, and tools needed for diagnosis, maintenance, and repair. These resources were to be made available on fair and reasonable terms, including free electronic documentation and tools, and parts at costs equivalent to those offered to authorized repair providers. Additionally, manufacturers would have been required to provide tools to access and reset electronic security locks for repair purposes. Violations of these provisions would have been considered an unlawful practice under state consumer protection laws.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill ensures access to essential medical devices by requiring repair accessibility, improving patient access to mobility services through consumer rights protections.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 888: Revise local board of health rules for isolation and quarantine

HB 888 revises the powers of local boards of health concerning isolation and quarantine orders. This bill prohibits local boards of health from requiring individuals to receive a vaccination or other medication as a condition for release from an isolation or quarantine order. It amends existing state law (Section 50-2-116, MCA) that outlines the duties of these boards. The legislation also includes an appropriation.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProhibits mandatory vaccinations/meds during quarantine, protecting patient autonomy in health decisions per bill's core provision.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes 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 No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · Montana · House May 8, 2025

HB 740: Revise laws relating to pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers, and other entities

HB 740 revises laws affecting pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and other entities involved in prescription drug dispensing and reimbursement. The bill establishes new restrictions on how PBMs can audit pharmacies and recoup funds, such as prohibiting recoupment for clerical errors without actual financial harm and banning the use of extrapolation in calculations. It also updates regulations for Maximum Allowable Cost (MAC) lists and reference pricing, requiring PBMs to ensure drugs on MAC lists are available and to frequently update and disclose pricing information to pharmacies.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRestricts PBMs from unfair recoupment (e.g., clerical errors without harm) and mandates fair MAC/reference pricing, protecting pharmacies and improving patient access to medications.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare