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.
SB 136 amends Montana's criminal code (Section 45-2-211, MCA) to state that a patient's consent to physician aid in dying is not a defense to a homicide charge against the physician. The bill defines "physician aid in dying" as a physician prescribing a lethal medication for the patient to self-administer, excluding standard comfort care or withholding life-sustaining treatment. This directly affects physicians who provide such aid, making their actions prosecutable as homicide if consent is claimed as a defense. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not impact existing practices of comfort care or end-of-life treatment under Montana law.
SB 62 would end Montana's Medicaid expansion program for able-bodied adults by prohibiting new enrollments after August 31, 2025, while requiring the Department of Public Health and Human Services to seek a federal waiver to maintain funding for current participants. The bill directly affects individuals enrolled in Montana's Medicaid expansion program who are able-bodied adults, preventing them from joining after the 2025 deadline. Key mechanisms include a strict enrollment cutoff date, a requirement for the department to apply for federal funding continuity, and authorization to implement program integrity measures like biannual eligibility reviews. The bill does not change coverage for individuals with specific health needs or those already enrolled continuously before September 1, 2025.
SB 474 would have expanded school immunization exemptions in Montana to include religious exemptions and a new "personal medical informed consent" exemption requiring only a notarized statement. This new exemption would allow students to decline vaccines after consulting a healthcare provider (without needing a provider's signature), distinct from the existing medical exemption requiring a healthcare provider's written statement. The bill also amended school immunization laws (20-5-405 and 49-2-312) to prevent schools from being sued for injuries related to exempt students and to block overly burdensome exemption forms. The bill died in committee on May 23, 2025, and never became law.
SB 164 amends Montana's endangering the welfare of children law to prohibit specific medical treatments for children under 16. The bill bans surgical procedures, puberty blockers, and hormone therapies (like estrogen or testosterone) when used to alter a child's appearance or affirm a gender identity inconsistent with their biological sex. Violating this prohibition is classified as a felony, carrying up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, with harsher penalties if the child suffers serious injury. The law would take effect on January 1, 2026, directly affecting medical providers, caregivers, and children under 16 who might receive these treatments.
SB 199 revises Montana's Medicaid expansion program (the Montana HELP Act) by introducing monthly "taxpayer integrity fees" for participants meeting specific asset thresholds. It requires fees based on excess real estate value ($5,000+ above homestead limits), vehicle equity ($20,000+ combined value), or agricultural land taxable value ($1,500+ annually), with a base fee of $100 plus $4 per $1,000 over limits. The bill also updates community engagement rules, mandating 80 monthly hours of work-related activities for 19-55-year-olds (with exemptions for medical conditions, caregivers, students, and others). These changes directly affect Medicaid expansion participants owning significant assets or required to meet work participation standards.
SB 354, the "Montana Healthy SNAP Act," would require Montana's Department of Public Health to request a federal waiver prohibiting the use of SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps) to buy soft drinks and candy. The bill directly affects SNAP recipients in Montana by restricting purchases of these items, which the legislature states are the most commonly bought non-nutritious items with SNAP funds. Key provisions include mandating a federal waiver request with a public health justification, an implementation plan for retailers, and annual reporting on spending patterns and health impacts. The bill defines "candy" as non-refrigerated sweet items and "soft drinks" as nonalcoholic sweetened beverages (excluding milk-based drinks or juices with >50% fruit/veg content).
SB 112 would prohibit Montana state funds (including federal funds) from purchasing opioid reversal drugs after June 30, 2025, from companies involved in opioid settlement agreements. It allows existing contracts for these drugs to continue until fulfillment but bans renewal after the deadline, and requires continued supply under settlement agreements signed before September 1, 2024. The bill directly affects state agencies purchasing opioid reversal medications and pharmaceutical companies that settled opioid-related lawsuits. The bill died in committee in May 2025 and did not become law.
HB 807 amends state law to prohibit individuals from being required to receive certain vaccines. Specifically, it mandates that vaccines whose use is allowed under an emergency use authorization (EUA) or those still undergoing safety trials cannot be a requirement. This applies to persons, governmental entities, employers, and public accommodations, preventing them from denying services, employment, or access based on non-receipt of such vaccines. The bill integrates this new prohibition into existing law concerning discrimination based on vaccination status.
HB 880 establishes the Medicaid Stabilization Reserve Account, a state special revenue fund designed to help maintain Medicaid benefits during state revenue shortfalls. The account would be primarily funded by transferring any unused state general fund appropriations for Medicaid at the end of a fiscal year. Funds from this account could only be appropriated by the legislature for state Medicaid matching funds after the budget director certifies a projected general fund deficit. This mechanism aims to mitigate expenditure reductions in the Medicaid program, directly affecting the stability of services for beneficiaries. The bill also includes an initial appropriation of $50,000 for state Medicaid matching funds.
