Healthcare

died · Montana · Legislature May 27, 2025

LC 2761: Require parental consent for medical procedures performed on minors

This bill (LC 2761) would have required parental or guardian consent for most medical procedures performed on minors under 18. It directly affected minors, their parents/guardians, and healthcare providers who would have needed to obtain this consent before proceeding. The key mechanism would have been a mandatory consent requirement for procedures like vaccinations, surgeries, or mental health treatments, with limited exceptions. However, the bill died in committee on May 27, 2025, and never became law.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRequires parental consent for minors' medical procedures, potentially delaying care and restricting access to healthcare services like mental health treatments.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

Track

died · Montana · Legislature May 27, 2025

LC 2837: Establish mental health grant program and provide funding

LC 2837 proposed creating a state mental health grant program with dedicated funding to support community mental health services. It would have directly affected local mental health organizations and community health centers by providing them with grant opportunities to expand care access. However, the bill was placed on hold in January 2025 and ultimately died in the legislative process in May 2025. As a result, no new funding was allocated under this proposal, and the program was never established.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill proposed dedicated funding for mental health grants to expand community care access, directly supporting mental health services per title and summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

Track

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

Sub-Topics Children's Health

Track

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 447: Enact the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact

HB 447 enacts the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact, allowing licensed respiratory therapists to practice in multiple member states without needing a full license in each. This aims to increase public access to respiratory therapy services and improve workforce mobility, including for military members and their spouses. The compact establishes a "compact privilege" for therapists to practice in other member states while preserving each state's regulatory authority. It also includes provisions for criminal background checks for license applicants.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill explicitly increases public access to respiratory therapy services by enabling interstate practice, improving workforce mobility for therapists, and aligning with healthcare access indicators.92% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly includes military members and spouses in workforce mobility benefits, supporting veteran family employment through interstate practice privileges.85% confidence

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 943: Establish the Montana rare disease advisory council

HB 943 establishes the Montana Rare Disease Advisory Council within the Department of Public Health and Human Services. This 17-member council, composed of patients, caregivers, medical professionals, researchers, and other stakeholders, will provide guidance, education, and recommendations on the needs of individuals with rare diseases in Montana. Its duties include surveying patient needs, developing policy recommendations for improved access to care and treatment, publishing resources, and identifying research opportunities. The council is required to meet regularly and submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature, and the bill includes an appropriation to cover initial costs.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes council to develop policy recommendations for improved rare disease care access, directly advancing patient access and treatment resources within healthcare services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 140: Adopting the social work licensure compact

SB 140 would adopt Montana into the Social Work Licensure Compact, enabling social workers licensed in Montana (their "home state") to practice in other participating states without obtaining separate licenses. The bill creates a "multistate license" system, allowing licensed social workers to provide services across state lines while maintaining each state's authority to regulate practice and address disciplinary issues in the state where the client is located. This directly affects licensed social workers seeking to practice beyond Montana, particularly those serving military families or addressing workforce shortages in rural areas. The compact aims to reduce licensing barriers, improve access to social work services, and facilitate telehealth practice while preserving state-level regulatory oversight for public safety.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables cross-state practice for social workers, improving access to mental health services and aligning with healthcare access goals per bill's multistate license system.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing Telehealth

Track

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 609: Establish criminal offense of abortion trafficking

HB 609 sought to establish the criminal offense of "abortion trafficking." It would prohibit any person from purposely or knowingly transporting an unborn child from Montana, either within or outside the state, to obtain an abortion that is illegal under Montana law. Individuals convicted of this offense could face fines up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to five years, or both. The bill also included a provision allowing penalties to be imposed against the mother of an unborn child for violating this specific trafficking offense, which is an exception to general prohibitions against penalizing women for abortion-related acts.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by creating new offense for abortion-related transport, increasing penalties under criminal law.95% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRestricts abortion access by criminalizing transportation for illegal abortions, directly limiting a healthcare service under Montana law.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking Women's Health

Track

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

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 621: Allow a local first response entity to establish a peer support program

HB 621 allows local first responder entities, including police departments, sheriff's offices, fire departments, and emergency medical service providers, to establish peer support programs. These programs must have a written policy that outlines qualifications for peer supporters, defines peer support sessions, and ensures confidentiality for participants. The bill prohibits qualified peer supporters from testifying about the content of peer support sessions, with exceptions if an employee has committed or plans a crime, or indicates intent to harm themselves or others.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEnables peer support programs for first responders, enhancing officer well-being and accountability, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.80% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables peer support programs for first responders' mental health, expanding access to mental health services as a core healthcare component.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill establishes mandatory peer support programs for first responders, enhancing workplace mental health and safety protections through confidentiality and written policies, aligning with workplace safety indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 600: Authorize emergency use of albuterol in a school setting

HB 600 authorizes public and nonpublic schools to maintain a supply of "stock albuterol," a quick-relief asthma medication, for emergency use. This medication can be administered by a school nurse or other authorized school personnel to any individual, student or non-student, experiencing respiratory distress on school grounds or at school-related activities. Schools choosing to keep stock albuterol must develop a protocol for staff training, medication maintenance, and post-administration follow-up, including determining when to make a 9-1-1 emergency call. The bill requires a prescription for the stock albuterol, with the school designated as the patient.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAuthorizes school access to emergency asthma medication, improving immediate healthcare access for respiratory distress in educational settings.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce