Labor & Employment

vetoed · Montana · House Jun 16, 2025

HB 901: Create a fire department health and safety grant program

This bill establishes a state grant program to help Montana fire departments purchase safety equipment and improve health and safety conditions for firefighters. The program allows eligible fire departments, companies, or districts to apply for up to $10,000 in grants for items such as personal protective equipment, saunas, shower facilities, and cleaning devices for gear. Funding comes from charitable donations and a $10 nonrefundable application fee paid by each applicant, with priority given to departments with smaller budgets, those in rural areas, and those serving diverse regions of the state. The bill also authorizes the state disaster and emergency services division to administer the program and adopt rules to implement it.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill provides grants to improve firefighter safety equipment and health conditions, directly supporting workplace safety and worker protection.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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vetoed · Montana · Senate Jun 9, 2025

SB 394: Provide for workers' compensation coverage of PTSD for first responders

SB 394 would have expanded Montana's workers' compensation system to cover posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for eligible first responders. It defines "first responder" to include firefighters, law enforcement officers, detention center/prison staff, and emergency care providers, requiring a diagnosis per the latest DSM-5 manual that links PTSD directly to work duties. The bill amended existing laws to allow PTSD claims under workers' compensation, subject to standard procedural requirements. However, this bill was vetoed by the Governor on June 9, 2025, so it did not become law.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands workers' comp coverage to include PTSD for first responders, directly enhancing mental health care access under healthcare services per bill's explicit coverage expansion.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands workers' compensation benefits for first responders by covering PTSD, directly strengthening workplace health protections under Labor & Employment.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 297: Establish requirement for paid sick days

HB 297, known as the "Healthy Families and Workplaces Act," aimed to establish a requirement for paid sick leave for employees. It would have required employers with 10 or more employees to provide at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, with an annual usage cap of 80 hours. Employees could carry over up to 40 unused hours to the following year. The bill also defined authorized uses for paid sick leave, protected employees from retaliation, and authorized the Department of Labor and Industry to enforce its provisions. Employers with existing paid leave policies that met or exceeded these requirements would have been exempt.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates paid sick leave for employees, expands benefits, and protects against retaliation per bill's requirements and protections.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 697: Clarify government employee privacy rights

HB 697 clarifies that public employees in Montana do not have an expectation of privacy in electronic communications sent or received through systems provided and managed by their public agency. This means that any communications, including personal ones, made using public agency equipment are subject to public records laws and agency policies. As a result, public agencies would not be required to review these communications for privacy implications when responding to public information requests.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentRemoves privacy expectations for government employee communications, weakening workplace privacy protections under labor & employment.85% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill removes privacy expectations for public employees' electronic communications on agency systems, weakening data privacy protections under public records laws.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 373: Revise lottery proceeds laws to dedicate to education funding

HB 373 aimed to revise the allocation of excess state lottery revenue, dedicating it to education funding instead of the state general fund. The Office of Public Instruction would distribute these funds quarterly to school districts based on a per-quality-educator formula. Districts would deposit these funds into their school flexibility funds, which could be used for various expenditures, including teacher salaries, benefits, housing, technology enhancements, and facility improvements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects existing lottery revenue to education funding, increasing public service allocation without new taxes or tax changes.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill redirects lottery revenue to education funding, earmarked for teacher salaries, benefits, and infrastructure - directly increases school funding allocation.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill dedicates lottery funds for teacher salaries, benefits, and workplace improvements per school district formula, directly funding labor-related employment costs.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 552: Revise worker's compensation law to cover PTSD for first responders and others

HB 552 revises Montana's workers' compensation laws to include coverage for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This bill directly affects first responders, such as firefighters, law enforcement officers, dispatchers, and employees of county detention centers or prisons. For a claim to be compensable, the PTSD must be diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and be caused by events arising out of their employment, excluding personnel-related actions. This creates an exception for first responders' PTSD claims within the state's existing policy that generally excludes stress claims from workers' compensation.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands workers' compensation to cover PTSD for first responders, strengthening mental health protections and benefits under labor laws.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 484: Revise minimum wage laws to provide increases

HB 484 proposed to increase the state's minimum hourly wage from $6.15 to $12.06, affecting many hourly workers and their employers. The bill maintained the existing mechanism for annual cost-of-living adjustments to the minimum wage. It also retained a lower minimum wage of $4 per hour for businesses with annual gross sales of $110,000 or less. If enacted, these provisions would have become effective on July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly increases minimum wage from $6.15 to $12.06/hour, directly advancing worker compensation and aligning with core Labor & Employment protections.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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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 | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 807: Prohibiting vaccines allowed under an emergency use authorization or undergoing safety trials to be required

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.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill prohibits mandatory EUA/trial vaccines, restricting public health mandate enforcement in healthcare programs per its explicit language.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentPrevents employers from denying employment based on non-receipt of EUA/vaccine trial vaccines, protecting workers' rights against mandatory unapproved medical requirements in the workplace.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 667: Revise labor laws relating to employers and public service

HB 667 revises labor laws regarding employees who seek or hold public office. It prohibits employers from restricting employees from seeking election or appointment to city, county, or state public office, or from retaliating against them for doing so. During an employee's mandatory leave of absence for public service, employers cannot require the employee to use personal leave or benefits without their consent, nor can they require them to perform work. If an employer generally permits personal use of company devices, they cannot prohibit an employee on public service leave from using those devices for personal reasons.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits employer retaliation for seeking public office and protects mandatory leave rights without requiring personal leave use or work performance, directly advancing workers' rights under Labor & Employment.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment