Labor & Employment

HB 805 aims to revise existing workers' compensation laws. The bill would make individuals who are unlawfully employed aliens ineligible to receive workers' compensation benefits. Additionally, it mandates that an insurer must close a workers' compensation claim if the claimant leaves the United States or certain territories while their claim is active. These changes directly affect individuals applying for workers' compensation and the insurers responsible for processing claims.

HB 273, the "Montana Medical Debt Patient Protection Act," aimed to limit how health care providers and third-party collectors pursue medical debt from patients in Montana. The bill would have prohibited certain collection actions, including wage garnishment, placing liens on a patient's primary residence, and reporting adverse information to credit agencies. It also mandated a 180-day waiting period after the first bill before "extraordinary collection actions," such as filing lawsuits or selling debt, could begin, along with requiring a 30-day notice to the patient. Additionally, it sought to provide patients with an opportunity to appeal insurance decisions before a bill went to collections.

HB 197 revises Montana's workers' compensation law to change when temporary disability payments end for injured workers. It directly affects employees receiving temporary total disability benefits who are cleared by a doctor to return to full work duties. The bill specifies that benefits must terminate on the exact date a worker is released for full duty - rather than continuing until medical treatment concludes (maximum medical improvement) - if the worker is cleared before or at that point. This change, effective immediately upon the governor's signature on April 7, 2025, streamlines benefit termination while requiring physician documentation of medical stability and job suitability before any benefit change.

HB 13 revises pay and benefits for all Montana state employees, including a $1.00 hourly or 2.5% base salary increase (whichever is greater) effective July 1, 2025, plus one-time lump-sum payments based on work hours: $1,040 for full-time employees, $780 for 20-40 hours/week, and $520 for under 20 hours/week. It also adjusts per diem rates for travel, increasing daily meal allowances to $8.25 (breakfast), $9.25 (lunch), and $16.00 (dinner) for in-state travel. The bill applies broadly to all state employees and was enacted into law on March 27, 2025.