Labor & Employment

SB 376, the "Worker Freedom Act," prohibits employers from requiring employees to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment. It mandates written employee authorization for union dues deductions (with 30-day revocation rights), requires employers to post a notice about union choice rights, and imposes fines for violations. The bill directly affects all Montana employees, except federal workers, railroad employees, and those under federal labor law. It amended Montana law to align with these protections but died in committee in May 2025 without becoming law.

SB 94 prohibits Montana public employers from using public funds or resources for labor organization activities, directly affecting public sector workers like teachers and school staff. It bans contributions of public money to unions or paid leave for union work, but allows unpaid time off for such activities and permits using accrued personal leave under specific conditions. The bill requires unions to cover costs for paid leave used in union activities through annual invoices to public employers and mandates reporting on time spent on union-related work. These changes aim to limit public funding for union operations while establishing clear administrative procedures.

SB 277 would have prohibited Montana public employers from deducting union dues, fees, or political contributions from public employees' paychecks or assisting in collecting these payments. It directly affects public employees, labor organizations, and political committees by eliminating payroll deduction as a method for these payments. The bill would have made it an "unfair labor practice" for public employers to handle such deductions or for labor organizations to request them. This policy change would have shifted responsibility for collecting dues and contributions entirely to employees and organizations, removing public employers from the process.

SB 345 would change how medical evidence is evaluated in Montana workers' compensation cases. It removes automatic preference for treating physicians' opinions, requiring courts to weigh medical testimony based on the provider's qualifications, experience with the specific worker, and credibility. The bill also limits discovery about independent medical examiners (IMEs) to their training, exam volume, and payments from insurers, aiming to reduce bias concerns. These changes directly affect workers seeking compensation, insurers requesting medical evaluations, and medical providers involved in these cases. The bill was introduced in 2025 but died in committee before becoming law.

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.