Labor & Employment (Workers' Compensation)

This bill revises Montana's workers' compensation laws by establishing that injured workers must prove their claims on a "more probable than not" basis and removing special deference given to treating doctors' opinions. It requires that medical testimony be evaluated based on the provider's education, training, experience, and credibility rather than automatically accepting their conclusions. The legislation also limits discovery requests related to independent medical examinations to specific professional qualifications and prohibits inquiries into the examiner's personal finances. Additionally, the bill clarifies rules for independent medical examinations, allowing insurers to request them under certain conditions while ensuring the employee's right to have a physician present during the exam.

This bill revises Montana's workers' compensation laws by clarifying who qualifies for coverage and establishing new eligibility rules. It explicitly includes lawfully employed aliens while prohibiting unlawfully employed aliens from receiving workers' compensation benefits. The legislation also requires insurers to close claims for individuals who leave the United States or certain U.S. territories while a claim is active. Additionally, the bill updates definitions to cover various groups such as vocational trainees, community service workers, and inmates in prison industries programs, while maintaining exclusions for volunteers and foster parents. These changes aim to streamline how workers' compensation claims are handled and define the scope of covered workers more precisely.

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 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.

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.