Rep. Greg Oblander

Maddy summaryHB 590 revises laws related to electronic health records, affecting health carriers, healthcare providers, and patients. It requires health carriers to establish and maintain specific application programming interfaces (APIs) for patient and provider access to health information, adhering to federal standards. Additionally, the bill prohibits healthcare providers from "information blocking" and mandates the disclosure of certain sensitive test results, such as those indicating malignancy or genetic markers, to a patient's electronic health record within 72 hours of finalization.

Maddy summaryHB 796 revises laws related to the compulsory sharing of health care records. It clarifies that professional and occupational licensing boards or programs may request health care information. This information can be obtained through an administrative subpoena for their investigative and disciplinary proceedings. The bill amends existing statutes to explicitly allow this disclosure under specific circumstances.

Maddy summaryHB 591 establishes "Celebrate Freedom Week" in Montana public schools during the last full week of September each year, effective July 1, 2025. This bill requires social studies classes to provide at least three hours of instruction on the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Montana Constitution, including their historical context and impact on American history. Additionally, students in grades 3 through 12 are mandated to recite a specific passage from the Declaration of Independence daily during this week. Exceptions for student recitation are provided for parental requests, conscientious objections, or children of foreign diplomatic representatives.

Maddy summaryHB 502 establishes a new "Board of Facility Health Care Professionals" to regulate specific healthcare occupations. This new seven-member board will consist of clinical laboratory scientists, radiologic technologists, respiratory therapists, and a public member. It consolidates and transfers the authority for licensing and oversight of clinical laboratory science practitioners, radiologic technologists, and respiratory care practitioners to this single board. The board is responsible for administering licensing provisions, establishing criteria for licensure, adopting associated fees, and issuing or renewing licenses for these professions.

Maddy summaryHB 291 limits the ability of Montana's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and local air pollution control programs to set air quality standards stricter than federal requirements. The bill prohibits the DEQ from establishing emission levels or rules more stringent than federal Clean Air Act standards, with exceptions for existing requirements and areas that do not meet national ambient air quality standards. It also revises the process for the DEQ to adopt any rules more stringent than federal guidelines, now only allowing it through emergency rulemaking. Local air pollution control programs are similarly restricted from adopting more stringent rules without specific department approval.

Maddy summaryHB 655 prohibits the state government from taking "discriminatory action" against individuals and organizations that provide adoption or foster care services based on their religious beliefs. It defines "discriminatory action" to include denying state grants, contracts, licenses, certifications, or imposing fines. The bill specifies that these protections apply to natural persons, religious organizations, and various closely held entities involved in child placement services. This aims to allow all types of adoption and foster care providers, including faith-based ones, to operate according to their beliefs without government penalty.

Maddy summaryHB 37 requires Montana counties and local governments to include specific property tax amounts in their preliminary annual budget documents. It mandates that budgets detail the prior year's property tax levied on $100,000 residential property value and the estimated tax for the current year on the same value, plus similar figures for $300,000 and $600,000 home values. This change applies directly to county governments preparing their annual operating budgets and affects how they report tax impacts to residents. The bill revises existing budget filing requirements under Section 7-6-4020, MCA, to add these transparency measures.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases fines for illegally parking in disability spaces: $150-$250 for a first offense and $250-$500 for repeat violations. It allows drivers to avoid fines by showing a valid disability permit within 3 business days of the violation. The bill also makes it a misdemeanor to provide false information to obtain a disability permit or assist unqualified individuals, punishable by fines of at least $300 or up to 10 hours of community service focused on disability access. It directly affects permit holders, those who misuse permits, and law enforcement enforcing these rules.