Sen. Dennis Lenz

Maddy summarySB 285 updates Montana's administrative rules for child care licensing to align with current state statutes. It changes terminology (e.g., "child care center" becomes "day-care center") and removes references to school-age care from the rules. The bill directs the Department of Public Health and Human Services to revise specific rule sections to match statutory definitions in Montana law. These changes primarily affect child care providers, licensing staff, and the department managing day-care facility regulations.

Maddy summarySB 269, a proposed Montana bill, would have revised regulations for family day-care homes (caring for 3-8 children) and group day-care homes (caring for 9-15 children). It would have required providers to maintain liability insurance, submit annual safety inspections, follow strict vaccination and medication policies, prohibit corporal punishment, ensure smoke-free environments, and implement emergency plans. The bill also mandated visible child abuse hotline displays, background checks, and prohibited the Department of Public Health from creating stricter rules than the law. The bill died in process on May 23, 2025, and never became law.

Maddy summarySB 268 renews and modifies Montana's Task Force on Dependency and Neglect Court Systems, extending its work until September 15, 2026 (previously ending in 2025). The bill increases the task force from 12 to 15 members, including legislative appointees, judges, tribal representatives, child welfare specialists, and others with direct experience in child protection systems. The task force must study whether a separate dependency and neglect court system would better serve children and families than enhancements to the existing court system, examining factors like funding, court structure, and interactions with family law cases. Its final report, including recommendations for legislative action, must be submitted to the governor and legislature by September 2026.

Maddy summarySB 465 clarifies funding rules for court-appointed special advocates (CASAs) who support children in custody cases. It specifically prohibits using money from the Court-Appointed Special Advocate Account to pay attorneys serving as paid special advocates, ensuring funds are reserved exclusively for CASA services. The bill amends Montana law to define "special advocate" and updates account management procedures, directly affecting CASAs, the state’s child welfare funding system, and courts managing child custody cases. These changes aim to prevent misallocation of funds while maintaining clear accountability for resources supporting child advocacy.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SJ 30) is a joint resolution requesting an interim study of Montana's child abuse and neglect registry system. It does not change current law but directs a legislative committee to examine key issues, including the lack of an expungement process for individuals with substantiated reports (violating federal law), the duration records remain on the registry, and due process protections like notice, hearings, and access to counsel. The study would also review the implementation of a new expungement process from SB 468 (2025) and recommend changes to better balance child safety with individuals' rights to employment and community participation. The resolution was referred to committee but died in May 2025 without moving forward.

Maddy summarySB 367 would have revised Montana's child welfare system by strengthening citizen review boards for neglect (DN) cases. It required courts to notify families of their right to a review board if a child isn't returned home after a show-cause hearing, mandated at least one board per county, and required boards to meet quarterly. The bill also required the court administrator to establish minimum board staffing and added a process where courts must hold hearings if the Department of Public Health and Human Services ignores board recommendations. This bill died in committee in May 2025 and did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 318 revises Montana's child custody laws to prioritize child safety in custody cases. It mandates that judges, standing masters, and guardians ad litem receive trauma-informed training on domestic violence, child abuse (including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse), and victim-perpetrator dynamics - requiring 20 hours of initial training and 15 hours every two years. The bill requires courts to consider domestic violence and child abuse allegations using valid evidence and strengthens protections for children by updating definitions and procedures in custody proceedings. These changes directly affect court personnel handling custody cases across Montana, aiming to improve how courts address abuse and ensure child safety. The bill also updates related statutes (e.g., Sections 3-1-1501, 40-4-205, MCA) to align with these new requirements.

Maddy summarySB 151 requires Montana's Public Defender Office to establish two specialized legal teams: one for representing parents, guardians, and legal custodians in family-related legal matters, and another for providing independent legal counsel to children in abuse and neglect cases. Each team must include a managing attorney and follow specific standards for child-centered representation, including trauma-informed communication, regular contact with minors, and specialized training on child development and case dynamics. The bill amends existing law to mandate these units under the director's authority, focusing on improving legal support for vulnerable families and children within the current public defender structure. It directly affects families navigating child welfare proceedings and children involved in court cases concerning abuse or neglect.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 68 is a procedural bill that confirms the Governor's appointment of Chell Little to the Board of Massage Therapy. If passed, this resolution would approve Chell Little to serve on the board until July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 468 establishes a statewide central registry for individuals who are the subject of *substantiated* reports of child abuse or neglect. This registry will affect individuals found to have abused or neglected a child, as their information may be used in background checks for employment or licensure in fields with unsupervised contact with children. The bill requires individuals to receive notice and a hearing before being included in the registry. It also outlines procedures for individuals to request expungement from the registry, based on criteria such as newly discovered evidence or demonstrating they no longer pose a risk.