HB 435 Montana House · 2025 Regular Session

Clarifying laws related to professional license discipline

HB 435 revises laws related to professional license discipline across various state boards and programs. The bill standardizes definitions of misconduct, available sanctions, and reinstatement processes for professional licenses. It establishes duties for license applicants and current licensees to report misconduct or actions taken against their licenses, providing immunity for good-faith reporting. Key provisions include clarifying a maximum 3-year period for probationary licenses and standardizing the range of sanctions, which can include fines up to $5,000 per violation.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

May 2025

Introduced Feb 7, 2025 Signed May 5, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB0435_2(14).pdf → HB0435_X.pdf · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Montana's professional license discipline laws to standardize how misconduct is reported, how sanctions are applied, and how licenses can be reinstated. It clarifies reporting requirements for license applicants and licensees, establishes immunity from liability for those who report misconduct in good faith, and organizes provisions related to unprofessional conduct across all licensing boards. The bill also clarifies that reinstatement processes apply only to revoked licenses and repeals duplicative provisions.

Scope change

The bill applies to all professional licensing boards and programs in Montana, standardizing previously inconsistent provisions across different boards.

REQUIREMENT

License applicants must immediately report actions against them that affect their qualifications or fitness to practice while their application is pending.

Licensees must report actions against them within 30 days of final disposition, and must report information about other licensees' misconduct in a timely manner.

Clarified that reinstatement processes only apply to revoked licenses, not other types of license restrictions.

Updated reporting requirements for mental or physical impairment to clarify procedures for medical assistance programs.

ENFORCEMENT

Added immunity from liability for licensees who provide required misconduct reports in good faith.

DEFINITION

Standardized unprofessional conduct provisions and sanctions terminology across all boards and programs.

TECHNICAL

Repealed duplicative and unnecessary provisions related to sanctions and reinstatement.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 11, 2025 · House Feb 22, 2025

How they voted

48–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 50

Apr 11, 2025

D Democratic18

17 Yea 1

94% Yea

R Republican32

31 Yea 1

96% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 1, 2025

Signed into law

(H) Signed by Governor

lower

Apr 25, 2025

Upper · Passed

(S) Signed by President

upper

Apr 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

(H) Signed by Speaker

lower

Apr 11, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (48-0-2)

senate

Mar 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

(S) Committee Report - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs

upper

Mar 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Committee

(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs

upper

Feb 22, 2025

House · Passed

House Vote: pass (95-3-2)

house

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

(H) Committee Report - (H) Business and Labor

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Business and Labor

lower

Feb 10, 2025

Committee

(H) Referred to Committee - (H) Business and Labor

lower

Feb 7, 2025

Introduced

(H) Introduced

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors