HB 76: Generally revise laws related to the board of behavioral health - Montana

HB0076_5(4).pdf → HB0076_X(4).pdf · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates the Montana Board of Behavioral Health laws to formally include 'family peer support' and 'addiction counseling' as regulated professional practices. It clarifies definitions for various behavioral health roles and adds specific rules for clinical social work and counseling, ensuring these fields are treated with the same regulatory standards as social work and marriage and family therapy.

Scope change

The scope of the bill was expanded to explicitly include 'family peer support' and 'addiction counseling' as regulated practices, whereas previous versions listed them separately or with different emphasis.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'behavioral health' to explicitly list 'family peer support' alongside social work, counseling, and therapy as regulated practices.

Added a new definition for 'addiction counseling' to clarify it involves the therapeutic process of addiction treatment.

Refined the definition of 'clinical social work' to explicitly include the provision of psychotherapy and counseling to individuals, couples, families, and groups.

Expanded the definition of 'clinical professional counseling' to specifically include 'assessment' and 'referral' as core components of the practice.

REQUIREMENT

Revised the purpose statement to emphasize that the chapter must be 'liberally construed' to ensure qualified persons from outside Montana can practice with clients located within the state.

HB0076_X(3).pdf → HB0076_5.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was updated to reflect its official enrolled status (HB0076.5) and includes a new request from the Children, Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee. The substantive legal content regarding behavioral health regulations remains unchanged, though minor formatting adjustments were made to the definitions section.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was updated from HB 76 to HB0076.5 to indicate it has been enrolled and passed by the legislature.

A new line was added stating the bill was introduced by request of the Children, Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee.

Minor formatting adjustments were made to the definitions section, including line breaks and the addition of the word 'OR' in the definition of behavioral health.

HB0076_4(3).pdf → HB0076_X(2).pdf · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text was updated from a draft version to an enrolled (final) version, indicated by the change in headers and page numbering. The substantive policy content, including definitions and amendments to the Board of Behavioral Health statutes, remains consistent between the two versions.

TECHNICAL

Updated the document header from 'Authorized Print Version' to 'ENROLLED BILL' and changed the bill number format from 'HB0076.4' to 'HB 76', indicating the bill has passed all legislative stages.

HB0076_1(8).pdf → HB0076_4.pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill text was updated to reflect a new version number (HB0076.4) and a revised year header (2025). A significant substantive change was made to the definition of 'Behavioral health,' expanding the scope of regulation to include 'certification' in addition to 'licensure.' This change broadens the bill's applicability to cover entities that may be certified rather than just licensed.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include 'certification' alongside 'licensure' for behavioral health practices.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Behavioral health' was changed to explicitly include 'certification' under the chapter, alongside 'licensure,' thereby extending regulatory authority to certified providers.

TECHNICAL

The bill version identifier was updated from HB 76.1 to HB0076.4, and the header year was adjusted to 2025.

HB0076_X(1).pdf → HB0076_1(8).pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill text was updated to reflect its final enrolled status, adding a committee request note and changing the bill number to HB 76.1. The substantive legal content, including definitions and purpose statements, remains identical to the previous version, indicating no new policy changes were made at this stage.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the text now reflects the final enrolled version of the legislation.

TECHNICAL

Added a line indicating the bill was introduced by request of the Children, Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee.

Changed the bill number from HB 76 to HB 76.1 to reflect the enrolled status.

Removed the 'Authorized Print Version' header and page numbers from the draft version.

Added a line break between the bill title and the 'BE IT ENACTED' section for formatting consistency.

HB0076_2(11).pdf → HB0076_X.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was updated from a draft version (HB0076.2) to an enrolled version (HB 76), reflecting final legislative approval. The substantive content regarding behavioral health regulations, peer support certification, and religious exemptions remains consistent, with minor formatting adjustments to the header and definitions.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated to indicate the bill is now an 'ENROLLED BILL' rather than a draft, signifying it has passed all legislative stages.

Minor formatting adjustments were made to the page headers and line breaks throughout the text to align with final printing standards.

A partial definition for 'Clinical social work' was cut off in the provided text, likely due to the snippet ending mid-sentence rather than a legislative deletion.

HB0076_1(7).pdf → HB0076_2(8).pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill updates its versioning to reflect a new legislative session or revision cycle. It expands the definition of 'behavioral health' to include 'certification' alongside 'regulation and licensure,' broadening the scope of activities covered under the new law. The text also reorders the list of regulated practices to clarify that peer support is included.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include 'certification' as a regulatory mechanism for behavioral health practices, in addition to existing licensure requirements.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'behavioral health' was changed to include 'certification' alongside 'regulation and licensure,' expanding the regulatory framework to cover certified providers.

The list of regulated practices was restructured to explicitly include 'peer support' as a distinct category alongside social work, counseling, and therapy.

TECHNICAL

Header formatting was updated to change the bill identifier from 'HB 76.1' to 'HB0076.2' and adjust the session year display.

HB0076_2(7).pdf → HB0076_1(7).pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from HB0076.2 to HB 76.1, likely to align with a new legislative session or versioning system. The most significant substantive change is the expansion of the definition of 'behavioral health' to explicitly include 'addiction counseling' and 'peer support' alongside existing professions like social work and marriage and family therapy. This broadens the scope of the law to ensure these specific roles are regulated and licensed under the same chapter, potentially improving oversight and standardizing practices for addiction and peer support services.

Scope change

The scope of the bill was expanded to explicitly include addiction counseling and peer support as regulated professions under the behavioral health chapter.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'behavioral health' was updated to explicitly list 'addiction counseling' and 'peer support' as regulated practices.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was changed from HB0076.2 to HB 76.1, and the header formatting was updated.

HB0076_1(6).pdf → HB0076_2(7).pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill text was updated to reflect a new version number (HB0076.2) and includes a minor formatting adjustment to the definition of 'behavioral health.' The most significant substantive change is the addition of the word 'CERTIFICATION' alongside 'regulation and licensure,' indicating that the bill's rules now explicitly apply to certified entities in addition to those licensed.

Scope change

The scope of the bill was expanded to explicitly include 'certification' as a regulatory mechanism for behavioral health practices, alongside existing 'licensure.'

DEFINITION

The definition of 'behavioral health' was modified to state that it applies to practices regulated under the chapter for purposes of both 'regulation and licensure OR CERTIFICATION,' broadening the regulatory framework to include certified providers.

TECHNICAL

The bill version number was updated from HB 76.1 to HB0076.2, and some header formatting was adjusted to align with the new version.

HB0076_2(6).pdf → HB0076_1(6).pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill text was updated to reflect a new version number (HB 76.1) and includes a minor definition change. The most significant substantive update is the addition of 'addiction counseling' to the list of practices considered 'behavioral health' under the chapter, alongside social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, and peer support. This change broadens the scope of the bill to explicitly include addiction counseling within the regulatory framework.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include 'addiction counseling' as a regulated practice under the behavioral health chapter.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Behavioral health' was modified to add 'addiction counseling' to the list of regulated practices, ensuring it is treated with the same regulatory standards as social work, professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, and peer support.

TECHNICAL

The bill version identifier was updated from HB0076.2 to HB 76.1, and some formatting inconsistencies in the header were corrected.

HB0076_1(5).pdf → HB0076_2.pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill text was updated to include 'certification' alongside 'regulation and licensure' in the definition of behavioral health, expanding the scope of services covered. Additionally, the bill number was updated from HB 76 to HB0076.2, and the page header formatting was adjusted to remove redundant separators.

Scope change

The scope of the bill was expanded to explicitly include 'certification' as a mechanism for regulating behavioral health practices, alongside existing licensure requirements.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Behavioral health' was modified to add the word 'CERTIFICATION' to the list of regulatory mechanisms, ensuring that certified providers are included under the chapter's rules.

TECHNICAL

The bill identifier was updated from 'HB 76.1' to 'HB0076.2', and redundant header separators were removed for formatting consistency.

LC0723.pdf → HB0076_1.pdf · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill has been renumbered from LC 723 to HB 76, indicating a shift from a legislative committee concept to a formal House bill. The document title was updated to reflect this new number and include the designation 'Authorized Print Version'. No substantive policy changes, such as new definitions, funding amounts, or eligibility criteria, were found in the provided text.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was changed from LC 723 to HB 76, and the header was updated to 'Authorized Print Version - HB 76'.

Generally revise laws related to the board of behavioral health

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