HB 912 proposes creating a new secure forensic facility in Montana, overseen by the Department of Public Health and Human Services. This facility would provide care, treatment, and security for up to 70 individuals involved in the legal system due to mental illness, including those needing competency restoration or forensic evaluations. The bill allocates $60 million from the Behavioral Health System for Future Generations Fund to plan, construct, and equip this facility, while also expanding the fund's uses to support new behavioral health infrastructure.
HB 621 allows local first responder entities, including police departments, sheriff's offices, fire departments, and emergency medical service providers, to establish peer support programs. These programs must have a written policy that outlines qualifications for peer supporters, defines peer support sessions, and ensures confidentiality for participants. The bill prohibits qualified peer supporters from testifying about the content of peer support sessions, with exceptions if an employee has committed or plans a crime, or indicates intent to harm themselves or others.
HB 745 revises school laws to enhance student safety by requiring new policies and background checks. It mandates that school districts adopt a student protection policy, which includes conducting fingerprint-based national criminal history background checks. These checks are required for any individual, regardless of employment status, who may have unsupervised contact with students. The bill also requires background checks for educator licensure, and non-compliant districts must submit a correction plan to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Senate Bill 69 revises reporting requirements for county attorneys and the Attorney General concerning child sexual abuse cases. It changes the frequency of county attorneys' reports to the Attorney General from semi-annual to annual, due by June 1 each year. These reports must include specific details such as case identifiers, dates of charges or prosecution declinations, and conviction outcomes. The Attorney General will then compile this aggregated data and report annually to the law and justice interim committee by August 15, enhancing tracking and oversight of these cases.
HB 605 proposed revisions to criminal laws concerning strip searches for individuals entering correctional facilities. The bill would have allowed a person to be subjected to a strip search if they were to be housed in a jail or correctional facility for more than 12 hours. This provision would have created an exception to the existing requirement that individuals arrested for traffic or non-felony offenses can only be strip-searched if there is reasonable suspicion they are concealing a weapon, contraband, or evidence. The change would have permitted strip searches based on the anticipated length of detention, regardless of the initial offense type or specific suspicion for the search.
HB 532 revises laws concerning the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of incapacitated persons and vulnerable adults, defining these terms. It specifies that vulnerable adults include individuals aged 60 or older, or adults with significant physical or mental impairments or developmental disabilities. The bill establishes new felony and misdemeanor offenses for actions such as abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, failure to report, false reporting, and financial exploitation of these individuals. It also outlines penalties including fines and imprisonment for those convicted of these crimes.
HB 589 revises education standards for peace officers in Montana, affecting individuals seeking to become peace officers and the agencies that employ them. The bill expands where the mandatory peace officer basic course can be completed. In addition to the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, a qualified law enforcement academy administered by an accredited Montana college or university may now provide this training. These alternative academies must have their curriculum and training methods approved by both a Montana state or local law enforcement agency and the Public Safety Officer Standards and Training Council, ensuring they meet comparable standards.
HB 707 requires the Department of Corrections to consider an inmate's attachment to family when making placements or transfers to correctional institutions located outside of the state. This aims to allow inmates to maintain connections with their families, affecting those in state prisons who are moved out-of-state. The bill mandates the department to assess the inmate's ability to maintain these attachments during such placements. It also integrates this new requirement into existing law governing contracts for inmate confinement, particularly when dealing with excessive inmate populations or a lack of adequate state facilities.
HB 718 establishes an Office of Reentry Services within the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. This office is tasked with coordinating supportive services for individuals preparing to exit or exiting incarceration and reentering communities. Its purpose is to facilitate access to programs like job training, job placement, education, housing assistance, transportation, food security, and behavioral health services. The office will collaborate with various state agencies, companies, and stakeholder organizations to achieve these goals. It also requires the department to submit regular reports to legislative committees detailing the services provided, their cost, and the number of individuals served.
SB 300 provides new legal protections for service animals and their handlers. The bill establishes specific offenses for harassing, harming, or taking unauthorized control of a service animal. Individuals convicted of these offenses face misdemeanor penalties and are required to pay full restitution for all related damages and expenses incurred by the handler. Additionally, it amends existing state laws to include service animals in definitions related to vicious dogs and owner liability for dog bites.
