Healthcare

vetoed · Montana · Senate Jul 14, 2025

SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer

SB 422 requires Montana health insurers to cover FDA-approved drugs for advanced or metastatic cancer without forcing patients to first fail other treatments. It prohibits insurers from demanding that patients prove they've tried and failed alternative drugs before approving coverage for new treatments that align with national cancer guidelines. This directly affects patients diagnosed with advanced or metastatic cancer in Montana, ensuring faster access to potentially life-saving medications without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles. The law applies only to drugs approved by the FDA and consistent with evidence-based cancer treatment protocols.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurers cover FDA-approved cancer drugs without prior treatment failure requirements, improving patient access to life-saving treatments per national guidelines.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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vetoed · Montana · Senate Jul 11, 2025

SB 537: Generally revise marijuana tax laws

SB 537 revises Montana's marijuana tax revenue distribution, directing funds from the marijuana state special revenue account to new and existing state accounts. It requires transferring excess funds annually to specific accounts, including 12% to the HEART account for addiction treatment and mental health programs, 20% to wildlife habitat projects, and 14% to behavioral health initiatives. The bill also allocates funds for law enforcement canine training, sexual assault evidence kits, and homeless shelter support, while modifying existing transfer rules for agencies like the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. These changes apply to all state agencies receiving marijuana tax revenue under Montana law.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesDirects marijuana tax revenue to specific public service accounts (12% to addiction treatment, 20% to wildlife, 14% to behavioral health), increasing funding for state programs.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAllocates 12% to HEART account for addiction treatment and 14% to behavioral health initiatives, directly supporting rehabilitation programs aligned with criminal justice reform goals.85% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentAllocates 20% of marijuana tax revenue to wildlife habitat projects, directly funding environmental conservation as specified in bill summary.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates 12% to HEART for addiction/mental health and 14% to behavioral health, directly funding healthcare programs under healthcare topic indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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vetoed · Montana · Senate Jun 18, 2025

SB 72: Provide presumptive eligibility for Medicaid coverage of home and community-based services

SB 72 creates a "presumptive eligibility" process for Montana Medicaid, allowing people with physical disabilities or who are elderly to immediately access home and community-based services like personal care, meal delivery, medical equipment, and emergency response systems while awaiting full Medicaid approval. It requires a screening process by trained staff (including tribal entities, hospitals, or aging agencies) to verify income, residency, and need, with applicants having 30 days to apply for ongoing Medicaid coverage. The program aims to prevent hospitalizations or institutional care by providing temporary coverage during the application period, ending after 30 days or when full eligibility is determined. The bill requires state approval from CMS before implementation and was vetoed by the governor in May 2025, with a legislative override attempt failing.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates immediate Medicaid access to home/community services for disabled/elderly, expanding coverage without full approval process95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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vetoed · Montana · Senate Jun 9, 2025

SB 394: Provide for workers' compensation coverage of PTSD for first responders

SB 394 would have expanded Montana's workers' compensation system to cover posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for eligible first responders. It defines "first responder" to include firefighters, law enforcement officers, detention center/prison staff, and emergency care providers, requiring a diagnosis per the latest DSM-5 manual that links PTSD directly to work duties. The bill amended existing laws to allow PTSD claims under workers' compensation, subject to standard procedural requirements. However, this bill was vetoed by the Governor on June 9, 2025, so it did not become law.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands workers' comp coverage to include PTSD for first responders, directly enhancing mental health care access under healthcare services per bill's explicit coverage expansion.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands workers' compensation benefits for first responders by covering PTSD, directly strengthening workplace health protections under Labor & Employment.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 136: Prohibit consent as a defense for physician assisted suicide

SB 136 amends Montana's criminal code (Section 45-2-211, MCA) to state that a patient's consent to physician aid in dying is not a defense to a homicide charge against the physician. The bill defines "physician aid in dying" as a physician prescribing a lethal medication for the patient to self-administer, excluding standard comfort care or withholding life-sustaining treatment. This directly affects physicians who provide such aid, making their actions prosecutable as homicide if consent is claimed as a defense. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not impact existing practices of comfort care or end-of-life treatment under Montana law.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill removes consent as a defense for physician-assisted suicide, making it prosecutable as homicide under criminal code, expanding criminalization of medical practices.95% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill criminalizes physician-assisted suicide by removing consent as a defense, restricting access to a specific healthcare service under homicide laws.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 474: Require acceptance of religious and personal medical exemptions to required immunizations

SB 474 would have expanded school immunization exemptions in Montana to include religious exemptions and a new "personal medical informed consent" exemption requiring only a notarized statement. This new exemption would allow students to decline vaccines after consulting a healthcare provider (without needing a provider's signature), distinct from the existing medical exemption requiring a healthcare provider's written statement. The bill also amended school immunization laws (20-5-405 and 49-2-312) to prevent schools from being sued for injuries related to exempt students and to block overly burdensome exemption forms. The bill died in committee on May 23, 2025, and never became law.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareExpands vaccine exemptions, weakening school immunization requirements and public health protections by replacing medical exemption standards with less stringent notarized consent.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 164: Revise offense of endangering the welfare of children

SB 164 amends Montana's endangering the welfare of children law to prohibit specific medical treatments for children under 16. The bill bans surgical procedures, puberty blockers, and hormone therapies (like estrogen or testosterone) when used to alter a child's appearance or affirm a gender identity inconsistent with their biological sex. Violating this prohibition is classified as a felony, carrying up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, with harsher penalties if the child suffers serious injury. The law would take effect on January 1, 2026, directly affecting medical providers, caregivers, and children under 16 who might receive these treatments.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by classifying medical treatments as felony offenses, increasing penalties for specific acts. Aligns with OPPOSE indicators: expands criminalization.95% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill bans gender-affirming medical treatments (surgery, puberty blockers, hormone therapy) for minors, restricting access to healthcare services under the guise of child welfare.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 112: Revise laws related to state purchase of opioid antagonists

SB 112 would prohibit Montana state funds (including federal funds) from purchasing opioid reversal drugs after June 30, 2025, from companies involved in opioid settlement agreements. It allows existing contracts for these drugs to continue until fulfillment but bans renewal after the deadline, and requires continued supply under settlement agreements signed before September 1, 2024. The bill directly affects state agencies purchasing opioid reversal medications and pharmaceutical companies that settled opioid-related lawsuits. The bill died in committee in May 2025 and did not become law.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill prohibits state funds from purchasing opioid reversal drugs after 2025 from settlement-participating companies, restricting access to life-saving overdose treatment and weakening public health response to opioid crisis.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 185: Provide for continuous healthy Montana kids plan eligibility for children under 6

HB 185 directs the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) to implement continuous eligibility for children under six years old in the Healthy Montana Kids plan. This means eligible children would remain enrolled in the program until their sixth birthday, regardless of changes in family income or other circumstances that might otherwise make them ineligible. DPHHS is required to apply for the necessary federal waivers and state plan amendments by July 1, 2025, and implement the continuous eligibility within six months of federal approval. The bill aims to provide consistent health coverage for young children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnsures continuous health coverage for children under six without income-based interruptions, expanding access to healthcare services95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 929: Generally revise laws relating to chiropractic practitioners

HB 929 proposes to revise laws related to chiropractic practitioners in Montana. The bill would establish an optional license endorsement allowing chiropractors who meet specific requirements to prescribe a limited formulary of noncontrolled, nonscheduled drugs. These drugs include items like over-the-counter analgesics, prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and muscle relaxants, intended for musculoskeletal treatment and pain. The Board of Chiropractors would be responsible for establishing the educational qualifications, application procedures, and prescribing protocols for this endorsement, for which a fee may be assessed.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands chiropractor prescribing rights for musculoskeletal pain, improving patient access to non-invasive treatment options within healthcare services.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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