Labor & Employment

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 656: Revising the fund structure and use of employment security account

HB 656 revises the use of the state's Employment Security Account and transfers the Office of Community Service. The bill amends state law to allow funds from the Employment Security Account to be used for administering the Office of Community Service and for enforcing state and federal anti-discrimination laws. Additionally, it moves the Office of Community Service from the Governor's office to the Department of Labor and Industry.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRedirects Employment Security funds to enforce anti-discrimination laws and moves Office of Community Service to Labor Dept, strengthening worker protections.90% confidence

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 297: Establish requirement for paid sick days

HB 297, known as the "Healthy Families and Workplaces Act," aimed to establish a requirement for paid sick leave for employees. It would have required employers with 10 or more employees to provide at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, with an annual usage cap of 80 hours. Employees could carry over up to 40 unused hours to the following year. The bill also defined authorized uses for paid sick leave, protected employees from retaliation, and authorized the Department of Labor and Industry to enforce its provisions. Employers with existing paid leave policies that met or exceeded these requirements would have been exempt.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates paid sick leave for employees, expands benefits, and protects against retaliation per bill's requirements and protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Paid Leave

Track

signed · Montana · House May 13, 2025

HB 823: Revise laws relating to the state plan committee

HB 823 revises the State Plan Committee, which oversees career and technical education in Montana. It expands the committee by adding three new members appointed by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry, representing the state workforce innovation board, business, and labor communities. The bill also coordinates the committee's meetings with the Montana State Workforce Innovation Board and requires its state plan to align with the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act combined state plan.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAdds labor community representatives to workforce committee, aligning with federal labor frameworks to strengthen worker input in education planning.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Employees

died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 291: Revising laws related to workers' compensation definition of wages

SB 291 amends Montana's workers' compensation law to require the Department of Labor and Industry to annually update its rules defining the value of lodging provided to employees as part of their compensation. The bill specifically changes Section 39-71-123 to mandate that lodging values must be adjusted yearly based on geographic housing costs and other reasonable factors. This affects workers in occupations where housing is part of their wages, such as agricultural or hospitality roles, ensuring the value used for calculating workers' compensation benefits reflects current local housing markets. The change focuses on the administrative process for valuing lodging, not on altering who qualifies for workers' compensation coverage.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates annual lodging value updates in workers' comp to match housing costs, preventing undercompensation for agricultural/hospitality workers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 428: Revising provisions related to workers compensation

HB 428 revises workers' compensation laws, primarily by clarifying the definition of "employer" for various entities and their workers. The bill specifies who is considered an employer for temporary workers, motor carriers, certain religious organizations, and fiscal agents making payments on behalf of workers. It also requires employers and insurers to annually submit reports detailing paid losses to help fund workers' compensation administration. Additionally, the legislation modifies the frequency of summary reports submitted by insurers and revises provisions related to medical status forms.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentClarifies employer definitions for temporary workers and mandates reporting to fund workers' comp administration, ensuring consistent coverage and system stability for worker benefits.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 94: Generally revise public sector unions law

SB 94 prohibits Montana public employers from using public funds or resources for labor organization activities, directly affecting public sector workers like teachers and school staff. It bans contributions of public money to unions or paid leave for union work, but allows unpaid time off for such activities and permits using accrued personal leave under specific conditions. The bill requires unions to cover costs for paid leave used in union activities through annual invoices to public employers and mandates reporting on time spent on union-related work. These changes aim to limit public funding for union operations while establishing clear administrative procedures.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts public funding for teacher unions, limiting their ability to advocate for educator benefits and resources, directly impacting K-12 education support.85% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentProhibits public funds for union activities, requiring unions to cover costs, weakening collective bargaining support for public sector workers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Paid Leave

Track

signed · Montana · House May 19, 2025

HB 667: Revise labor laws relating to employers and public service

HB 667 revises labor laws regarding employees who seek or hold public office. It prohibits employers from restricting employees from seeking election or appointment to city, county, or state public office, or from retaliating against them for doing so. During an employee's mandatory leave of absence for public service, employers cannot require the employee to use personal leave or benefits without their consent, nor can they require them to perform work. If an employer generally permits personal use of company devices, they cannot prohibit an employee on public service leave from using those devices for personal reasons.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits employer retaliation for seeking public office and protects mandatory leave rights without requiring personal leave use or work performance, directly advancing workers' rights under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Paid Leave Public Employees

signed · Montana · House Apr 17, 2025

HB 128: Protect volunteer emergency service providers from termination

HB 128 protects volunteer emergency service providers, such as firefighters and EMTs, from being terminated by their public or private employers. It prohibits employers from firing an employee solely for serving as a volunteer emergency provider, provided the employee notifies their employer of their volunteer status. If an employee is absent or late to work due to volunteer emergency service, they must notify their employer as soon as possible, and employers may request documentation of the emergency response. The bill clarifies that employees cannot claim regular pay for time spent on volunteer duties, and employers retain the right to determine if an employee can leave work to respond to an emergency. Employees whose employment is terminated in violation of these provisions may bring a civil action for remedies like reinstatement and back wages.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentPrevents termination for volunteer emergency service, directly protecting workers' rights under Labor & Employment protections as stated in bill summary.95% confidence

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 319: Prohibiting employer requirements for employees to attend controversial social vision training

HB 319 aimed to prohibit employers from requiring employees to attend training sessions related to "controversial social vision." The bill defined "controversial social vision" as any agenda, concept, or theory not broadly accepted in society or that generates strong opposition from mainstream political, religious, or social groups. Additionally, it sought to amend election law to prevent an elector's employer, an agent of the employer, or a union officer from being designated as an agent for a disabled elector.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits mandatory employer training on controversial topics, protecting workers' autonomy and preventing potential discrimination in workplace requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 484: Revise minimum wage laws to provide increases

HB 484 proposed to increase the state's minimum hourly wage from $6.15 to $12.06, affecting many hourly workers and their employers. The bill maintained the existing mechanism for annual cost-of-living adjustments to the minimum wage. It also retained a lower minimum wage of $4 per hour for businesses with annual gross sales of $110,000 or less. If enacted, these provisions would have become effective on July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly increases minimum wage from $6.15 to $12.06/hour, directly advancing worker compensation and aligning with core Labor & Employment protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage

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