Labor & Employment (Workers' Compensation)

introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 10, 2025

LC 664: Revising laws related to workers' compensation definition of wages

This bill updates Montana's workers' compensation laws to clarify how wages are defined, particularly regarding lodging and housing benefits. It requires the Department of Labor and Industry to annually revise administrative rules that set monetary values for lodging and housing when calculating wage equivalents for compensation purposes. The legislation also clarifies which income sources count as wages for benefits calculations and which expenses are excluded, such as retirement contributions and employee reimbursements. Additionally, it establishes specific methods for calculating average wages when employees have multiple jobs or work for less than four pay periods before an injury occurs.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill clarifies and updates workers' compensation wage definitions, protecting worker benefits and ensuring fair compensation calculations for injured employees.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Workers' Compensation

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 15, 2025

LC 2784: Revise laws regarding receipt of workers' compensation benefits on behalf of others

This bill updates Montana workers' compensation laws to allow a court-appointed benefits custodian to receive payments on behalf of minors or individuals declared incompetent. It authorizes workers' compensation judges to appoint these custodians without requiring prior dispute resolution steps, ensuring vulnerable individuals can access their benefits through a designated representative. The legislation also clarifies that payments for highway patrol salary benefits must go directly to the department of justice until the member is no longer eligible. These changes aim to streamline the payment process for those unable to manage their own benefits while maintaining oversight through judicial appointment.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill strengthens workers' compensation protections for vulnerable individuals by allowing court-appointed custodians to receive benefits on behalf of minors or incompetent persons, ensuring they can access their earned benefits.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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signed · Montana · Senate Apr 17, 2025

SB 338: Revise workers' compensation insurance related to who may receive payments

SB 338 authorizes a "benefits administrator" to receive workers' compensation payments on behalf of minor children or individuals deemed incompetent. This expands the list of parties who can receive such payments, which previously included parents, guardians, or conservators. The bill grants the workers' compensation judge the authority to appoint and terminate these benefits administrators. Parties can petition the judge for this appointment without needing to satisfy other dispute resolution requirements first.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands eligibility for workers' comp benefits to include appointed administrators for minors/incompetent individuals, strengthening access to compensation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Child Labor Workers' Compensation

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 805: Generally revise workers' compensation laws

HB 805 aims to revise existing workers' compensation laws. The bill would make individuals who are unlawfully employed aliens ineligible to receive workers' compensation benefits. Additionally, it mandates that an insurer must close a workers' compensation claim if the claimant leaves the United States or certain territories while their claim is active. These changes directly affect individuals applying for workers' compensation and the insurers responsible for processing claims.

Topics ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationDenies workers' comp benefits to unlawfully employed aliens, restricting access to state services based on immigration status per bill's explicit language.95% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentRestricts workers' compensation eligibility for unlawfully employed aliens and claimants leaving the US, directly limiting access to benefits under labor protections.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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signed · Montana · House Apr 7, 2025

HB 197: Revising workers’ compensation laws relating to when the employee is released to return to work

HB 197 revises Montana's workers' compensation law to change when temporary disability payments end for injured workers. It directly affects employees receiving temporary total disability benefits who are cleared by a doctor to return to full work duties. The bill specifies that benefits must terminate on the exact date a worker is released for full duty - rather than continuing until medical treatment concludes (maximum medical improvement) - if the worker is cleared before or at that point. This change, effective immediately upon the governor's signature on April 7, 2025, streamlines benefit termination while requiring physician documentation of medical stability and job suitability before any benefit change.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentTerminates temporary disability benefits on doctor's release date instead of until full recovery, reducing duration of worker compensation protections.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

signed · Montana · House Apr 17, 2025

HB 143: Revise definition of treating physician to include physician assistants without regard to proximity of other providers

HB 143 revises the definition of "treating physician" within the state's Workers' Compensation Act. This bill expands the definition to explicitly include physician assistants (PAs). A key provision is the removal of any requirement for PAs to be in proximity to other medical providers to qualify as a treating physician for these purposes. This change affects how workers' compensation claims are managed and potentially broadens the types of healthcare providers recognized for injured workers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands recognition of physician assistants as treating providers in workers' compensation, removing proximity barriers to improve access to healthcare services for injured workers.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands workers' compensation access by including PAs as treating physicians without proximity restrictions, strengthening injured workers' benefit access under Labor & Employment.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 552: Revise worker's compensation law to cover PTSD for first responders and others

HB 552 revises Montana's workers' compensation laws to include coverage for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This bill directly affects first responders, such as firefighters, law enforcement officers, dispatchers, and employees of county detention centers or prisons. For a claim to be compensable, the PTSD must be diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and be caused by events arising out of their employment, excluding personnel-related actions. This creates an exception for first responders' PTSD claims within the state's existing policy that generally excludes stress claims from workers' compensation.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands workers' compensation to cover PTSD for first responders, strengthening mental health protections and benefits under labor laws.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 367: Revise workers' compensation laws relating to travel and reimbursement

HB 367 revises Montana's workers' compensation laws, specifically clarifying coverage for employees injured while traveling for work. The bill states that an employer furnishing transportation or reimbursing travel expenses is not the sole factor in determining workers' compensation coverage during travel. Instead, an employee is covered if the travel is necessitated by and on behalf of the employer as an integral part of employment, or if the travel is required by the employer as part of job duties. It also clarifies that certain incentive payments are not considered travel reimbursements for coverage purposes.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentClarifies workers' comp coverage for work travel, ensuring employees are protected regardless of employer reimbursement practices, strengthening coverage for workplace injuries.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 202: Revise laws regarding receipt of workers' compensation benefits on behalf of others

This bill creates a formal process for appointing a "benefits custodian" to manage workers' compensation payments for minors under 18 or adults legally declared unable to manage their own affairs. It allows any party (like a claimant or insurer) to petition a workers' compensation judge directly for this appointment, without needing to first resolve other payment disputes. The judge would then oversee how benefits are received and distributed on behalf of these vulnerable individuals. This amendment clarifies and expands existing Montana law to ensure proper handling of payments for those who cannot manage them themselves.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFormalizes process to ensure vulnerable workers (minors/incapacitated adults) receive compensation without payment disputes blocking access, strengthening benefit protection.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 295: Restoring the right for injured worker to choose their own doctor.

SB 295 would restore Montana injured workers' right to choose their own treating physician for initial treatment and ongoing care under workers' compensation, without being forced to use a managed care organization (MCO) or preferred provider organization (PPO) without consent. The bill requires insurers to allow workers to select a physician from a designated list for initial treatment and to change physicians with the insurer's approval (with mediation available if approval is denied). It also mandates that insurers provide individual written notice (not workplace postings) before referring workers to an MCO or PPO. This directly affects injured workers seeking medical treatment for work-related injuries in Montana, giving them more control over their healthcare decisions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRestores injured workers' right to choose treating physician, improving healthcare access without insurer-imposed MCO/PPO restrictions.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRestores injured workers' right to choose physicians under workers' comp, protecting healthcare access and advancing labor rights without forced MCO/PPO use.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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