Labor & Employment (Paid Leave)

introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 22, 2025

LC 2528: Establish requirement for paid sick days

This bill establishes the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, requiring employers with 10 or more employees to provide paid sick leave to their workers. Under the new law, employees earn at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, up to a maximum of 80 hours per year, with the option to carry unused leave forward to the next year. The paid leave can be used for personal illness, family medical needs, domestic violence situations, sexual assault, or preventive health care, and employers must maintain confidential records of leave requests. The Department of Labor and Industry is authorized to enforce the policy, while employers offering similar leave through collective bargaining agreements or providing more generous benefits may qualify for exceptions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates paid sick leave for workers, enabling access to healthcare during illness and protecting employee health rights.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill establishes paid sick leave requirements for employers, expanding worker benefits and protecting employee health rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Labor Standards Paid Leave

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 12, 2025

LC 1835: Creating family and medical leave act

This bill establishes Montana's Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act, creating a state-run insurance fund that provides paid leave for eligible employees and self-employed individuals to care for family members with health conditions, bond with new children, or address military family needs. The program requires contributions from covered employers and employees, with benefits contingent on sufficient fund solvency and determined by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry. Eligible workers must have earned qualifying wages and paid contributions into the fund, while the law also protects job rights and health information privacy for those using benefits. The legislation amends existing Montana code sections and includes provisions for public outreach and notifications about the new program.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes paid family and medical leave to care for family members with health conditions, improving access to healthcare support and protecting workers' health needs.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill establishes paid family and medical leave insurance, expanding worker benefits and protecting employee rights in Montana.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill includes specific provision for military family needs, providing paid leave for veterans' family care requirements75% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave Military Families

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died · Montana · Legislature May 20, 2025

LC 3001: Revising leave time for public employees who are veterans or in state active duty status

This bill revises leave policies for Montana public employees who are veterans or serving in state active duty. It requires time spent in state active duty to count toward annual and sick leave accrual, and increases sick leave for veterans with a 100% disability rating from 12 to 15 working days per year. Employees must provide VA verification to qualify for the enhanced sick leave rate. The changes directly affect public employees with military service or state active duty status, ensuring their service time is fully recognized in leave calculations.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases sick leave benefits for veterans (12→15 days) and counts state active duty toward leave accrual, expanding worker benefits for public employees with military service.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransIncreases sick leave for disabled veterans from 12 to 15 days, requiring VA verification. Directly expands benefits for veteran public employees.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave National Guard & Reserve Veteran Benefits Veteran Employment

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 325: Creating family and medical leave act

SB 325 would have created Montana's first state-run family and medical leave insurance program. It would have established an insurance fund funded by mandatory contributions from both employers and employees (and optional contributions from self-employed individuals), providing wage replacement benefits for up to 12 weeks per year for qualifying medical or family needs like childbirth, serious illness, or caring for a family member. The program would have directly affected Montana workers who paid into the fund, their employers, and self-employed individuals who opted in, with benefits contingent on fund solvency. The bill died in committee on May 23, 2025, and was never enacted into law.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentCreates state-run family leave with wage replacement benefits, expanding worker protections for medical/family needs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

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died · Montana · Legislature May 26, 2025

LC 1606: Require paid sick leave in Montana

This bill (LC 1606) proposed requiring Montana employers to provide paid sick leave to employees. It would have directly affected workers in Montana by mandating that employers offer a minimum number of paid sick days per year for health needs or other qualifying reasons. The key provision would have required businesses above a certain size to establish this benefit, though specific details like the number of days or eligibility thresholds weren't provided in the available context. The bill was drafted in 2024 but was placed on hold and ultimately died in the legislative process in May 2025, meaning it never became law.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates paid sick leave for health needs, improving access to healthcare services without income loss for employees seeking treatment.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates paid sick leave for Montana workers, expanding employee benefits and protecting health-related absences95% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

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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

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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