Technology

introduced · Montana · Senate Nov 19, 2024

SB 6: Establish criminal justice data warehouse priorities

SB 6 establishes specific priorities for Montana's criminal justice data warehouse project, requiring the Board of Crime Control to coordinate with the Criminal Justice Oversight Council on data collection and system improvements. Key provisions include creating a unique identifier to link data across state/local agencies while protecting privacy, acquiring software for record management, expanding local data sharing, and documenting processes by September 2026. The bill directly affects state agencies (like the Department of Justice and judiciary), local criminal justice entities, and tribal/federal partners by mandating data contributions and collaboration. It appropriates $480,000 for software, $504,243 for staff positions, and $500,000 for judiciary data contributions, with all funds allocated for the 2025-2026 biennium.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly requires privacy protections when creating data identifiers and managing criminal justice systems, aligning with data privacy policy goals under technology topics.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Data Privacy

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 364: Generally revise laws related to immunizations

HB 364 proposes to update laws concerning student immunizations and exemptions in K-12 schools. It would require school governing authorities to submit written reports on student immunization and exemption data to state and local health departments. These reports must only contain deidentified or aggregate information, ensuring student privacy. The Department of Public Health and Human Services would determine the specific form and schedule for these reports.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires school immunization data reporting for public health oversight, strengthening disease prevention efforts under healthcare policy.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRequires deidentified health data reporting to protect student privacy, aligning with tech policy data protection standards.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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died · Montana · Legislature May 22, 2025

LC 342: Generally revise laws related to DNA privacy

Based on the provided information, Bill LC 342 was intended to generally revise laws related to DNA privacy. However, the specific provisions, mechanisms, or direct impacts of the bill are not detailed in the available context, as the draft died in process and did not become law.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill addresses DNA privacy, a form of data privacy. Topic explicitly includes data privacy as a core technology policy area, making this a direct support for data protection.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Data Privacy

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died · Montana · House Feb 19, 2025

HB 510: Generally revise medicaid services

HB 510, a withdrawn 2025 Montana bill, aimed to modernize Medicaid services for clients by requiring the Department of Public Health and Human Services to: (1) accept online/phone applications and electronic documents, (2) use plain language and translate materials into Montana's five most common languages, (3) provide mobile-friendly technology for client access, (4) offer hotline callback options with wait times, and (5) submit quarterly service reports to legislators. It also mandated reopening 10 public assistance offices by 2026 based on client demand and disenrollment data, with $3 million annually allocated for implementation. The bill directly affected Montana Medicaid clients, providers, and county offices by streamlining enrollment, reducing administrative errors, and improving accessibility. It was introduced on February 14, 2025, but withdrawn just days later under House Rule H30-50(3)(b).

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareModernizes Medicaid access via digital tools, language support, and transparency - directly improves patient access to healthcare services.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates online/phone applications, mobile access, and electronic documents for Medicaid, expanding digital service access as a core requirement.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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died · Montana · Legislature May 22, 2025

LC 356: Constitutional referendum for amendment of privacy clause

LC 356 was a legislative draft that proposed a constitutional referendum. This referendum would have allowed citizens to vote on an amendment to the existing privacy clause within the state's constitution. If passed, such an amendment could have altered the constitutional rights related to privacy for all citizens. However, this draft bill died in the legislative process and was never enacted or put to a public vote.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill proposes constitutional amendment to strengthen privacy rights, directly aligning with data privacy protections under technology policy.90% confidence

Tags Civil Liberties

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 432: Generally revise utility laws

SB 432 revises Montana's utility relocation laws by clarifying definitions related to infrastructure moving costs and expanding the scope of covered services. It specifically defines "cost of relocation" to exclude engineering expenses and broadens "utility" to include water/sewer systems, cable providers, and broadband services. This bill directly affects utilities needing to relocate infrastructure (like pipes or poles) for highway projects, ensuring clearer cost calculations and broader service coverage under state law.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyExplicitly broadens 'utility' to include broadband services, ensuring infrastructure relocation costs don't hinder broadband deployment, directly supporting internet access expansion.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationClarifies utility relocation costs for highway projects, facilitating transportation infrastructure development by streamlining infrastructure moves during road construction.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Broadband Access Roads & Highways

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 494: Revise voting system auditing in election laws

SB 494 would require Montana election administrators to test new voting systems for functionality before use and after major changes like upgrades or hardware transfers. It mandates that administrators print, examine, and retain voting system audit logs and vote records for 22 months, with certain logs required to be kept permanently as public records. The bill also specifies that counties using vote-counting machines must retain these audit logs in perpetuity for public access. These changes aim to improve election transparency and verification by standardizing how voting system data is documented and preserved.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates voting system audits, log retention, and security testing to enhance election cybersecurity and data integrity, aligning with cybersecurity protection indicators.90% confidence

Tags Elections

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died · Montana · Legislature May 23, 2025

LC 3811: Prohibiting the sale of public information

This bill (LC 3811) titled "Prohibiting the sale of public information" was drafted but never advanced beyond the initial stages. It died in process on May 23, 2025, meaning it was never debated or voted on by the legislature. The bill's title suggests it aimed to prevent government entities or others from selling public records or data, but no specific provisions or affected parties were detailed in the context. As a draft that failed to move forward, no concrete policy changes were established.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill prohibits sale of public data, directly aligning with data privacy protections under Technology topic70% confidence

Sub-Topics Consumer Data Protection Data Privacy

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died · Montana · Legislature May 27, 2025

LC 1929: Generally revise criminal laws, including threats and/or cyberstalking of public officials

This bill (LC 1929) proposed updating criminal laws related to threats and cyberstalking directed at public officials. It aimed to revise specific provisions in the criminal code to strengthen protections for elected officials and government employees facing online harassment or threatening communications. The bill did not become law, as it died in committee on May 27, 2025, without advancing further. It would have directly affected public officials who experience threats or cyberstalking, potentially changing how such offenses are defined and prosecuted.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens protections for public officials against threats/cyberstalking, aligning with criminal justice reform goals of enhancing safety and accountability.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill targets cyberstalking of officials, strengthening legal protections against online harassment, enhancing cybersecurity for public figures.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Online Safety

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Mar 26, 2025

LC 2541: Generally revise Medicaid laws to improve customer service

Montana's LC 2541 bill aims to improve Medicaid service accessibility for applicants and recipients by requiring the Department of Public Health and Human Services to: (1) implement mobile-first technology for all client-facing systems by June 2026; (2) provide written materials in plain language and translate them into the state's five most common languages; (3) offer hotline callers expected wait times and callback options; and (4) report quarterly on service metrics like renewal rates and processing times. The bill also mandates reopening 10 local public assistance offices by June 2026, prioritizing counties with high call volumes, disenrollment rates due to procedural errors, and long travel distances. It includes a $3 million annual appropriation for implementation and sets a target of a 60% ex parte renewal rate (renewals processed without in-person contact) by June 2026. These changes directly affect Montana Medicaid beneficiaries, applicants, and county offices administering the program.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates Medicaid service improvements including mobile tech, multilingual materials, and wait time transparency to enhance access to healthcare services.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRequires mobile-first technology implementation for Medicaid systems by 2026, enhancing digital service accessibility and aligning with digital equity goals.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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