Montana Legislative Report - Week of March 7th, 2025

This was a quiet week for insurance regulations.  Most of the bills we are tracking did not have second or third reading scheduled. 

There is a myriad number of bills on almost every topic, with  over 4,000 bills that have been proposed. 

HB 533 Involving the use of Wildfire Risk Score was referred back to the Senate Business and Labor committee. This bill could be excellent legislation to establish legal guidelines regarding the use of credit scores and how they are generated.

Some of the bills received some heated debate.  HB 755  Prohibiting ownership of real property by aliens and some foreign entities was hotly debated and failed on the third reading.   HB809 –Entitled the “Red Flag” gun law, prohibits local governments from passing “extreme risk gun laws”.  The bill generated a real debate on the constitutional issues regarding local government abilities to surpass state and federal gun laws.  The bill was passed on the third reading.

HB 642 is an ordinance creating a public nuisance for camping in prohibited areas.  That becomes an enforceable breach of the City ordinance and subjects violators to a fine.  This bill appears to be directed to the problem of Homeless people camping in public areas and disrupting the city resident’s use of the parks and sidewalks . The bill passed on the third reading.

HB290   Status-Tabled in Committee

 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT REVISING LAWS PERTAINING TO UNINSURED MOTOR5 VEHICLE LIABILITY INSURANCE TO ADD UNDERINSURED MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY INSURANCE REQUIRING THE INSURED TO ACCEPT OR REJECT UNDERINSURED MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY.

SB308  Status- In committee for third reading

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT REMOVING THE LIMITATION ON WORKERS' COMPENSATION BENEFITS TO NOT EXCEED THE STATE'S AVERAGE WEEKLY WAGE; LIMITING WORKERS' COMPENSATION BENEFITS TO NOT MORE THAN $2,885 A WEEK; AND AMENDING SECTIONS 39-7. 

SB346: Status-Tabled in Committee

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAWS;  REVISING LAWS RELATING TO WHEN BENEFITS MAY BE ORDERED AND PROVIDING EXCEPTIONS; PROVIDING THAT PAYMENT OF BENEFITS IS NOT REQUIRED WHEN THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN ACCEPTANCE OF LIABILITY; REVISING LAWS RELATING TO COMPLIANCE WITH MEDICAL  TREATMENT; AND AMENDING SECTIONS 39-71-610, 39-71-615, AND 39-71-1106, MCA.”

SB345 : Status-Scheduled for Second Reading

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAWS RELATING TO MEDICAL PROVIDERS; PROVIDING FOR AN EVIDENTIARY STANDARDS FOR MEDICAL PROVIDERS; ALLOWING FOR CERTAIN INDEPENDENT MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS BY THE INSURER;AMENDING SECTION 39-71-605, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.”

HB805 :  Status-Tabled in Committee

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAWS; REVISING WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAWS RELATING TO CLAIMS; PROHIBITING ALIENS THAT ARE UNLAWFULLY EMPLOYED FROM BEING ELIGIBLE FOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION; PROVIDING THAT AN INSURER SHALL CLOSE A CLAIM IN WHICH THE CLAIMANT FOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION BENEFITS HAS LEFT THE UNITED STATES OR CERTAIN TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED STATES WHILE A CLAIM IS BEING MADE OR ONGOING; AND AMENDING SECTIONS 39-71-118 AND 39-71-4.

Lobbying services provided by D.L. Williams