Montana State Legislature

CFHHS Proposed Legislation

Throughout the interim, the Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Committee considered bill drafts related to its ongoing studies and also to other health and human services matters under its jurisdiction. Following is a list of legislation approved by the committee for introduction in the 2011 Legislature, by topic.

The bills can be followed to determine their status at any point in the process by using the LC number listed below in the Legislature's bill-tracking system.

SJR 35 Study of Health Care

• LC 283: Provide monitoring of childhood body mass index trends
  -- August version
• LC 297: Allow dental hygienists to conduct school-based sealant programs 
  -- August version

Medical Marijuana

• LC 284: Revise Medical Marijuana Act and create regulatory structure 
  -- August version
• LC 295: Clarify that the Clean Indoor Air Act applies to the smoking of medical marijuana 
  -- August version
• LC 296: Clarify employer rights related to employee use of medical marijuana
  -- August version

DPHHS Oversight

• LC 46: Clarify the commitment laws for people with developmental disabilities
  -- August version
• LC 65: Clarify that mental health diversion grants are based on admissions to the Montana State Hospital 
  -- April version
• LC 293: Amend the DPHHS administrative rule reducing Medicaid reimbursement rates for physicians

At its August 2010 meeting, the committee canceled LC 92, to revise physician licensing requirements, and LC 93, to clarify the formula for awarding mental health diversion grants. The parties originally proposing those bills were no longer interested in pursuing them as committee legislation.

Agency Legislation

Interim committees also authorize the drafting and pre-introduction of agency legislation in order to allow work on the bills to begin in the fall of 2010. The authorization is not an endorsement of the content of the bills, and the agency is responsible for finding a legislator to sponsor each bill. The committee authorized the drafting of the following bills for the Department of Public Health and Human Services.

• LC 285: Revise Medicaid eligibility criteria to implement federal health care reform
  -- DPHHS Summary
• LC 286: Remove funding restrictions for tobacco tax, tobacco settlement, and HMK funds
  -- DPHHS Summary
• LC 287: Revise laws on CHIP, HMK, and children's Medicaid to remove conflicts
  -- DPHHS Summary
• LC 288: Provide parole for individuals sentenced to custody of DPHHS
  -- DPHHS Summary
• LC 289: Revise special education age eligibility for state-operated health care facilities
  -- DPHHS Summary
• LC 290: Allow direct commitment to a federal mental health facility
  -- DPHHS Summary
• LC 291: Revise membership of Provider Rates Commission
  -- DPHHS Summary
• LC 292: Allow for expedited relative notification in foster care cases
  -- DPHHS Summary
• LC 294: Create system for reporting hospital and emergency discharge data
  -- DPHHS Summary