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May 1, 2017

As the 2017 Montana Legislative Session draws to an end we will provide a final Legislative Bulletin to review the majority of the bills your association reviewed and worked on during the session.  

As your Government Relations person, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Association for allowing me to represent you all again.  I thoroughly enjoyed working with the staff and legislative committee and feel very good about the IIAM leadership and the representation of the membership.

Bill numbers are linked to the detailed information page for each bill.  View the current bill text by clicking on the links next to the Bill Draft Number. Look for the pointing finger icon:

The bills that are most significant are in "bold" and the current status is in "red".

Do you have a relationship with your legislator? Let the legislative committee and Roger know. The most important and effective representation for your agency, your clients and yourself, is one-to-one contact on a grass-roots basis.

Roger can be contacted at govrelations@iiamt.org.

House Bills


HB 24
Providing protections to vulnerable persons from financial exploitation.
Signed by the Governor and effective on passage and approval.

HB 46
Generally revising funding for civil legal aid.
Died in the Senate.

HB 73
Regulate certain air ambulance memberships as insurance.
Signed by the Governor and effective on passage and approval.

HB 123
Require certain insurance disclosures to minimize surprise bills.
This conference committee report was not adopted by the Senate and the bill may be dead.

HB 137
Generally revise securities and insurance laws pertaining to the State Auditor.
Signed by the Governor and effective 10/1/17.  The IIAM supported the Bill as amended.
 

HB 138 
Revise licensing of general insurance agent laws.
The IIAM Supported this bill as amended.  Signed by the Governor and effective on passage and approval.

HB 142 
Revise insurance law to give mental health coverage parity with physical health.
The bill passed both houses and forwarded to the governor.  Effective 2/1/2018.   

HB 144
Generally revise motor vehicle laws.
The bill passed both houses as amended and forwarded to the governor. Effective 10/1/17.

HB 145 
Adopt NAIC model legislation regarding Annuities.  
The bill passed both houses as amended and forwarded to the Governor.  Effective 2/1/2018.

HB 165 
Revise punitive damage laws. 
Died in the Senate.

HB 194
Prohibit local restrictions on electronic devices while driving.
Died in the House.

HB 216
Require bonding for wind development.
Passed both Houses and forwarded to the Governor.  Effective on passage and approval.

HB 222
Revise laws related to insurance and storm damage repairs.
Died in the House.

HB 229
Allowing worker to choose treating physician in workers' compensation cases.
Died in the House.

HB 252
Clarify provider agreement laws.
Died in the House.

HB 266 
Authorize interstate healthcare compact.
Vetoed by the Governor.

HB 291
Prohibit certain underwriting factors for private passenger insurance. 
Died in the House.

HB 342 
Revise business laws related to liability and agritourism.
Signed by the Governor and effective on passage and approval.

HB 346
Designate fiscal agent as employer for workers’ compensation insurance.
Signed by the Governor and effective on 10/1/17.

HB 356
Prohibit individual health insurance discrimination with some exceptions.
Died in the House.

HB 358
Revise workers' compensation laws pertaining to release of information.
Returned with Governor’s amendments and Senate did not agree with Governor’s amendments.

HB 380
Prohibit texting while driving.
Died in the House.                     

HB 392
Creating the family and medical leave insurance act.
Died in the House.             

HB 395
Require PSC approval of certain hospital charges.
Died in the House.         

HB 400
Require disclosure of health care prices.
Died in the Senate.

HB 427
Clarify property owner not liable for firefighter acts.

Passed the houses and signed by the Governor, effective 10/1/17.

HB 449
Revise the definition of wages in workers' compensation insurance.
Passed both houses and forwarded to the Governor effective 10/1/17.

HB 460
Allowing use of fire suppression funds for workers compensation.
Died in the House.

HB 490
Exempt certain sports coaches from unemployment, workers' comp exemption.
Died in the House. 

HB 505
Establish requirements for insurance coverage of contraceptives.
Died in the House.

HB 515
Revise insurance laws pertaining to water damage.
Died in the House. 

HB 544
Revise laws pertaining to uninsured and underinsured motorist vehicle insurance.
Died in the House. 

HB 557
Revise insurance laws pertaining to voluntary traffic safety program.
Died in the House. 

HB 581
Establish an uninsured motorist victims restitution fund.
Died in the House.

HB 598
Limit capital gains income tax credit.
Died in the House.

HB 640
Statewide sales tax, elimination of income taxes, and reduction of vehicle fees.
Died in the House.

HB 652
Provide for health care and insurance coverage laws.
Passed both Houses and will be forwarded to the Governor.  Effective on passage and approval and terminates June 30, 2023.

HB 653
Revise laws relating to service of process with the commissioner of insurance.
Passed both houses and forwarded to the Governor.  Effective 7/1/17.

HJ 20                                                                                                                               Interim study of transparency in health care pricing.
Passed both Houses and will be forwarded to the Governor.                  

HJ 39
Interim study on healthcare and health insurance costs.
Passed the House and transmitted to Senate.

HJ 43
Interim study on replacing property tax with sales tax.
Passed House and transmitted to the Senate. 
We want to make sure that premiums are exempt from any sales tax because of the premium tax.                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                        


Senate Bills
SB 44
Provide process to hold patients harmless from balance billing by air ambulance
.
Passed both houses as amended and transmitted to the Governor.  Would be effective on passage and approval.

SB 58
Prohibit the use of $0 claims for insurance policy cancellation or renewal.
Passed both houses, signed by the Governor and effective 10/1/17.

SB 72
Create presumptive illness for firefighters.
Died in House Committee.

SB 83
Volunteer Health Services Act.
Died in the House.

SB 96
Right to shop act for health care services.
Died in the House.  

SB 107 
Provide liability limits for emergency care by volunteer emergency responders.
Passed both Houses and signed by the Governor.  Effective 10/1/17.

SB 116 
Disallowing workers' compensation benefits for certain false statements.
Passed both Houses and will be forwarded to the Governor.  Would be effective 7/1/17.

SB 118
Provide for uniform act regarding fiduciary access to digital assets, providing some immunity.
Passed both Houses and will be forwarded to the Governor and would be effective 10/1/17.

SB 129 
Require insurance coverage of teledentistry.
Passed both Houses and signed by the Governor.   Effective 1/1/2018.

SB 142
Revise laws related to volunteer emergency personnel and worker's comp insurance.
Passed Houses and signed by the Governor.  Effective 10/1/17.

SB 167
Generally revise laws pertaining to insurance offenses.
Passed both Houses and will be forwarded to the Governor. 
This would be effective on passage and approval.                                        

SB 179
Revise offer of judgment laws.
Died in (H) Judiciary 3/29/17.
 

SB 184
Revise workers compensation to allow termination of payments due to fraud.
Passed both Houses sent to Governor and returned with Governor’s proposed amendments. Governor’s amendments concurred in and returned to Governor.  Would be effective on passage and approval.
 

SB 212
Revise mature defensive driving laws.
Died on the table in the House.

SB 222
Revise insurance laws relating to annuity surrender fees.
Passed both houses and will be forwarded to the Governor and would be effective 10/1/17.

SB 223
Revise insurance laws.
Died in the Senate.

SB 245
Generally, revise Montana captive insurance laws
.
Passed both Houses and signed by the Governor, effective on passage and approval.
 

SB 259
Revise laws related to admissibility of seat belt use.
Died in the Senate.

SB 273
Revise civil liability laws related to common carrier pipelines.
Died in the Senate.

SB 286
Revise laws regarding contractual right to attorney fees.
Passed both houses and will be sent to the Governor and would be effective 10/1/17.

SB 288
Referendum to revise who pays for litigation costs.
Died in the Senate.

SB 293
Revise interest payments in civil cases.

Passed both Houses and will be forwarded to the Governor and would be effective 7/1/17.
 

SB 298
Revise workers compensation relating to religious individuals and entities.

Tabled and died in (H) Business and Labor Co.

SB 340
Authorize choice for out-of-state health care insurance.

Passed both Houses and will be forwarded to the Governor and would be effective, 7/1/17.

SB 345
Provide for high deductible health insurance thru reimbursements and tax credits.
Passed both Houses and will be forwarded to the Governor and would be effective, on passage and approval.

SB 362
Requiring transparency in health care pricing.
Passed both Houses and will be forwarded to the Governor and would be have various effective dates.  

SB 369
Create a study commission on the state fund.
Died in the Senate.

SB 371
Revise workers' compensation insurance and dissolve the state fund.
Died in the Senate.

SJ 13
Joint resolution urging Congress to address air ambulance balance billing issues.
Passed both house and will be forwarded to the Governor.

SJ 27
Study Montana's workers' compensation insurance.                                                            Passed both Houses and will be forwarded to the Governor.

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