Sen. Laura Smith told the committee Senate Bill 208 addresses a narrow but consequential gap in Montana's public‑employee retirement statutes that can cut off survivorship benefits for an 18‑year‑old who turns 19 while still in high school.

William Hollahan, executive director of the Montana Public Employee Retirement Administration, testified the bill would amend the dependent‑child definition in three retirement systems—the Highway Patrol, Municipal Police, and Firefighter Unified Retirement System—to add "accredited secondary school" so a child remains a dependent while finishing high school. Hollahan said the systems currently treat a dependent child as under 18 or under 24 while a full‑time postsecondary student; the bill closes the disconnect when an 18‑year‑old is still enrolled in high school.

Montana Professional Firefighters, the Association of Montana Troopers, and the Montana Police Chiefs supported the bill. Carter Marsh of Montana Professional Firefighters said the change "bridges the gap" for single‑parent households in the rare event of a line‑of‑duty death; Grace Berner of the Association of Montana Troopers and Shelby DeMars of the Montana Chiefs described similar concerns and urged a due‑pass recommendation.

Committee members discussed small technical changes (for example, whether to add "diploma" language for the full‑time‑student definition); system administrators told the panel they could administer clarified language. The hearing closed without a vote.