The Montana Senate Business and Labor Committee met Feb. 20 and took final committee action on a number of bills covering health insurance continuity, workers' compensation, occupational licensing and marijuana tax distributions. Several bills passed the committee and will move to the Senate floor; others were tabled after voice or roll‑call votes.

The committee advanced Senate Bill 449, which revises health utilization review laws, and moved multiple other measures — including a workers' compensation evidentiary amendment and a revised marijuana-tax distribution package — to the floor. The committee also tabled a handful of bills after debate or tied votes.

Why it matters: the committee's package affects how Montanans access health coverage during plan changes, the standard of proof in some workers' compensation cases, how marijuana tax revenue is distributed among counties and programs, and professional licensing rules. Several measures prompted detailed debate over budget effects, scope of state authority and competing priorities for limited revenue.

Most significant committee actions

- Senate Bill 449 (health utilization review): The committee voted to pass SB 449 as presented; the roll call recorded 8 yeas and 4 nays. The committee discussion focused on continuity of approval for enrollees changing health plans and on ensuring short medication supplies at hospital discharge.

- Senate Bill 345 (workers' compensation evidentiary standard; amendment .001): Committee members adopted an amendment that revised the evidentiary standard described in the bill. The committee then passed SB 345 (reported as unanimous in committee).

- Senate Bill 307 (marijuana tax distribution; multiple amendments): Committee consideration included multiple competing amendments that would change how marijuana tax revenue is allocated (including proposals to route funds to local law enforcement, to the Department of Public Health and Human Services for a marijuana impact report, and to preserve specified state special revenue accounts). After debating several amendments, the committee passed the bill as amended; the final roll call on the bill reported 8 yeas and 4 nays. Committee members repeatedly discussed preserving habitat and trail funds versus directing more money to mental‑health and law enforcement programs.

- Senate Bill 376 ("worker freedom" proposal): After discussion and a roll call, the committee recorded 5 yeas and 7 nays on the measure and then voted to table SB 376.

- Other bills: SB 448 was tabled by unanimous voice vote at the sponsor's request. SB 456 (professions and occupations housekeeping revisions) was passed out of committee. SB 308 (an amendment to workers' compensation wage cap language) passed the committee and will move to the Senate floor. Several other bills with amendments (including SB 240, SB 422 and SB 443) were discussed; some amendments were adopted but subsequent votes either failed or the bills were tabled and returned to committee files.

Committee discussion and concerns

Committee members repeatedly raised fiscal and implementation concerns: several members pressed sponsors and staff about whether proposed changes would increase costs statewide, asked for fiscal notes where appropriate, and discussed potential impacts on ratepayers and employers. Members also debated policy tradeoffs for marijuana tax allocations — in particular the tension between habitat/trails funding established in earlier legislation and new calls to direct more money to mental‑health services and local law enforcement. Several senators emphasized the need for accurate roll‑call tallies and clarity about numbers of proponents and opponents during hearings.

Votes at a glance (committee outcomes)

- SB 449 — Do pass (committee vote: 8 yes, 4 no). Outcome: approved by committee; moves to Senate floor.
- SB 448 — Motion to table (unanimous voice vote). Outcome: tabled in committee.
- SB 345 (and amendment .001) — Amendment adopted; SB 345 passed (unanimous voice reported). Outcome: approved by committee; moves to Senate floor.
- SB 376 — Roll call: 5 yes, 7 no; sponsor then moved to table. Outcome: tabled in committee.
- SB 456 — Do pass (voice/proxy votes reported); Outcome: approved by committee; moves to Senate floor.
- SB 307 (with multiple amendments, including .001 and .003 and a subsequent .001/.001 package) — Final committee vote: 8 yes, 4 no. Outcome: approved by committee; moves to Senate floor.
- SB 240 (as amended) — Committee recorded tied votes on later motions (6 yes, 6 no); subsequent motion to table was taken and the bill was put back in committee files. Outcome: tabled.
- SB 308 (amendment to wage cap language) — Amendment adopted; final committee vote reported 8 yes, 4 no. Outcome: approved by committee; moves to Senate floor.
- SB 422 — Amendment SB422.001.001 passed; final bill vote failed in committee (5 yes, 7 no) and was later tabled. Outcome: tabled.
- SB 443 — Amendment adopted, but final passage failed in committee (4 yes, 8 no) and the bill was tabled. Outcome: tabled.

What the committee did not decide

Several items were left with questions for sponsors or staff, or postponed pending fiscal notes. Committee members repeatedly requested clearer fiscal notes or implementation details before floor consideration on bills that could affect state revenues, insurance premiums or employer costs.

Meeting context and next steps

The committee recessed to attend the Senate floor session and indicated it would reconvene afterward to continue work on bills still pending amendments or fiscal analysis. Bills that passed out of committee will appear on the Senate calendar for further consideration; tabled measures remain in committee files for possible later action.

(Headline, lead and summaries based on the Feb. 20 committee transcript of the Montana Senate Business and Labor Committee.)