[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6097825,"mediaKeyId","2826417-fe48cab7886a1ed0d57850e99da43507","parentId",2826417,"title","Senate bill would limit automatic deference to treating physicians and reimburse travel costs for independent medical exams","audioSeconds",3660,"startMs",7216000,"endMs",10876000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826417-fe48cab7886a1ed0d57850e99da43507&start=7216&end=10876","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826417-fe48cab7886a1ed0d57850e99da43507/thumbnail_7216000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6097825/Montana/Senate-bill-would-limit-automatic-deference-to-treating-physicians-and-reimburse-travel-costs-for-independent-medical-exams","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097825-ff10d0e0de5f11beb4250cb19af8a836/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155297&Signature=l7Rm0-61mbB73~hX6JU42oaF-CAguuAWD3PuM57tZlRM~qNPTBP7bmQRpw2uBwJ-A8o-BXi4xrUEZRoXnUFwVxz-r-bvdgg1COaiKw35HRwu~ttPG09xhj-XlTOXPR6FFLjIJZm~SB-nEbcBJU6yXpUN9F9dSoGerC8KsXueI9PPRE20OSdGp1f8IYT~qPby~TBfjOSUom9F7yYLpE78BpS9Qo-4WKqPRU3R0F8IJHwcj7bq5ZCjBCdMy1jwlhAn8a~EK5l1s1oJaU52K2YjqEeHx6K8~7vcOgv7dZYimsA8esGUkzjh3twwbPP7ziCdUTDwpfKUHdyjoB9RlX~tNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana Legislature","date","2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","article","Senator Greg Hertz, sponsor of Senate Bill 345, told the House Business and Labor Committee the bill would require the workers' compensation court to evaluate medical opinions based on all relevant facts — providers' education, experience, specialization and credibility — rather than applying an automatic deference to treating physicians.

\"The bill requires the court to actually perform a thoughtful analysis of qualifications, credibility of medical providers rather than applying a rule indiscriminately,\" Senator Greg Hertz said.

Nut graf: Proponents including self‑insured employers, the state fund and business groups urged the change as a modernization aligning Montana with other jurisdictions and to reduce overreliance on a single medical opinion. Opponents — trial lawyers, injured workers and labor groups — said the change would tip the balance toward insurers, reduce injured workers’ protections, limit discovery into IME physician relationships and make it easier to require injured workers to travel long distances for IMEs.

Supporters argued the bill is narrowly tailored: it would still allow courts to consider a treating provider’s time with and knowledge of a patient but would also weigh training, specialization and experience. The bill also narrows discovery about IME doctors — proponents said discovery should focus on relevant work and prior testimony rather than unrelated personal finances — and adds explicit reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred to attend an IME (travel, lodging, meals, childcare, pet care and lost wages in certain circumstances).

Opponents said Montana’s longstanding treating‑physician rule gives a tie‑breaking advantage to a provider who has ongoing clinical familiarity with an injured worker, and that the bill would remove an important claimant protection. Several injured workers testified about difficulty obtaining needed care, the burden of out‑of‑state IMEs and cases where IME reports conflicted with treating providers’ recommendations. Opponents also questioned limiting discovery about IME practice patterns and the potential for insurers to schedule IMEs far from the claimant’s home; they noted existing statutory safeguards and recent workers'‑comp court decisions that enforce a \"as close as practicable\" standard for IMEs.

Agency counsel from the Department of Labor and Industry attended as an informational witness. The sponsor closed by saying he would work with both proponents and opponents on technical changes if the bill moves forward. The committee did not record a final vote on the measure in the session covered by the transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Business and Labor Monday, Mar 31, 2025 08:55 - 12:18","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 345 would require workers' compensation courts to weigh medical opinions based on multiple factors rather than giving automatic deference to treating providers, and would require insurers to reimburse reasonable travel and ancillary costs for independent medical examinations (IMEs).","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MT, Montana","taxId",77694,"location","Montana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097829,"Bill would create a summer lottery dedicated to property tax relief",512,3972000,4484000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826417-fe48cab7886a1ed0d57850e99da43507&start=3972&end=4484","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826417-fe48cab7886a1ed0d57850e99da43507/thumbnail_3972000.jpg","/articles/6097829/Montana/Bill-would-create-a-summer-lottery-dedicated-to-property-tax-relief","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097829-baf6c47235f26c1e5de55c127684c520/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155297&Signature=Fz-bCy289uz5xpQgEuTGOtfGsPRtNN5ic-BhpZTGa92eHr843JYQMyB2zzmlFzeBj0x2t8uDU2N5Led1-5mLnMHHg1n-qZIiLluxtnGZAvmKvBo324EMR17xp-vWWzIUOWzJc3PNJFvHaqIxJUSLdNjonNcl~EIAPURF~c7Xg3lFZrQ0tyjXD3qXd6GtCqNfFxJcrWu3dmjFo3iw3mUTsHBaFblKTFyQarN4WNRpz0GxwhS5Pk2mptzsBBijE-IS8Vftw1BFlqUyA~4qjdVrAi1h3LLiJG2xpMi5hHEqemCM2ZwpPTs3l9X~OZsmM3EdDJ25~KHah-HHkPCXYOqjAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Zollenkoff introduced House Bill 893 to create a new Montana Lottery game (described in testimony as the \"Summertime Millionaire\") with proceeds directed to property tax relief programs established through other legislation.

Nut graf: Sponsor framed the bill as a revenue‑neutral option to deliver additional property tax assistance: the new game would run alongside existing lottery games, and net proceeds, after prizes and commission costs, would be deposited into a property‑tax relief account referenced in Senate Bill 90.

Testimony during the hearing was limited. Committee members asked procedural questions about timing (the sponsor said the drawing would be held on July 4 and another in December), whether the Lottery Commission had been consulted (the sponsor said the commission had not been present and took that as neutral), and how proceeds would flow into the tax‑relief account. Representative Zollenkoff said the bill includes coordination language that references Senate Bill 90 for distribution formulas and that the lottery commission's costs and prizes would be covered before deposits to the account.

The hearing record included no proponents or opponents in the room; the sponsor closed by urging a do‑pass recommendation. No committee action was taken during the recorded session.","House Bill 893 would create a new summer lottery drawing whose proceeds would be directed to property tax relief, coordinated with provisions in Senate Bill 90.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097834,"Committee hears bill to raise and restructure licensing fees for food, lodging and pools",1332,2597000,3929000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826417-fe48cab7886a1ed0d57850e99da43507&start=2597&end=3929","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826417-fe48cab7886a1ed0d57850e99da43507/thumbnail_2597000.jpg","/articles/6097834/Montana/Committee-hears-bill-to-raise-and-restructure-licensing-fees-for-food-lodging-and-pools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097834-3e0a89e79468b03696b22f2c3ea4d41c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155297&Signature=WQKqacIhmXA1kEt2C4r7rgXFmzhcziGfVQUiURiAV5TZFPbYzUaDfQRPKhCJjuakjOMfmszW6viGscv34WXJVh4k6nXXNnHAyugSQYBXVePVTjQUsYSOG2nEmZNoaRKe~PIVTgeLvkIL88R1JPel1RQLLdVuLZl3xyrNVTrM0VzcBvrk2Bgbxplu0ZuaKJL1o4rHg9c-duo4ubSpVL6e3SB3UKBbTgzWsMt7Iq2VakarrXH0vGrHIx0UNEauEQYQmaetIPXRztvNNAqs-rvcRRokg~~w9ZKc1y7BMeK-f~mbLDX58ZRUJD3Q~lKvmcY4CNdyrVNc4sbM2YFDMdMQuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative George Nikolicakos presented House Bill 853 to the House Business and Labor Committee as a targeted adjustment to licensing fees that have not been updated for about 15 years. The sponsor said the bill would add categories (for example, a medium food‑service tier and a mobile food category) and require hotels that serve food to obtain a retail food license.

Nut graf: Public health officials and business representatives said the change would rebalance who pays for environmental‑health programs so that roughly half the program cost is covered by license fees and the remainder by local taxes, rather than the current arrangement in which an estimated 75% of program costs are borne by property taxes.

Brad Griffin of the Montana Restaurant Association and Gina Miller, health officer for Missoula Public Health, both described extensive stakeholder work during the interim and data collection from counties; Miller said 37 counties representing 88% of Montana’s population responded to a survey. The bill adds more nuanced fee categories (for mobile food trucks, medium food establishments, seasonal vs. year‑round pools) and preserves that 90% of the collected fee revenue would be returned to the local health departments to fund inspections and environmental health functions.

Local health officers and county commissioners offered proponent testimony: Laurie Christianson (Gallatin County health officer) and Joe Briggs (Cascade County commissioner and chairman of the Cascade City‑County Board of Health) told the committee the fee changes would support local environmental health operations without increasing inspection frequency or adding new regulatory programs.

Tom Jacobson, a restaurant operator, told the committee the tiered structure would be fairer for small businesses. Several small business owners joining online testimony echoed that sentiment.

Stacy Evangeline of the Department of Public Health and Human Services appeared as an informational witness to explain how license fees are collected and reimbursed to counties. Committee members asked for clarification that the bill would preempt duplicative local licensing fees; the department and sponsor confirmed the bill preempts duplicate local fees for the same license but local jurisdictions may still charge nonduplicative fees such as temporary‑food permits or plan‑review fees.

Representative Nikolicakos closed by asking the committee to pass the bill; the hearing was closed without a committee vote recorded in the transcript.","House Bill 853 would increase and reclassify licensing fees for food establishments, public accommodations, camps and pools to shift some program costs from property taxpayers to users and establishments.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097839,"House bill would create Montana Mobile Home Emergency Relocation Fund to help displaced residents",2278,268000,2546000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826417-fe48cab7886a1ed0d57850e99da43507&start=268&end=2546","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826417-fe48cab7886a1ed0d57850e99da43507/thumbnail_268000.jpg","/articles/6097839/Montana/House-bill-would-create-Montana-Mobile-Home-Emergency-Relocation-Fund-to-help-displaced-residents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097839-126fdb88f39fc62c2433eee93eb7fac0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155297&Signature=GCk3MJ9f0AUTCTi7p6gbrcO4DpfuMNE7mxCLsDKpJuhJpWrD2ao9FkG30AVcyS8PtF5F-hmfeR2IMCqFVV5~ewFBS3qjSpMtzdD6-ukbQNSszGU7DLXJ~FN-didJAmqd46~mwvYX2pDi1wuIdWRh4vT-1p9EqzU25Q7x18701d-3L0APTgsLFglP59ttrTh5oAtuEUiF5-NqvUvGXelppfR0-1KIY6W3meQdYcqX6qonO4ndVIs6lRdQTCnxw7merhR6S5QGc5MnepJalRzJNB6mQseyHOcSLGZnzjpXYX~tgdphswwTcSkhJt1k1ZQ6YHq6Ic5AQHl46tDsB5BegA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative George Nikolicakos, sponsor of House Bill 873, told the House Business and Labor Committee the bill would create a Montana Mobile Home Emergency Relocation Fund to help owners of manufactured homes displaced when parks close or are redeveloped.

\"HB 873 does a few basic things,\" Representative George Nikolicakos said, including a one‑time appropriation of $500,000 and an option for eligible residents to receive a $10,000 moving stipend or half that amount as a displacement payment if they abandon the home.

Nut graf: Supporters told the committee manufactured‑housing communities serve as a last affordable rung for many Montanans — especially seniors, low‑income households and people with disabilities — and that redevelopment or park closures often leave residents with few relocation options and heavy costs.

Jake Brown of Shelter Whitefish, which advocates on housing issues, said the bill \"creates a strategic tool to help lend some stability and some resources to Montanans who own their mobile home but are being forced to move.\" Danielle Maiden, Cooperative Housing Director at NeighborWorks Montana, described a recent Spring Creek Mobile Home Park closure in Kalispell where local fundraising and a one‑time relief fund moved 26 of 27 households into temporary or stable housing.

Representative Nikolicakos outlined how the bill would be financed: a $500,000 one‑time appropriation plus annual revenue from modest increases in mobile‑home license fees and a small per‑home assessment he said would typically range \"between a $3 to $7 annual fee on the home.\" He told the committee his Department of Revenue runs estimate models indicating the fee structure should generate roughly $125,000–$150,000 per year and that the sponsor’s one‑time money plus these fees could yield roughly $1 million over the bill’s four‑year life, which includes a sunset and evaluation provision.

The bill would allow the Department of Commerce to administer the fund, make rules, and contract with nonprofits to deliver services; the sponsor noted a 10% administrative contracting fee provision intended to let nonprofits implement the program and reduce the department's full‑time‑employee need.

Committee members questioned implementation details, including how the fund’s automatic stop/start collection triggers would work, how long it would take to reach the targeted capitalization, and what kinds of relocation expenses the stipends would cover. Representative Nikolicakos said the statute would leave some specifics to department rulemaking and that he expects to work with stakeholders on modest amendments.

There was broad proponent testimony from nonprofit housing groups, local governments (City of Bozeman, City of Missoula), the Montana Landlords Association and NeighborWorks Montana. Adam Paschel of NeighborWorks, who worked directly on Spring Creek relocations, told the committee that most relocated households moved into rentals or purchased other housing and that only a small number of older homes could actually be moved.

Cheryl Cohen, Housing Division Administrator at the Department of Commerce, appeared as an informational witness to answer implementation questions.

The committee closed the hearing on HB 873 and did not take final action during the session recorded in the transcript.","A bill before the House Business and Labor Committee would create a one‑time $500,000 fund and an ongoing small assessment to help owners of manufactured homes pay moving or displacement stipends when parks close or redevelop.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate bill would limit automatic deference to treating physicians and reimburse travel costs for independent medical exams

Bill would create a summer lottery dedicated to property tax relief

Committee hears bill to raise and restructure licensing fees for food, lodging and pools

House bill would create Montana Mobile Home Emergency Relocation Fund to help displaced residents