Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Appointments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate panel hears governor’s nominees for Board of Alternative Health Care; confirmation deferred
Summary
The Senate Public Health Committee heard testimony supporting four governor-appointed members to the Board of Alternative Health Care. No confirmation vote was taken; the committee will consider the appointments next week.
Senate Public Health heard testimony Friday on Senate Resolution 10, which would confirm four governor-appointed members to the Board of Alternative Health Care. Sponsor Senator Dennis Lenz of Far West Billings introduced the nominees: Allison Bonneville (Bozeman), J.C. O’Neill (Billings), Holly Simonson (Plentywood) and Brianna Weaver (Bozeman).
The governor’s office and state licensing officials told the committee the board’s composition changed in the 2023 legislative session. Hannah Slusser, speaking on behalf of the governor’s office, said the current board includes two acupuncturists, two midwives, two naturopaths, one public member and one physician whose practice includes obstetrics, and that House Bill 87 (2023) allowed the state to restagger terms so no more than three members’ terms expire in the same year. “The MCA for the board included in your packet is a little outdated,” Slusser said.
Kevin Bragg, bureau chief for professional licensing at the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, and Sarah Swanson, commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry, voiced support for confirmation. Bragg asked the committee to confirm the listed members. Swanson said Title 37 occupational licensure lives at DLI and affirmed support for the nominees.
Two nominees spoke in favor of confirmation. Allison Bonneville said she has served on the board since February 2019 and described her practice in Bozeman, noting the board “prioritizes public safety and high quality health care.” Holly Simonson, a registered nurse who said she has worked in rural Montana since 1996, said she was appointed as a public member in early 2024 and asked for confirmation to continue serving.
No opponents appeared. Senator Lenz closed by thanking proponents and said the committee would consider SR 10 next week; the committee did not take a confirmation vote during the hearing.
The committee record includes written testimony submitted by members who could not attend in person.
