Committee hears bill to add public‑safety communications seat to POST Council

Representative Greg Kmetz (R‑Miles City) opened the hearing on House Bill 793, saying the measure would replace one of two Board of Crime Control seats on the Public Safety Officer Standards and Training Council with a representative from the Public Safety Communications Association.

Supporters told the House Judiciary Committee that public‑safety dispatchers (often called dispatchers) are certified by POST and constitute a significant share of those the council certifies. A representative of the Montana Police Protective Association said dispatchers account for roughly 12% of individuals certified by POST and deserve a dedicated seat. Timothy Allred, director of POST, and Brian Thompson of the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association also testified in support.

Proponents described the bill as a procedural change to guarantee permanent representation for public‑safety communications professionals on the POST Council, explaining that one seat formerly tied to the Board of Crime Control is a legacy arrangement that no longer reflects the council’s current composition or administrative attachments. No opponents were recorded in the hearing. The sponsor reserved the right to close and the committee closed the public hearing on HB 793 with no formal vote recorded in the transcript.

The measure would alter POST Council membership; the bill text and any statutory cross‑references were not specified in testimony in detail.

This hearing closed with proponents available for questions but no formal committee action recorded in the transcript.