The Montana House of Representatives, sitting as the Committee of the Whole, advanced a large package of legislation on second reading during a floor session that included debate on water-rights exceptions, prior authorization for biologic therapies, chiropractic prescriptive authority and reimbursement for counties holding state detainees.

Why it matters: The measures considered on second reading would change procedures and state practice across several areas — streamlining some water-rights changes, altering prior-authorization protections for medical treatments, expanding professional scope of practice for some health providers, and directing different state funds for detention and behavioral-health-related holds. Passage from second reading moves the bills closer to final passage or conference action that could affect state budgets and regulatory practice.

House Bill 432 (water-rights exceptions)
Representative Darling, sponsor, said the bill is the product of a DNRC stakeholder working group and would relocate the statutory provisions on exceptions to the change-in-appropriation-right process, create two new exceptions (including for municipal water rights and for adding stock tanks), and set processing steps and due-process protections for exceptions. Debate centered on whether to retain a notification-and-objection step for changes to diversion points and stock tanks. Representative Goenauer argued removal of the notification would disenfranchise senior water-rights holders; other members, including Representative Maness and Speaker (Majority Leader) Fitzpatrick, said the bill's proximity-based limitation better protects other users and makes agricultural adjustments more nimble. The committee recorded an amendment vote (34 aye, 65 no) reported in the transcript; the amendment was ultimately recorded as failed in the floor exchange. The bill itself passed second reading (95–4).

House Bill 544 (prior authorization; retroactive denials and biologics for minors)
Representative Buttery introduced HB 544 as part of a set of bills addressing prior authorization. The bill would largely bar retroactive denials except in cases of fraud, misrepresentation, nonpayment of premium or benefit exhaustion, and it creates criteria enabling biologic therapies for patients under 18 when medically necessary and supported in the literature and peer-reviewed sources. Sponsors said families and clinicians worked on the language; the sponsor reported no committee opponents. A number of members spoke in support, including a lawmaker who described a child treated successfully with biologic therapy. The committee recorded a final vote of 85–14; HB 544 passed second reading.

House Bill 466 (MEPA categorical exclusions)
Representative Jay Fitzpatrick described HB 466 as adding a statutory definition and process for categorical exclusions under the Montana Environmental Policy Act, aligning some exclusions with federal NEPA practice, and creating narrow exemptions for certain state building program activities and historic-preservation grants. The bill passed second reading unanimously in committee (99–0).

House Bill 702 (corrections; unauthorized drones, illegal articles, assault with bodily fluids, persistent felony offender definitions)
Representative Seekins Crowe said HB 702 updates criminal code provisions: creating an offense for operating an unauthorized unmanned aerial vehicle over correctional institutions, clarifying possession/transferring of illegal articles (drugs, cell phones, tobacco) in correctional settings, increasing penalties for assault involving bodily fluids, and addressing a gap in the persistent felony offender (PFO) statute. The bill passed second reading (63–36).

House Bill 607 (hearing-loss coverage expansion)
Representative Tufts (transcript: Tuss/Tufts) presented HB 607 to expand insurance coverage for hearing loss from children-only to all ages, arguing the measure would improve access to hearing aids and reduce long-term costs associated with dementia and social isolation. Members discussed the medical evidence and fiscal impacts; the committee recorded the vote 67–32 and HB 607 passed second reading.

House Bill 643 (reimbursement for counties holding DPHHS detainees)
Representative Sharp brought HB 643 to allow state special-revenue funds to reimburse counties when Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) holds individuals in local detention because state facilities are full. The sponsor and proponents said the bill addresses county costs for high-need detainees who occupy local jail space while awaiting placement in state facilities. The bill passed second reading (recorded in the transcript as a committee tally line that appears truncated to "3 aye, 5 no" at one point in the clerk's reporting passage; the transcript also documents later passage of the bill).

House Bill 681 (subdivision and water availability coordination)
Representative Jay Fitzpatrick introduced HB 681 to add coordination between exempt groundwater (exempt wells) and subdivision review, requiring applicants using exempt wells to submit a notice of intent to DNRC prior to use, rather than after beneficial use, to provide certainty for local subdivision review. The bill passed second reading (93–6).

Other bills advanced on second reading
The Committee advanced multiple additional bills across education, public health, criminal justice and professional licensing on second reading. Notable committee outcomes recorded in the transcript include: HB 628 (early literacy targeted intervention expansion) passed second reading 74–25; HB 274 (Medicaid coverage for medical respite for people experiencing homelessness) passed second reading (clerk tally recorded 51 aye, 47 no on a later procedural blast vote that failed; the bill was referred onward by the House and the transcript shows committee action advancing HB 274); HB 500 (chiropractic prescriptive authority and Medicaid coverage changes) passed second reading 52–47 after extended debate about scope, controlled substances and fiscal note assumptions; HB 640 (airport authority public safety employees in the firefighters' retirement system) passed second reading 79–20; HB 93 (compensation for wrongfully convicted persons/exonerees) passed second reading 92–6; HB 561 (repeal of county licensing of itinerant vendors) passed second reading 95–4; HB 545/546 and other measures (including HB 576, HB 546/5-series bills) were reported as advanced in committee reports read into the record.

Votes at a glance (selected second-reading tallies reported in floor transcript)
- HB 432 (Darling) — second reading passed: 95–4; amendment on notification/objection discussed and recorded in committee proceedings (committee reported vote 34–65 on an amendment; floor exchange records amendment failed).
- HB 544 (Buttery) — second reading passed: 85–14.
- HB 466 (Jay Fitzpatrick) — second reading passed: 99–0.
- HB 702 (Seekins Crowe) — second reading passed: 63–36.
- HB 607 (Tufts) — second reading passed: 67–32.
- HB 643 (Sharp) — second reading passed (clerk's count lines present in transcript; committee passage recorded).
- HB 681 (Jay Fitzpatrick) — second reading passed: 93–6.
- HB 628 (M. Nicola Caucus) — second reading passed: 74–25.
- HB 274 (Staffman) — advanced; committee reported the bill forward for appropriations and future consideration; pilot-program fiscal material was presented in committee debate.
- HB 500 (Oblander) — second reading passed: 52–47.
- HB 640 (Thane) — second reading passed: 79–20.
- HB 93 (Seekins Crowe) — second reading passed: 92–6.
- HB 561 (Darling) — second reading passed: 95–4.
- HB 576 (Gillette) — second reading passed: 98–0 (recorded as 98–0 in the transcript lines for the bill's tally).
- HB 546 (Mercer) — second reading passed: 99–0.

Procedure, referrals and next steps
Several of the bills were re-referred to the Appropriations Committee on the floor for funding review, including HB 574 (certified community behavioral health clinics), HB 702, HB 607, HB 643, HB 681, HB 628, HB 274, HB 500, HB 585 (provider rates for therapists), HB 650 (airport authority retirement inclusion), and HB 93. The House adopted the committee report and then adjourned; the House will reconvene at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4 (as announced on the floor).

Ending note: The session record shows a mix of bipartisan and contested votes across policy areas. Some bills drew substantial debate (notably water-rights exceptions and the chiropractic prescriptive-authority measure), while others advanced with large margins. The transcript indicates next procedural steps include appropriation reviews for bills with fiscal implications and further floor consideration for bills that pass second reading.