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House Health and Human Services committee advances HB253 and HB273, defeats HB274
Summary
In executive action the House Health and Human Services Committee voted to move House Bill 253 (as amended) and House Bill 273 (as amended) to the floor and voted down House Bill 274; final roll-call tallies were recorded for each vote and HB274 was later tabled.
Helena, Mont.
During executive action on Jan. 30, 2025, the Montana House Health and Human Services Committee advanced two bills to the House floor and defeated a third.
House Bill 253, sponsored by Representative Mercer, requires the Department of Public Health and Human Services to disclose certain information during a public health emergency. Vice Chair Etcher moved that HB 253 be amended with amendment 253.1.0.2; members treated the amendment as friendly to the sponsor and the committee voted to adopt it. After discussion, the committee voted on the bill as amended. Updated roll-call results recorded the final tally as 15 ayes and 6 nays. The committee moved HB 253, as amended, to the House floor with a do-pass recommendation.
House Bill 273, sponsored by Representative Staffman, limits collection actions for patient debt owed for health care services. The sponsor offered amendment 0.1.0.1 to conform certain language with federal law (notably on advance beneficiary notices) and to change a 180-day period to 120 days in the bill text. The committee adopted the amendment by voice and then took a roll-call vote on the bill as amended. The final tally recorded on the roll call was 13 ayes and 8 nays, and the committee issued a do-pass recommendation for HB 273 as amended.
House Bill 274, also sponsored by Representative Staffman, proposed authorizing medical respite care for people experiencing homelessness who need post-acute care but are not using a hospital bed. Committee members expressed disagreement about whether the state has sufficient existing facilities and whether the program would carry hidden costs. The roll-call vote on HB 274 resulted in 9 ayes and 12 nays, and the bill failed to pass the committee. Following that vote, Representative Etcher moved to table HB 274; the motion to table passed on a voice vote and the bill was placed on the committee table.
Each vote was recorded in the committee roll calls and updated tallies appear in the committee record. Committee staff indicated a fiscal note for bills that required one was requested (a fiscal note on HB 352 had been requested earlier in the day).
