Subcommittees Review DPHHS Requests in House Bill 5, Including Security Upgrades, Roof Study and Hospital Repairs

Officials from the Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Department of Administration told joint subcommittees B and F that five projects in House Bill 5 are intended to address safety, deferred maintenance and licensure needs at state-run health care facilities.

The projects presented included a $130,000 request to finish door access controls at the Montana Mental Health Nursing Care Center in Lewistown; a $300,000 request for 36 additional security cameras at that same facility; a $1.9 million investigation and exterior-envelope repair request for the Eastern Montana Veterans Home in Glendive to identify and stop active leaks; a comprehensive mechanical-system replacement request at the Montana State Hospital; and a licensure‑related renovation request for the Spratt unit to support multiple potential future licensure types.

Why it matters: committee members and agency staff said the requests are intended to improve resident and staff safety, protect long‑term capital investments and ensure facilities meet licensure and federal expectations. Director Charlie Brereton of the Department of Public Health and Human Services told the committees the packet’s theme was “centered on our state…