Representative Keri Seekins Crowe opened the hearing on House Bill 131 saying the bill reduces maximum unemployment insurance (UI) weeks from 24 to 20 to incentivize jobseekers to accept work sooner amid a tight labor market.

"Montana's workforce shortage can be solved in part by scaling down benefit duration," the sponsor said, noting labor-market statistics cited in the hearing showing more than three job openings for every person claiming unemployment in the state. She described the average weekly UI benefit as about $445 and said the average job pays more than $1,000 a week.

Proponents included a governor's office adviser and business groups. Dylan Klapmeier, the governor's education and workforce policy advisor, said Montana's unemployment rate was historically low and the administration supported HB 131 as a policy to help fill open positions. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and the Opportunity Solutions Project testified that shorter benefit duration can speed re-employment and preserve the UI trust fund; NFIB noted Montana employers face persistent difficulty filling vacancies.

Opponents included the Montana AFL-CIO, multiple building trades and unions, the Montana Budget and Policy Center and local construction and mining representatives who warned that seasonal and industry-specific layoffs — particularly in rural areas and natural-resource sectors — make short duration especially harmful. Amanda Bridal of the Montana AFL-CIO said Montana already reduced maximum weeks in the prior session (from 28 to 24) and that further cuts could leave families without sufficient time to find comparable work: "A few additional weeks of unemployment benefits could mean the difference between a family being able to afford another month of rent or a mortgage payment or paying their utility bills," Bridal said.

Construction and trades witnesses described seasonal work patterns. Jay Reardon (Building and Construction Trades) and John Johnson (Operating Engineers) told the committee that many construction workers are laid off each winter and recalled cases where workers exhausted benefits before the spring season resumed. The Montana Budget and Policy Center presented research that cutting benefit duration generally has little effect on aggregate unemployment and can increase the likelihood that workers exhaust benefits without finding comparable employment.

Commissioner Sarah Swanson of the Department of Labor and Industry attended as an informational witness and provided data on claim durations and the industries that generate longer claims. She said most claims resolve quickly but that construction accounts for a significant share of claims exceeding the 20-week threshold. She also noted a technical review by the U.S. Department of Labor (federal conformity check) completed with no technical concerns about the bill's compatibility with federal UI rules.

The committee heard many personal accounts from unions and workers describing the financial strain of layoffs and the role of UI as a temporary safety net. The hearing closed with no committee vote recorded in the transcript.

Votes at a glance: no committee vote recorded on HB 131 in the transcript (hearing only).