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Committee rejects tribal-focused Community Health Aid Program bill after questions over scope and funding
Summary
SB 526, a bill to establish a Community Health Aid Program (CHAP) and a special revenue account to train tribal and community health aides, failed to pass the Senate Education Committee following questions about funding scope and program detail; proponents stressed workforce development and culturally congruent care for tribal communities.
Senate Bill 526, which would create a Community Health Aid Program (CHAP) to support training of dental, mental‑health and behavioral health aide technicians in tribal and rural communities, failed to pass the Senate Education Committee after a roll‑call vote in executive session.
Sponsor Sen. Wendy Boy said the measure aims to "grow your own" health‑care workforce by establishing training and a state special revenue account to accept non‑state investments. Proponents from tribal health centers, tribal college initiatives and statewide medical organizations said the program would increase culturally congruent access to care in reservation and rural communities. Stacy Anderson (Rocky Boy Health Center), Dr. Amy Stiffarm (Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Montana), Cheyenne Rainingbird and others described shortages of local health aides and supported grant eligibility for tribal colleges.
Committee members asked detailed procedural and fiscal questions. Several senators expressed concern that the bill, as drafted, originally included a $1.5 million appropriation that had been removed and that the bill lacked concrete program details because it is intended as an initial policy and planning vehicle. Sponsor Wendy Boy described a delayed effective date intended to provide two years for tribes, tribal colleges and partners to develop curriculum and infrastructure.
After executive action, the committee record shows a roll‑call vote; the clerk announced that "Senate bill 5 26 fails to pass Senate Education." Committee members then moved to table the bill without objection, leaving the proposed CHAP program without committee approval at this time.
Proponents said the program could be an important step in addressing service deserts in tribal communities. Opponents and some committee members called for clearer funding and a more prescriptive implementation plan. The bill can be refiled or modified in future sessions if stakeholders and tribal partners produce the proposed plan.
