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Montana bill would scrap nine routine agency reports; agencies say staff time saved
Summary
Representative Julie Darling introduced House Bill 562 to eliminate nine agency reports that state agencies and the lieutenant governor called redundant or outdated; supporters said the information remains available on request and that modest amendments were proposed to avoid gaps.
Representative Julie Darling introduced House Bill 562 to the House State Administration Committee, saying the measure would eliminate nine agency reports that agencies and legislative staff now consider redundant or out of date. "There are nine reports that they would like to eliminate from required reporting… a lot of it’s redundant," Darling told the committee and asked for a do-pass recommendation.
Agency officials who testified called the changes a form of ‘‘red tape relief.’” Chris Dorrington, the director of the Department of Transportation, said some reporting requirements were sensible when created but no longer yield useful committee discussion and consume staff time. "Over the course of time, most of those reports… really aren't either relevant or they're not relevant for the time," Dorrington said, urging technical amendments to the bill.
The Department of Public Health and Human Services also supported the bill. Rebecca Decamara, the department’s Medicaid and health services executive director, told the panel that a report tied to managed-care operation is unnecessary because Montana’s Medicaid program does not operate under a managed-care organization. "The report is unnecessary and the department requests a do pass," she said.
Lieutenant Governor Kristin Juras framed the bill as part of a broader effort to reduce duplicative requirements and said agencies would remain responsive to legislative information requests. "We are just trying to eliminate some reports that truly aren't really serving a purpose," Juras said, noting many reports are already available online.
Officials from the Department of Commerce and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation described specific items in the bill that they consider low-value. Mandy Rambo, deputy director at Commerce, said a socioeconomic report on federal land-management proposals has produced identical findings for years and that grant lists are already searchable online. Erin Weisgerber, DNRC’s deputy director, identified two DNRC items in the bill — an annual State Water Plan report (citing MCA 85 1 2 0 3 in testimony) and an annual power-generation capacity survey — and said both are rarely discussed in committee and impose repeated preparation burdens.
The committee recorded no opponents in the room or online and had no questions for several of the witnesses; Darling closed by reiterating that the data would remain available on request and that an amendment adding additional reports would be filed. The hearing was closed with a request that the committee give HB 562 a do-pass.
What’s next: Darling said an amendment listing additional reports will be filed; the committee did not take executive action on HB 562 during this session day.
