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Committee advances public-health disclosure and patient-debt bills, defeats medical-respite proposal
Summary
In executive session the House Health and Human Services Committee amended and passed HB253 and HB273 to move to the floor; HB274 failed and was tabled after debate on capacity and cost assumptions.
The House Health and Human Services Committee moved three bills through executive action after closing its hearings.
House Bill 253 (Representative Bill Mercer sponsor) — an act requiring the Department of Public Health and Human Services to disclose certain information during a public health emergency — was amended (Amendment 253.1.2) and passed out of committee. The committee recorded a final roll-call tally of 15 for and 6 against after proxies were noted; committee staff later corrected the tally to 15 for, 6 against.
House Bill 273 (Representative Ed Staffman sponsor) — which limits extraordinary collection actions related to a patient’s debt for health-care services — was amended to change the deadline from 180 days to 120 days after a health-care provider sends a first bill and to add conforming language about advanced beneficiary notices. The committee approved the amendment and then voted to pass HB273 as amended on a roll call (13 for, 8 against).
House Bill 274 (Representative Staffman sponsor) — a bill creating medical-respite care for people experiencing homelessness — drew a longer debate. Supporters said respite placements can reduce rehospitalizations and costs; opponents questioned whether many Montana communities have ready capacity and asked whether the bill understates ramp-up and operating costs. The roll call was 9 for and 12 against; the bill failed to make it out of committee. Committee members then voted to table HB274 and placed it on the table.
Votes at a glance: • HB253 (as amended): Passed out of committee, final tally 15–6 (do pass as amended). • HB273 (as amended): Passed out of committee, final tally 13–8 (do pass as amended). • HB274: Failed in committee, 9–12; committee then tabled the bill.
Procedural notes: proxies were used and recorded in the roll calls; staff announced that an updated tally for HB253 once amended was 15 for and 6 against. The committee adjourned after tabling HB274.
