Week 13 Legislative Update:

March 29th - April 2nd

 
Photo of Montana Capitol building.
 

Appropriations

Next week, the Senate Finance and Claims Committee will begin working on HB 2, starting at 8:00 on Monday, March 29. They expect to hold hearings Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Room 317.

The HB 632 process, which is the primary bill to appropriate $2.7 billion which is coming to the state by virtue of the American Recovery Act, has continued this week. The bill is now being considered by the full Appropriations Committee. HB 632 itself has very little detail. Most of the information about the specifics of the appropriations are in the proposed amendments, which are available here. These amendments are posted as they are drafted, so it is best to check multiple times over the weekend to be able to read the amendments before the Appropriations Committee meets on Monday the 29th, They will begin at 8:00, and expect to be addressing the DPHHS appropriations starting at 9:00 am.

Click here for the full schedule. Be sure to check it often as we have seen the schedule change with little notice.

 

Monday, March 29

At 3:00, the Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee will hear HB 329, “Establish the Students with Special Needs Equal Opportunity Act.” Click here to read this bill. It is sponsored by Rep. Sue Vinton and will be heard in room 422.

Click here for the contact information for the Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee.

Also at 3:00, the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Safety Committee will hear HB 549, “Revise state suicide reduction plans to include specific military-related data.” Click here to read this bill. It is sponsored by Rep. Kerns and will be heard in room 317.

Click here for the contact information for the Senate Public Health, Welfare, and Safety Committee.

Tuesday, March 30         

At 8:00, the House Judiciary Committee will hear HB 625 “Revise laws relating to the child and family ombudsman.” Click here to read this bill. It is sponsored by Rep. Lenz and will be heard in room 137.

Will also hear HB 658, “Revise restrictive housing laws.” Click here to read this bill. This bill would allow prison staff to assess the mental health of prisoners in solitary confinement in state prison facilities less frequently, among other things. It is sponsored by Rep. Frazer and will be heard in room 137.

Click here for the contact information for the House Judiciary Committee.

At 3:00, House Human Services will hear SB 100, “Provide for the welfare fraud prevention act.” Click here to read this bill. Sponsored by Sen. Smith, this bill requires the state to contract with a third-party vendor to manage a system to identify fraud in certain public benefits systems in Montana, including CHIP.  People receiving services will be required to reapply for services every 6 months. It will be heard in room 152.    

It will also hear SB 155, “Provide for equal access to anatomical gifts and organ transplantation.” Click here to read this bill. Sponsored by Sen. Jacobsen, this bill creates a cause of action to challenge disability discrimination in the provision of anatomical gifts and organs. It will be heard in room 152.

Click here for the contact information for the House Human Services Committee.

Wednesday, March 31

At 8:00 am, the House Judiciary Committee will hear HB 659, “Generally revise criminal laws.” Click here to read this bill. It provides for the appointment for a special master or judge to oversee the expungement process for marijuana offenses included in the recreational marijuana legalization initiative passed last November. It is sponsored by Rep. Olson and will be heard in room 137. 

Click here for the contact information for the House Judiciary Committee.

Thursday, April 1

At 9:00, the Senate Finance and Claims Committee will hear HB 233, “Revise funding for students with disabilities.” Click here to read this bill. This bill would reimburse school districts that provide education services for students with developmental disabilities who are 19 or 20 years old. It will be heard in room 317.  

Click here for the contact information for the Senate Finance and Claims Committee.

 

How to Contact Legislators During the Session

Online Messaging

Use the online messaging form to message a legislator (click button below). This is one of the quickest and most effective ways of contacting your legislator. 

Phone Call

Regular office hours during the session are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to adjournment on Saturdays. Callers may leave messages for legislators or acquire general legislative information by calling the Information Desk at (406) 444-4800. Callers may leave messages for up to 5 individual legislators or 1 legislative committee per call.

Not sure who represents you in the Montana Legislature? Click Here 

 

To listen to audio/video streaming of committee hearings, click here.

 

Stay Informed

We will be posting an electronic newsletter each Friday during the 2021 legislative session. We will give you information about upcoming budget and general bill hearings, developments for other bills we are following and action alerts when these bills are coming up for votes.  

 

If you have accessibility needs and would like to receive the newsletter in another format, please contact Disability Rights Montana at advocate@disabilityrightsmt.org or call 800-245-4743.

 

Do You Have the Assistive Technology You Need to Participate in the 2021 Legislative Session?

Do you have what you need to share your story or voice support of bills that impact the lives of Montanans with disabilities? Borrow equipment from MonTECH for 30-60 days so you'll be prepared to write, call, or testify.

MonTECH houses a wide range of equipment to help you get connected. Borrow iPads, adapted keyboards, hands-free mice, laptops, wearable speakers, headphones, webcams, voice amplifiers, or devices that allow hands-free video calls with motion tracking. Spotty or nonexistent internet? If you’re in range of a cellular tower, borrow a Jetpack Mobile Hotspot and connect up to 15 devices! MonTECH provides free shipping and return shipping anywhere in Montana, and serves any Montanan who has a disability (including learning disabilities). The program is easy to use and does not require medical verification of a disability to borrow this type of equipment. Call or write if you have questions or need help accessing our program: montech@mso.umt.edu, 1-877-243-5511. We look forward to helping ensure you are heard during the 2021 legislative session!

 
 

Protection & Advocacy Service Training

We are more than happy to provide training and workshops to others. We welcome nonprofits, clients, workplaces, and more, to reach out to us if you would like for us to present about our services, and how we can provide assistance. Call 406-449-2344 or email Advocate@DisabilityRightsMT.org.

 

"Advocating for justice is our individual and collective responsibility."

Executive Director,
Disability Rights Montana
Bernie Franks-Ongoy
406-449-2344

Advocate@DisabilityRightsMT.org

 

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