MTLeg Weekly Debrief: Week of January 2-6

The Frontier Institute has identified three Key Bills and a slate of Red Tape Relief Bills for the week of January 2-6, 2023.

HB 21 increases legislative oversight over the education bureaucracy by requiring any regulations for school accreditation resulting in a “substantial” impact on school expenditures to first earn legislative approval before being implemented. This models successful policies in other states which require economic impact statements for all regulations and legislative approval for economically burdensome regulations. HB 21 follows Frontier Institute’s recommendations to increase legislative accountability in agency rule-making processes.

Current Status: House Education Committee Hearing scheduled for January 6th at 3:00PM

A bill from the Governor’s Red Tape Relief Initiative, HB 152 follows Frontier Institute’s recommendations to make the pandemic model of universal licensure recognition permanent. Among many other important reforms, HB 152 will allow workers with a professional license in another state to work in Montana for up to 21 days each year without requiring any additional licensure red tape.

Current Status: Referred to House Business and Labor Committee

HB 101 allows behavioral healthcare workers such as social workers and addiction therapists licensed in good-standing by other states to quickly bypass licensure red tape and start working in Montana. Frontier Institute has recommended that the legislature go even farther, making the pandemic model of universal licensure recognition permanent.

Current Status: House Human Services Committee Hearing scheduled for January 4th at 3:00PM

51 Bills originating from the Governor’s Red Tape Relief Initiative have already been introduced. Of these bills 23 have been scheduled for a hearing before a committee. To track the status of all of these Red Tape Relief Bills CLICK HERE.