Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB197: Revising workers’ compensation laws relating to when the employee is released to return to work
Status: Signed into law, April 7, 2025
What the bill says
An act revising workers' compensation laws relating to total disability benefits; providing guidelines in which temporary total disability benefits are terminated when a claimant is released to full duty prior to or on reaching maximum medical improvement; providing that the benefits may be terminated as of the date that a worker returned to full duty; amending section 39-71-609, mca; and providing an effective date.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT REVISING WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAWS RELATING TO TOTAL DISABILITY BENEFITS; PROVIDING GUIDELINES IN WHICH TEMPORARY TOTAL DISABILITY BENEFITS ARE TERMINATED WHEN A CLAIMANT IS RELEASED TO FULL DUTY PRIOR TO OR ON REACHING MAXIMUM MEDICAL IMPROVEMENT; PROVIDING THAT THE BENEFITS MAY BE TERMINATED AS OF THE DATE THAT A WORKER RETURNED TO FULL DUTY; AMENDING SECTION 39-71-609, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Section 1. Section 39-71-609, MCA, is amended to read: "39-71-609. Denial of claim after payments made or termination of all benefits or reduction to partial benefits by insurer -- 14-day notice required -- criteria for conversion of benefits -- claimant released to full duty. (1) Except as provided in subsection subsections (2) and (3), if an insurer determines to deny a claim on which payments have been made under 39-71-608 during a time of further investigation or, after a claim has been accepted, terminates all biweekly compensation benefits, it may do so only after 14 days' written notice to the claimant, the claimant's authorized representative, if any, and the department. For injuries occurring prior to July 1, 1987, an insurer shall give 14 days' written notice to the claimant before reducing benefits from total to partial. However, if an insurer has knowledge that a claimant has returned to work, compensation benefits may be terminated as of …
Sponsors
- Nicastro, Anthony (R, 50) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Chapter Number Assigned
- : (H) Signed by Governor
- : (H) Transmitted to Governor
- : (S) Signed by President
- : (H) Signed by Speaker
- : (H) Returned from Enrolling
- : (H) Sent to Enrolling
- : (H) 3rd Reading Senate Amendments
- : (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- : (H) 2nd Reading Senate Amendments
Votes
- Do Concur (March 20, 2025): 59 yea, 39 nay, passed
- Do Concur (March 19, 2025): 60 yea, 39 nay, passed
- Do Concur (March 17, 2025): 35 yea, 14 nay, passed
- Do Concur (March 15, 2025): 47 yea, 3 nay, passed
- Do Pass (January 30, 2025): 58 yea, 42 nay, passed
- Do Pass (January 29, 2025): 58 yea, 42 nay, passed
Subjects: Workers' Compensation
Common questions
- What is HB197?
- HB197 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Revising workers’ compensation laws relating to when the employee is released to return to work.
- What does HB197 do?
- In its own words: An act revising workers' compensation laws relating to total disability benefits; providing guidelines in which temporary total disability benefits are terminated when a claimant is released to full duty prior to or on reaching maximum medical improvement; providing that the benefits may be terminated as of the date that a worker returned to full duty; amending section 39-71-609, mca; and providing an effective date.
- What is the status of HB197?
- Signed into law as of April 7, 2025. Latest action: Chapter Number Assigned (April 7, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB197?
- Nicastro, Anthony (R, 50).
- Where is the official record for HB197?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2254
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.