Montana State Legislature

2015-2016 Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Interim Committee

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The 2015-2016 committee's final report, "Wide Scope, Singular Focus," summarizes the activities the committee undertook as it carried out its three assigned studies and its oversight duties.

To see all the materials prepared for the committee's studies, please click on the following links for the:

   

  • REPRESENTATIVE RON EHLI (R)--Chair    

 

  • REPRESENTATIVE JESSICA KARJALA (D)

  

  • REPRESENTATIVE ALBERT OLSZEWSKI (R)

  

  • REPRESENTATIVE GORDON PIERSON (D)

     

  • SENATOR MARY CAFERRO (D)--Vice Chair

   

  • SENATOR FREDERICK ( ERIC ) MOORE (R)

    

  • SENATOR DIANE SANDS (D)

     

  • SENATOR ROGER WEBB (R)

  

     

   
 

    
 

     
 

  

The Children and Families Committee is responsible by law for carrying out interim studies and monitoring the activities of the Department of Public Health and Human Services. Senate Bill 423 in 2011 also gave the committee the responsibility of monitoring implementation of the Montana Marijuana Act, which replaced the former Montana Medical Marijuana Act.

Committee members decided in September 2015 to have only a minimal level of involvement in monitoring activities stemming from the passage this year of Senate Bill 405, to expand Medicaid to childless, nondisabled adults, and Senate Bill 411, requiring closure of the Montana Developmental Center. Two executive-branch committees made up of legislative and gubernatorial appointees and under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Health and Human Services will be working on activities related to those two bills. The Children and Families Committee decided that those two committees could handle most oversight duties.

The committee's adopted work plan for the interim details how it will be carrying out its assigned studies and other duties.

Assigned Studies
Oversight Responsibilities

Proposed Legislation

The committee proposed seven bills as a result of its work during the 2015-2016 interim. Committee-proposed legislation is listed below by topic, followed by DPHHS-requested legislation.

The official drafting (LC) number assigned to the approved bill drafts is listed in parentheses behind the subject of the bill. The bill's progress through the legislative process may be followed using the official LC number in the online bill-tracking system.

Committee Legislation

Following is a list of bills the committee agreed to introduce in the 2017 Legislature, by topic area.

SJR 22 Study: Guardianship/Alzheimer's Disease

  • LCCF02: Financial Protections for Vulnerable Adults (LC 278)
  • LCCF7b: WINGS Group and Grant Program (LC 281)
  • LCCF4a: Funding for Area Agencies on Aging (LC 279)
  • LCCF5a: Grant Program for Respite Care (LC 172)
  • LCCF6a: Funding for Increased HCBS Waiver Slots and Reimbursement Rates (LC 280)

SB 418 Study: Legislative Mental Health Investments

  • LCCF12: Medicaid Coverage of Drug Therapy Management (LC 170)

Agency Oversight: Department of Public Health and Human Services

  • LCCF11: Eliminating Certain DPHHS Advisory Councils and Reports (LC 171)

The committee considered but decided against introducing the following bills:

  • LCCF3a: Statewide Alzheimer's Facilitator
  • LCCF8a: Requiring Guardians to Report Suspected Financial Abuse

Agency Legislation

The committee approved the following Department of Public Health and Human Services proposals for early drafting and preintroduction in the 2017 Legislature:

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