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HB50 • 2025

Provide protections to parents and pregnant women with substance use disorder

Provide protections to parents and pregnant women with substance use disorder

Children Healthcare
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Ron Marshall
Last action
2025-05-22
Official status
(S) Died in Standing Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Protection for Parents and Pregnant Women with Substance Use Disorder

This bill aims to provide legal protections to parents and pregnant women who have substance use disorders by amending existing laws related to drug-related arrests, prosecutions, and child welfare investigations.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law so that a person seeking medical help for someone experiencing an overdose will not face arrest or prosecution.
  • Protects pregnant women from being arrested or prosecuted if they seek treatment for substance use disorder during pregnancy.
  • Ensures that postpartum health care is protected up to 12 months after childbirth, preventing legal issues related to seeking such care.
  • Prevents a positive drug test from being the only reason to start an investigation into child abuse and neglect or to take away parental rights.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Parents with substance use disorders
  • Pregnant women who seek treatment for substance use disorder
  • Women seeking postpartum health care

Terms To Know

Substance Use Disorder
A condition where a person has problems controlling their drug or alcohol use, leading to harmful behaviors and negative effects on their life.
Good Samaritan Protections
Laws that protect people who help others in emergency situations from legal consequences if something goes wrong.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass the legislature and died in a standing committee.
  • It is unclear how this legislation would be enforced or funded.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

COMMITTEE

Plain English: Amendment 1 to HB50 adds protections for pregnant women and parents by ensuring that positive drug tests alone cannot trigger child welfare investigations or actions against parental rights.

  • Adds a new provision stating that a parent's positive drug test may not be the sole factor in starting a child abuse investigation, placing a child in protective care, initiating neglect proceedings, or terminating parental rights.
  • The amendment text does not provide details on how these protections will interact with existing laws and regulations beyond what is explicitly stated.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-22 SENATE

    (S) Died in Standing Committee

  2. 2025-03-14 SENATE

    (S) Hearing Canceled

  3. 2025-03-03 SENATE

    (S) Hearing

  4. 2025-01-17 SENATE

    (S) First Reading

  5. 2025-01-17 SENATE

    (S) Referred to Committee

  6. 2025-01-16 HOUSE

    (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading

  7. 2025-01-16 HOUSE

    (H) 3rd Reading Passed

  8. 2025-01-16 HOUSE

    (H) Transmitted to Senate

  9. 2025-01-15 HOUSE

    (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading

  10. 2025-01-15 HOUSE

    (H) 2nd Reading Passed

  11. 2025-01-13 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended

  12. 2025-01-10 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Not Passed

  13. 2025-01-10 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended

  14. 2025-01-10 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended

  15. 2025-01-08 HOUSE

    (H) Hearing

  16. 2025-01-06 HOUSE

    (H) First Reading

  17. 2024-12-20 HOUSE

    (H) Referred to Committee

  18. 2024-12-09 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester

  19. 2024-12-09 HOUSE

    (H) Introduced

  20. 2024-11-22 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Assembly

  21. 2024-11-22 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery

  22. 2024-11-21 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing

  23. 2024-11-21 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review

  24. 2024-11-20 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Legal Review

  25. 2024-11-20 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Edit

  26. 2024-11-01 HOUSE

    (LC) Drafter Assigned

Official Summary Text

Provide protections to parents and pregnant women with substance use disorder

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
- 2025
69th Legislature 2025 HB0050.2
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 50
1 HOUSE BILL NO. 50
2 INTRODUCED BY R. MARSHALL
3 BY REQUEST OF THE CHILDREN, FAMILIES, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES INTERIM COMMITTEE
4
5 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT PROVIDING PROTECTIONS TO PARENTS AND PREGNANT
6 WOMEN WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER; REVISING THE HELP SAVE LIVES FROM OVERDOSE ACT;
7 AND AMENDING SECTION 50-32-609, MCA.”
8
9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
10
11Section 1. Section 50-32-609, MCA, is amended to read:
12 "50-32-609. Good Samaritan and parental protections. (1) The provisions of 45-5-626, 45-9-102,
13 45-9-107, and 45-10-103 do not apply to:
14 (a) a person who, acting in good faith, seeks medical assistance for another person who is
15 experiencing an actual or reasonably perceived drug-related overdose if the evidence supporting an arrest,
16 charge, or prosecution was obtained as a result of the person's seeking medical assistance for another person;
17 or
18 (b) a person who experiences a drug-related overdose and is in need of medical assistance if the
19 evidence supporting an arrest, charge, or prosecution was obtained as a result of the drug-related overdose
20 and the need for medical assistance.
21 (2) The provisions of 45-9-102, 45-9-107, and 45-10-103 do not apply to:
22 (A) a pregnant woman seeking or receiving:
23 (a)(I) evaluation, treatment, or support services for a substance use disorder; or
24 (b)(II) prenatal health care; OR
25 (B)A WOMAN SEEKING POSTPARTUM HEALTH CARE UP TO 12 MONTHS AFTER THE DELIVERY OF HER CHILD.
26 (3) The provisions of 45-5-601(2)(a) do not apply to a person reporting a crime under 45-5-502 or
27 45-5-503.
28 (4) A person's pretrial release, probation, furlough, supervised release, or parole may not be
- 2025
69th Legislature 2025 HB0050.2
- 2 - Authorized Print Version – HB 50
1 revoked based on an incident for which the person would be immune from arrest, charge, or prosecution under
2 this section.
3 (5) A person's act of providing first aid or other medical assistance to a person who is experiencing
4 an actual or reasonably perceived drug-related overdose may be used as a mitigating factor in a criminal
5 prosecution for which immunity is not provided under this section.
6 (6) A parent's positive drug test may not be the sole factor used to:
7 (a) begin a child abuse and neglect investigation under Title 41, chapter 3, part 2;
8 (b) place a child in protective care pursuant to Title 41, chapter 3, part 3;
9 (c) initiate abuse and neglect proceedings as provided for in Title 41, chapter 3, part 4; or
10 (d) terminate parental rights as provided for in Title 41, chapter 3, part 6.
11 (6)(7) This section may not be construed to:
12 (a) bar the admissibility of evidence obtained in connection with the investigation and prosecution
13 of other crimes or violations committed by a person who otherwise qualified for limited immunity under this
14 section;
15 (b) limit, modify, or remove immunity from liability currently available to public entities, public
16 employees, or prosecutors or by law; or
17 (c) create a new cause of action or other source of criminal liability for a pregnant woman with a
18 substance use disorder who does not seek or receive evaluation, treatment, or support services for a substance
19 use disorder."
20 - END -