House Bill 438 establishes a new Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals, which will oversee the licensing and regulation of athletic trainers, occupational therapy practitioners, physical therapy examiners, and speech-language pathologists and audiologists. The board will consist of 12 members, including professionals from each of these fields and a public member, with the aim of ensuring that only qualified individuals are allowed to practice in these health professions, thereby protecting public health and safety. The bill also includes provisions for the board's organizational duties and rulemaking authority.

Additionally, the bill amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to reflect the new board's authority, including the definitions of relevant terms and licensure criteria, while repealing multiple sections of existing law that pertain to the previously separate boards for these professions. This includes updates to sections 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, and 37-36-201, as well as a directive for the code commissioner to update references to the old boards in future legislation. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, and preserves rights and duties that existed prior to its enactment.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_1(1): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_1(2): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_1(3): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_1(4): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_1(5): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_1: 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_X(1): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_X(2): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_X(3): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_X(4): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_X(5): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_X(6): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_X(7): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_X(8): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_X(9): 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201
HB0438_X: 37-11-101, 37-15-102, 37-24-103, 37-36-101, 37-36-201