House Bill 516 proposes the transfer of the Workers' Compensation Judge from the Department of Labor and Industry to the Judicial Branch, establishing a Workers' Compensation Court overseen by the Montana Supreme Court. The bill includes provisions for the governor to appoint the Workers' Compensation Judge for a six-year term, with qualifications similar to those of district court judges. It also creates a Workers' Compensation Court Fund, which will receive annual transfers from the Workers' Compensation Administration Fund to support the court's operations.

Additionally, the bill outlines a transition plan for current personnel, ensuring the preservation of existing rights and benefits during the transfer. It allows the current Workers' Compensation Judge to elect to remain in the public employees' retirement system until October 1, 2025, by notifying the retirement board in writing. The legislation amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated to reflect these changes, including renumbering and codifying sections related to the Workers' Compensation Judge into a new chapter in Title 3. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_1(1): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_1(2): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_1(3): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_1(4): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_1(5): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_1(6): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_1(7): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_1(8): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_1: 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_2(1): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_2(10): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_2(11): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_2(2): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_2(3): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_2(4): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_2(5): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_2(6): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_2(7): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_2(8): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_2(9): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_2: 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_X(1): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_X(10): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_X(11): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_X(12): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_X(2): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_X(3): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_X(4): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_X(5): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_X(6): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_X(7): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_X(8): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_X(9): 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201
HB0516_X: 2-15-1707, 19-5-301, 39-71-201