The bill proposes a significant overhaul of the regulation and oversight of emergency care providers in Montana by transferring licensing authority from the Board of Medical Examiners to the Department of Labor and Industry. It revises the membership of the Board of Medical Examiners, removing the requirement for an emergency care provider to be a member and instead including a physician assistant. The bill introduces the definition of "community-integrated health care" and grants rulemaking authority to the Department of Labor and Industry to establish standards and procedures for emergency medical services. Additionally, it amends various sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to reflect these changes, including the deletion of specific references to the Board of Medical Examiners and the requirement for a screening panel.

Furthermore, the bill addresses workers' compensation by allowing employers to elect to include volunteers and certain members of their organizations as employees under the workers' compensation provisions. It specifies that employers must provide written notice to their insurers regarding the individuals to be covered and outlines guidelines for determining weekly compensation benefits. The bill also defines "volunteer emergency care provider" and establishes provisions for their coverage under workers' compensation. Overall, the bill aims to enhance the efficiency and safety of emergency medical services while ensuring proper oversight and support for emergency care providers in Montana, with an effective date set for January 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_1(1): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_1(2): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_1(3): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_1(4): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_1(5): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_1(6): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_1: 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X(1): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X(10): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X(11): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X(12): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X(13): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X(2): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X(3): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X(4): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X(5): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X(6): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X(7): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X(8): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X(9): 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502
SB0518_X: 2-15-1731, 37-1-401, 37-3-102, 37-3-203, 39-71-118, 50-6-104, 50-6-105, 50-6-201, 50-6-202, 50-6-203, 50-6-302, 50-6-323, 50-32-603, 61-2-502