Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateMontanaIntroduced
HB 850: Provide licensing and regulation of community health workers
Ed Buttrey
HB 850 status: Introduced — (H) Veto Override (updated Jun 27, 2025).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
63OUT OF 100
Score:63/100 civic fit
Risk:Moderate Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 60/100
Constitutionality95%
Bipartisan50%
Public opinion70%
Bill summary
What changes
HB 850 creates a new state-level licensing and regulation framework for community health workers.
Who is affected
Community health workers, their employers (health networks and NGOs), and the patients receiving community-based health support.
Requirements and enforcement
The bill establishes standardized training and regulatory compliance rules for practitioners to be licensed.
Costs and funding
Potential costs include licensing fees, training expenses for workers, and regulatory administration costs for the state.
When it takes effect
Pending legislative action as of the latest status (Veto Override).
Potential benefits
Provides a formal professional standard, potentially increasing service reliability and quality of care for community health clients.
Risks and tradeoffs
Risk of creating barriers to entry for existing workers and increasing administrative burden on community health organizations.
What is still unknown
Exact educational requirements, grandfathering provisions for current workers, and the specific impact on voluntary/informal community health support models.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
Mixed / Neutral
55%
Benefits
- Professionalization of the health workforce
- Standardized training expectations
- Formal credentialing paths
Risks
- Potential compliance costs for employers
- Barriers to entry for current practitioners
- Administrative overhead for regulatory bodies
Society
Mixed / Neutral
60%
Benefits
- Enhanced protection for clients receiving care
- Standardized quality of community services
- Formal recognition of vital health advocates
Risks
- Risk of excluding informal or grassroots practitioners
- Barriers for community members entering the workforce
- Potential loss of service delivery flexibility
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
Positive outlook
65%
Benefits
- Formal state oversight of health personnel
- Standardized complaint and disciplinary processes
- Publicly accessible professional standards
Risks
- Increased government administrative burden
- Potential for lengthy bureaucratic rulemaking
- Risk of regulatory capture by professional groups
Public Health & Safety
Mixed / Neutral
70%
Benefits
- Uniform standard of professional practice
- Reliability in health service delivery
- Formal protocols for client protection
Risks
- Possible reduction in workforce availability
- Administrative friction in current health networks
- Delayed access if credentialing lags
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
LegiScan returned a PDF-only document. PDF extraction is not enabled in this build, so the pipeline used a safer fallback.
Analysis scope
Source provided is a summary and lacks full bill text
04
Where it stands
Official record- IntroducedCurrent
- CommitteeUpcoming
- Chamber votesUpcoming
- Final agreementUpcoming
- GovernorUpcoming
- EnactedUpcoming
05
How it affects your district
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06
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