# Montana HB 184: Modify language in the MCA that may diminish the dignity of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing Montana HB 184, Modify language in the MCA that may diminish the dignity of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Connie Keogh (Democrat); status signed, last action 2025-05-05 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB184-2025 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Montana HB 184 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Modify language in the MCA that may diminish the dignity of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-13 - Last action: 2025-05-05, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Connie Keogh (Democrat) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Developmental Disabilities, Discrimination, Courts, Education - K-12, Elections, Insurance, Social Services - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (258 yes, 41 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Insurance covers kids' hearing care: benefit, medium. Most Montana group and individual health plans, plus many public employer plans, must cover hearing diagnosis and treatment for children age 18 or younger. Care must be medically necessary and ordered by a licensed provider. Plans must cover hearing or amplification devices and needed accessories.… - Clearer disability terms and interpreter access: benefit, low. State policy secures the rights of deaf or hard-of-hearing people by ensuring access to qualified interpreters in legal proceedings. Election law wording now uses “condition” and names being deaf or hard of hearing, replacing older terms. These changes guide courts and election officials to provide… - Clearer rules for hearing aid providers: benefit, low. The law replaces “hearing loss” with “various auditory ranges” and defines the term. It clarifies that ordering, selling, dispensing, and fitting prescription hearing aids covers devices meant to help those conditions. This makes practice rules clearer for providers and people who need hearing aids. - Montana deaf-blind school rules updated: mixed, low. The Montana School for the Deaf and Blind is a residential and day school for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or blind, or who need specialized support. A child is eligible only if under age 22 and identified under federal IDEA as having a hearing or vision disability. The school must track… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Connie Keogh (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: Mike Yakawich (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-09 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 0 | | | 2025-04-08 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-01-30 | House | Do Pass | pass | 78 | 22 | | | 2025-01-29 | House | Do Pass | pass | 81 | 19 | | ## Actions (24) - 2025-05-05: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-01: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-04-22: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-04-22: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-04-18: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-10: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-09: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-09: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-08: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-03-28: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-18: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-01-31: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-01-30: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-01-29: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-01-24: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-23: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-23: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-14: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-14: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-01-14: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-01-13: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=12f83f92-56ff-4c4f-92cd-262dd9857728) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-01-24: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=20f771e3-800d-4925-839c-50ddeb729dac) - Introduced, 2025-01-13: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e060d833-a34e-4463-a307-9a27167de5d5) ## Related bills - SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law (signed) - HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit (vetoed) - HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws (vetoed) - SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act (vetoed) - SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed) - SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=12f83f92-56ff-4c4f-92cd-262dd9857728) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=20f771e3-800d-4925-839c-50ddeb729dac) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e060d833-a34e-4463-a307-9a27167de5d5) ## Related - [SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB437-2025) - [HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB831-2025) - [HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB628-2025) - [SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB410-2025) - [SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025) - [SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025) - [Montana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana/bills) - [Montana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB184-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).