# Montana HB 246: Provide for standardization of substantial equivalency determinations in professional licensing Montana HB 246, Provide for standardization of substantial equivalency determinations in professional licensing, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Ed Buttrey (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-04-03 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB246-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Montana HB 246 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Provide for standardization of substantial equivalency determinations in professional licensing - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-17 - Last action: 2025-04-03, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Ed Buttrey (Republican) - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: Professions and Occupations Generally - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (299 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Boards lose some reciprocity powers: cost, low. The law removes board power to endorse other states’ licensing exams and to set special rules for out‑of‑state and foreign accountants. This narrows how boards can write licensing paths. Out‑of‑state applicants in the affected fields have fewer administrative routes to a Montana license. - No reciprocity for elevator mechanics: cost, low. An out‑of‑state elevator mechanic license alone is no longer enough to get a Montana license without an exam. The Department cannot issue a Montana license solely on another state’s license. Applicants must qualify under Montana’s examination and licensing rules. - Old reciprocity and verification rules repealed: cost, low. The law repeals two statutes that allowed licensure by reciprocity and license verification (37‑39‑203 and 37‑65‑310). Those specific paths are gone. Out‑of‑state applicants must now use the substantial equivalency and endorsement process. - Unified rules for out-of-state licenses: mixed, low. The law sets one clear test for “substantial equivalency.” Boards decide for board-run professions; the Department decides for program-run ones. They compare your education, exam, and experience to Montana’s, no matter the order you did them. To get licensed by endorsement, you must hold an active,… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Ed Buttrey (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Bruce "Butch" Gillespie (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Steve Fitzpatrick (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-18 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 0 | | | 2025-03-17 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-02-04 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 | | | 2025-02-03 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 | | ## Actions (28) - 2025-04-03: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-04-03: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-03-25: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-03-24: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-03-21: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-03-19: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-03-18: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-03-18: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-17: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-03: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-03-01: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-18: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-05: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-02-04: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-02-03: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-01-28: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-28: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-23: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-21: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-01-21: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-01-20: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-20: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-17: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-01-17: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-01-17: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2025-01-17: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-03-19: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=5bee6802-d58f-42d1-8c56-6cf44dda07c6) - Introduced, 2025-01-17: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=523a6f3b-0c4a-496e-bd6b-ac7312b004d2) ## 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 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed) - SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=5bee6802-d58f-42d1-8c56-6cf44dda07c6) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=523a6f3b-0c4a-496e-bd6b-ac7312b004d2) ## 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 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025) - [SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025) - [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-HB246-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).