# Montana HB 254: Eliminate fingerprint background check requirements for professional employer organization

Montana HB 254, Eliminate fingerprint background check requirements for professional employer organization, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Melissa Nikolakakos (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-04-17 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB254-2025
- 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 254
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Eliminate fingerprint background check requirements for professional employer organization
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-17
- Last action: 2025-04-17, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Melissa Nikolakakos (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Subjects: Professions and Occupations Generally
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (269 yes, 30 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Professional employer licenses: no fingerprints, new info: mixed, low. The law removes fingerprint background checks for initial professional employer organization (PEO) licenses. Applicants no longer sign DOJ release forms or pay fingerprint fees. Applicants must now give more business details: trade names, taxpayer or employer ID, Montana business address(es), and a…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Melissa Nikolakakos (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Gregg Hunter (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Steve Fitzpatrick (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-31 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 34 | 16 |   |
| 2025-03-28 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 36 | 13 |   |
| 2025-02-05 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-04 | House | Do Pass | pass | 99 | 1 |   |

## Actions (32)

- 2025-04-17: Chapter Number Assigned (House)
- 2025-04-16: Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-04-09: Transmitted to Governor (House)
- 2025-04-09: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-02: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-03-31: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-03-31: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-28: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-27: 2nd Reading Pass Consideration (Senate)
- 2025-03-20: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-03-20: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-03-15: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-03-06: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-02-28: Hearing Canceled (Senate)
- 2025-02-27: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-02-06: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-05: Transmitted to Senate (House)
- 2025-02-05: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-02-04: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-01-29: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-01-29: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-01-29: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-01-24: Hearing (House)
- 2025-01-23: Fiscal Note Printed (House)
- 2025-01-23: Fiscal Note Signed (House)
- 2025-01-23: Fiscal Note Received (House)
- 2025-01-20: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-01-20: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-01-17: Fiscal Note Requested (House)
- 2025-01-17: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=04b550a5-485a-498f-9a98-ed4ef0b81903)
- Introduced, 2025-01-17: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=685a1b72-9e68-40e6-b364-af2a6fd47b2c)

## 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=04b550a5-485a-498f-9a98-ed4ef0b81903)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=685a1b72-9e68-40e6-b364-af2a6fd47b2c)

## 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-HB254-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).