# Montana HB 281: Provide statutory appropriation of reinsurance program assessments

Montana HB 281, Provide statutory appropriation of reinsurance program assessments, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Ken Walsh (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-16 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB281-2025
- 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 281
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Provide statutory appropriation of reinsurance program assessments
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-22
- Last action: 2025-05-16, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Ken Walsh (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Appropriations, Insurance
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (287 yes, 12 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Stable funding for Montana reinsurance: benefit, medium. The law creates two dedicated accounts for the state reinsurance program. A state account gets insurer assessments under 33-22-1313, plus interest and other money. This money is statutorily appropriated to the insurance commissioner and can only pay program administration, operation, and reinsuranc…
- Reinsurance funding starts now, ends 2031: mixed, low. The law takes effect on passage and approval. If this law and House Bill 2 both pass and this law provides the statutory appropriation for 33-22-1321, any HB2 money for reinsurance member assessments is void. All authorities in this act end on June 30, 2031.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Ken Walsh (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Derek Harvey (Democrat), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-24 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 43 | 7 |   |
| 2025-04-23 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 46 | 4 |   |
| 2025-02-13 | House | Do Pass | pass | 99 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-12 | House | Do Pass | pass | 99 | 1 |   |

## Actions (27)

- 2025-05-16: Chapter Number Assigned (House)
- 2025-05-12: Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-05-05: Transmitted to Governor (House)
- 2025-05-02: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-05-01: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-28: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-24: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-24: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-23: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-15: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-03-17: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-02-14: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-14: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-02-14: Transmitted to Senate (House)
- 2025-02-13: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-02-12: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-02-04: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-02-03: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-01-29: Fiscal Note Printed (House)
- 2025-01-28: Fiscal Note Signed (House)
- 2025-01-27: Fiscal Note Received (House)
- 2025-01-24: Hearing (House)
- 2025-01-23: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-01-23: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-01-22: Fiscal Note Requested (House)
- 2025-01-22: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-25: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=5dafafda-fa85-475b-a534-59edc457d133)
- As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-04: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=4e913975-19b2-46f0-b337-4313505ccfc9)
- Introduced, 2025-01-22: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=c8a6ca5d-a058-45ee-b564-afb42845a584)

## 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=5dafafda-fa85-475b-a534-59edc457d133)
- [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=4e913975-19b2-46f0-b337-4313505ccfc9)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=c8a6ca5d-a058-45ee-b564-afb42845a584)

## 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-HB281-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).