# Montana HB 399: Revise prior authorization laws

Montana HB 399, Revise prior authorization laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Jonathan Karlen (Democrat); status signed, last action 2025-04-17 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB399-2025
- 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 399
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Revise prior authorization laws
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-05
- Last action: 2025-04-17, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Jonathan Karlen (Democrat)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Health Care Services, Insurance
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 4 (259 yes, 38 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Fewer prior authorizations for common medicines: benefit, high. The law prohibits prior authorization for several drugs and situations. No prior authorization applies to formulary insulin for people with diabetes and to long-acting injectable antipsychotics. Insurers cannot require it for formulary nonspecialty inhaled drugs for asthma, COPD, or chronic lung di…
- Fairer drug denial reviews and notices: benefit, low. If an insurer denies a drug during prior authorization, a physician who treats that condition must make the denial. The insurer must send a written denial that lists reasonable, covered alternatives on the plan’s formulary. Approvals do not need a specialist’s sign-off.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Jonathan Karlen (Democrat), House
- Cosponsor: Willis Curdy (Democrat), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-03 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 38 | 12 |   |
| 2025-04-02 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 43 | 7 |   |
| 2025-03-04 | House | Do Pass | pass | 86 | 13 |   |
| 2025-03-03 | House | Do Pass | pass | 92 | 6 |   |

## Actions (29)

- 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)
- 2025-04-04: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-03: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-03: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-02: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-24: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-03-24: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-03-19: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-03-05: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Transmitted to Senate (House)
- 2025-03-04: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-03-03: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-02-27: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-02-27: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-02-27: Fiscal Note Printed (House)
- 2025-02-26: Fiscal Note Signed (House)
- 2025-02-26: Fiscal Note Received (House)
- 2025-02-20: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-19: Fiscal Note Requested (House)
- 2025-02-10: Rereferred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-07: Hearing Canceled (House)
- 2025-02-06: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-06: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-02-06: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-05: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=ff27afcf-7512-4e6e-b2e0-582cc5c5d709)
- As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-27: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=2727a3b6-59ca-48f2-9b7b-d7a018d3e98a)
- Introduced, 2025-02-05: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=389b09be-ad46-4387-a37e-6fa3caaf9194)

## 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=ff27afcf-7512-4e6e-b2e0-582cc5c5d709)
- [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=2727a3b6-59ca-48f2-9b7b-d7a018d3e98a)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=389b09be-ad46-4387-a37e-6fa3caaf9194)

## 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-HB399-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).