# Montana SB 317: Prohibit health insurers from performing prior authorization on psychiatric drugs in shortage or discontinued

Montana SB 317, Prohibit health insurers from performing prior authorization on psychiatric drugs in shortage or discontinued, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Dennis Lenz (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-13 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB317-2025
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Montana SB 317
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Prohibit health insurers from performing prior authorization on psychiatric drugs in shortage or discontinued
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-02-13
- Last action: 2025-05-13, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Dennis Lenz (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Subjects: Health Care Services, Health, Insurance, Mental Illness or Incapacity
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 4 (296 yes, 3 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- No prior authorization for key psych meds: benefit, medium. Insurers cannot require prior authorization for several psychiatric medications. This includes long-acting injectable antipsychotics and psychiatry drugs on the FDA shortage list. The shortage list is set on Jan 1, Apr 1, Jul 1, and Oct 1, and stays until the next date. No prior authorization is al…
- Specialist must review drug denials: benefit, low. If your prior authorization is denied, a physician who treats your condition must make that decision. Approvals do not need physician review.
- No price gouging in drug shortages: benefit, low. Drug makers cannot use predatory pricing or marketing when a drug is on the shortage list. The state can enforce penalties under consumer-protection law.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Dennis Lenz (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Kerri Seekins-Crowe (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Wylie Galt (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-11 | House | Do Concur | pass | 98 | 1 |   |
| 2025-04-10 | House | Do Concur | pass | 100 | 0 |   |
| 2025-03-05 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 49 | 1 |   |
| 2025-03-04 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 49 | 1 |   |

## Actions (27)

- 2025-05-13: Chapter Number Assigned (Senate)
- 2025-05-08: Signed by Governor (Senate)
- 2025-04-30: Transmitted to Governor (Senate)
- 2025-04-29: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-21: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-04-12: Returned from Enrolling (Senate)
- 2025-04-11: Sent to Enrolling (Senate)
- 2025-04-11: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-04-10: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-04-08: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-04-08: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-03-21: Hearing (House)
- 2025-03-06: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-03-05: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-03-05: Transmitted to House (Senate)
- 2025-03-05: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-01: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-02-28: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-02-27: Fiscal Note Printed (Senate)
- 2025-02-27: Fiscal Note Signed (Senate)
- 2025-02-27: Fiscal Note Received (Senate)
- 2025-02-21: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Fiscal Note Requested (Senate)
- 2025-02-14: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-02-14: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: Introduced (Senate)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=518c39d5-d8f5-4103-b8cd-ae1533623df2)
- As Amended (Version 2), 2025-03-01: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3ab2e1f3-09ce-4332-9d7a-597b7f825be8)
- Introduced, 2025-02-13: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=7a81f051-debf-4e9a-a366-c77a17308b5a)

## 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=518c39d5-d8f5-4103-b8cd-ae1533623df2)
- [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=3ab2e1f3-09ce-4332-9d7a-597b7f825be8)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=7a81f051-debf-4e9a-a366-c77a17308b5a)

## 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-SB317-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).