---
type: "Bill"
title: "Provide for certification of CPS workers with direct contact with children"
description: "Provide for certification of CPS workers with direct contact with children"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 459"
citation: "Montana HB 459 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Family Law (see also: Minors)", "Professions and Occupations O-Z", "Rule Making"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Dennis R Lenz"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 69
vote_count: 12
first_action: "2020-10-01"
last_action: "2021-05-14"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/16e9c6d8-64c3-48dc-973a-d43a82284505"
source_url: "http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=459&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=HB&Z_ACTION=Find&P_SESS=20211"
source_hash: "66e9039ee3c57d63bd2110f52d04ed27025c9bc27fe0e1bcbf3eeda569322950"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-mt"]
---

# Montana HB 459 (2021) — Provide for certification of CPS workers with direct contact with children

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **HB0459_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0499//HB0459_1.pdf)
2. **HB0459_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0499//HB0459_2.pdf)
3. **HB0459_3.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0499//HB0459_3.pdf)
4. **HB0459_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/HB0499//HB0459_X.pdf)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billpdf/HB0459.pdf)

## Votes

- Do Concur — **81–18** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **79–17** (pass) · lower
- BE CONCURRED IN AS AMENDED — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **76–24** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **31–19** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **50–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass — **71–28** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **50–0** (pass) · upper
- DO PASS — **14–5** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **31–19** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **97–3** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **71–29** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Dennis R Lenz — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-10-01** Draft Request Received
- **2021-02-10** Draft in Legal Review
- **2021-02-10** Draft in Edit
- **2021-02-12** Draft to Drafter - Edit Review
- **2021-02-13** Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2021-02-16** Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2021-02-16** Bill Draft Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-16** Executive Director Review
- **2021-02-16** Draft in Assembly
- **2021-02-16** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-02-16** Executive Director Final Review
- **2021-02-17** Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2021-02-17** Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2021-02-17** Introduced `introduction`
- **2021-02-17** Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
- **2021-02-17** Fiscal Note Requested
- **2021-02-18** Referred to Committee - (H) Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-18** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-02-22** Hearing - (H) Judiciary
- **2021-02-22** Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (H) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-24** Fiscal Note Received
- **2021-02-24** Fiscal Note Signed
- **2021-02-24** Fiscal Note Printed
- **2021-02-24** Committee Report--Bill Passed - (H) Judiciary `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-26** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-02-26** 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2`
- **2021-02-27** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-02-27** 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-02-27** Transmitted to Senate
- **2021-03-01** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-03-08** Referred to Committee - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-19** Hearing - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
- **2021-03-23** Amendments Available
- **2021-03-24** Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
- **2021-03-25** Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended - (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety
- **2021-03-25** Printed - New Version Available
- **2021-03-29** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-03-29** 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2`
- **2021-03-30** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-03-30** 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-03-30** Returned to House with Amendments
- **2021-04-21** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-21** 2nd Reading Senate Amendments Concurred `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage, reading-2`
- **2021-04-22** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-22** 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-22** Sent to Enrolling
- **2021-04-27** Returned from Enrolling
- **2021-04-27** Printed - Enrolled Version Available
- **2021-04-27** Signed by Speaker
- **2021-04-27** Signed by President
- **2021-04-27** Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-04-28** Returned with Governor's Proposed Amendments
- **2021-04-28** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-28** 2nd Reading Governor's Proposed Amendments Adopted `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage`
- **2021-04-28** Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- **2021-04-28** 3rd Reading Governor's Proposed Amendments Adopted `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage`
- **2021-04-28** Transmitted to Senate for Consideration of Governor's Proposed Amendments
- **2021-04-29** Scheduled for 2nd Reading
- **2021-04-29** 2nd Reading Governor's Proposed Amendments Adopted `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage`
- **2021-04-29** 3rd Reading Governor's Proposed Amendments Adopted `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage`
- **2021-04-29** Returned to House Concurred in Governor's Proposed Amendments
- **2021-04-29** Sent to Enrolling
- **2021-05-03** Returned from Enrolling
- **2021-05-03** Printed - Enrolled Version Available
- **2021-05-04** Signed by Speaker
- **2021-05-04** Signed by President
- **2021-05-04** Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-14** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-14** Chapter Number Assigned `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/16e9c6d8-64c3-48dc-973a-d43a82284505`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).