---
type: "Bill"
title: "Move workers' compensation court to judicial branch"
description: "Move workers' compensation court to judicial branch"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2025"
identifier: "HB 516"
citation: "Montana HB 516 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Courts", "Juries and Jurors", "Money Transfer", "Retirement", "Workers' Compensation"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Ken Walsh"]
version_count: 37
action_count: 57
vote_count: 11
first_action: "2024-11-06T20:44:28+00:00"
last_action: "2025-05-19T22:19:28+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/a184c600-4b93-4fc5-ac9e-ac9cf78dedba"
source_url: "https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC0876?open_tab=sum"
source_hash: "01aa1c5cd991a12f54e11b351fa4abdaeb51f0bb6ac136c44890d0e139acdde3"
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 516 (2025) — Move workers' compensation court to judicial branch

## Version chain

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

1. **HB0516.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-condensed.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307030)
2. **HB0516.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307026)
3. **HB0516_1(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=282654)
4. **HB0516_1(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=283206)
5. **HB0516_1(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=291818)
6. **HB0516_1(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=295882)
7. **HB0516_1(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307496)
8. **HB0516_1(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307497)
9. **HB0516_1(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307498)
10. **HB0516_1(8).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307499)
11. **HB0516_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=282653)
12. **HB0516_2(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307501)
13. **HB0516_2(10).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=314129)
14. **HB0516_2(11).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=314136)
15. **HB0516_2(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307502)
16. **HB0516_2(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307503)
17. **HB0516_2(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307618)
18. **HB0516_2(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307623)
19. **HB0516_2(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307628)
20. **HB0516_2(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307630)
21. **HB0516_2(8).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307633)
22. **HB0516_2(9).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=309367)
23. **HB0516_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=307500)
24. **HB0516_X(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=314139)
25. **HB0516_X(10).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=326005)
26. **HB0516_X(11).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=326965)
27. **HB0516_X(12).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=327028)
28. **HB0516_X(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=314254)
29. **HB0516_X(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=314255)
30. **HB0516_X(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=317170)
31. **HB0516_X(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=320730)
32. **HB0516_X(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=323290)
33. **HB0516_X(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=323291)
34. **HB0516_X(8).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=323292)
35. **HB0516_X(9).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=325075)
36. **HB0516_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=314137)
37. **LC0876.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=281258)

## Votes

- Do Concur — **39–11** (pass) · upper
- do_pass — **18–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **97–2** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **95–2** (pass) · lower
- do_pass — **20–0** (pass) · lower
- be_concurred_in — **8–4** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **98–1** (pass) · lower
- be_concurred_in — **22–0** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur As Amended — **31–19** (pass) · upper
- AMD-HB0516.001.001 Curdy D/PASS — **49–1** (pass) · upper
- Do Concur — **100–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Ken Walsh — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-11-06T20:44:28+00:00** (LC) Drafter Assigned
- **2025-02-07T22:18:05+00:00** (LC) Draft in Legal Review
- **2025-02-08T23:25:36+00:00** (LC) Draft in Edit
- **2025-02-11T21:19:28+00:00** (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2025-02-12T19:23:35+00:00** (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2025-02-12T22:16:34+00:00** (LC) Draft in Assembly
- **2025-02-13T13:34:59+00:00** (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2025-02-13T19:56:35+00:00** (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2025-02-14T21:59:56+00:00** (H) Introduced
- **2025-02-14T22:05:55+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Requested
- **2025-02-17T18:14:01+00:00** (H) Referred to Committee - (H) Business and Labor `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-17T20:14:08+00:00** (H) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2025-02-19T23:14:50+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) Business and Labor
- **2025-02-21T19:21:14+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Received `receipt`
- **2025-02-22T19:11:04+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Signed
- **2025-02-24T14:32:20+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) Business and Labor
- **2025-02-24T17:56:33+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Printed
- **2025-02-25T18:12:05+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (H) Business and Labor `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-25T20:15:00+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed - (H) Business and Labor `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-27T22:08:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Pass Consideration `reading-2`
- **2025-02-28T20:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-02-28T20:59:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-02-28T22:14:00+00:00** (H) Rereferred to Committee - (H) Appropriations `referral-committee, referral-committee`
- **2025-02-28T22:18:09+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) Appropriations
- **2025-03-01T00:21:28+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed - (H) Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2025-03-01T20:44:00+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed - (H) Appropriations `committee-passage`
- **2025-03-03T22:01:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-03-03T23:19:19+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Senate
- **2025-03-04T20:29:43+00:00** (S) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2025-03-05T00:55:01+00:00** (S) Referred to Committee - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-15T16:31:17+00:00** (S) Hearing - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs
- **2025-03-20T17:29:11+00:00** (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs
- **2025-03-20T21:56:00+00:00** (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs
- **2025-04-09T19:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-04-09T21:51:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Motion to Amend Carried `reading-2`
- **2025-04-09T21:59:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Concurred as Amended `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-04-09T22:20:30+00:00** (S) Rereferred to Committee - (S) Finance and Claims `referral-committee, referral-committee`
- **2025-04-10T14:34:05+00:00** (S) Hearing - (S) Finance and Claims
- **2025-04-11T13:29:06+00:00** (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred - (S) Finance and Claims
- **2025-04-11T21:23:00+00:00** (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred - (S) Finance and Claims
- **2025-04-12T00:00:52+00:00** (H) Revised Fiscal Note Requested
- **2025-04-12T15:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-04-12T20:37:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-04-12T23:02:30+00:00** (S) Returned to House with Amendments
- **2025-04-16T19:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-04-16T20:02:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Senate Amendments Concurred `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage, reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-04-16T23:47:00+00:00** (H) Revised Fiscal Note Received `receipt`
- **2025-04-17T19:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-04-17T19:47:56+00:00** (H) Revised Fiscal Note Signed
- **2025-04-17T21:59:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by Senate `passage, passage, reading-3, reading-3`
- **2025-04-18T20:01:27+00:00** (H) Sent to Enrolling
- **2025-04-22T17:03:30+00:00** (H) Returned from Enrolling
- **2025-05-02T17:00:20+00:00** (H) Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2025-05-06T20:00:07+00:00** (S) Signed by President `passage`
- **2025-05-07T15:03:52+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2025-05-13T18:45:00+00:00** (H) Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2025-05-19T22:19:28+00:00** 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/a184c600-4b93-4fc5-ac9e-ac9cf78dedba`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).