---
type: "Bill"
title: "Revising the fund structure and use of employment security account"
description: "Revising the fund structure and use of employment security account"
jurisdiction: "us/states/mt"
legislature: "Montana Legislature"
session: "2025"
identifier: "HB 656"
citation: "Montana HB 656 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Discrimination", "Labor and Employment", "State Finance"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Ken Walsh"]
version_count: 34
action_count: 56
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2024-10-04T19:24:02+00:00"
last_action: "2025-05-05T17:18:08+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d6726412-87b7-43ea-b741-03f64cf0532c"
source_url: "https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC0463?open_tab=sum"
source_hash: "f160a81f32a7aab76938812496f5eb2ce66e5c235f29687c831b8392793f2b59"
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 656 (2025) — Revising the fund structure and use of employment security account

## Version chain

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

1. **HB0656.001.001_Amendments-in-Context_final-full.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=289232)
2. **HB0656_1(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=286046)
3. **HB0656_1(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=290052)
4. **HB0656_1(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=290053)
5. **HB0656_1(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=290054)
6. **HB0656_1(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=290055)
7. **HB0656_1.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=285864)
8. **HB0656_2(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=290057)
9. **HB0656_2(10).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=298835)
10. **HB0656_2(11).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=311688)
11. **HB0656_2(12).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=311692)
12. **HB0656_2(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=290060)
13. **HB0656_2(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=290061)
14. **HB0656_2(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=290125)
15. **HB0656_2(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=290127)
16. **HB0656_2(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=290130)
17. **HB0656_2(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=290133)
18. **HB0656_2(8).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=293874)
19. **HB0656_2(9).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=294088)
20. **HB0656_2.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=290056)
21. **HB0656_X(1).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=311699)
22. **HB0656_X(10).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=321643)
23. **HB0656_X(11).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=324708)
24. **HB0656_X(12).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=325855)
25. **HB0656_X(2).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=313162)
26. **HB0656_X(3).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=313163)
27. **HB0656_X(4).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=313217)
28. **HB0656_X(5).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=313218)
29. **HB0656_X(6).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=317118)
30. **HB0656_X(7).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=320682)
31. **HB0656_X(8).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=321641)
32. **HB0656_X(9).pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=321642)
33. **HB0656_X.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=311693)
34. **LC0463.pdf** (committee substitute) — [source](https://api.legmt.gov/docs/v1/documents/getContent?documentId=281887)

## Votes

- Do Concur — **50–0** (pass) · upper
- be_concurred_in — **12–0** (pass) · upper
- do_pass_as_amended — **20–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **98–1** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **97–2** (pass) · lower
- Do Concur — **50–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Ken Walsh — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-10-04T19:24:02+00:00** (LC) Drafter Assigned
- **2024-10-23T21:11:27+00:00** (LC) Draft On Hold
- **2024-10-23T21:11:39+00:00** (LC) Draft On Hold
- **2024-10-30T17:12:01+00:00** (LC) Draft On Hold
- **2025-01-27T21:46:50+00:00** (LC) Draft On Hold
- **2025-02-10T18:53:57+00:00** (LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2025-02-10T18:54:12+00:00** (LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
- **2025-02-10T23:30:33+00:00** (LC) Draft in Legal Review
- **2025-02-10T23:48:54+00:00** (LC) Draft in Edit
- **2025-02-13T14:58:42+00:00** (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2025-02-14T15:58:47+00:00** (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2025-02-14T21:07:34+00:00** (LC) Draft in Assembly
- **2025-02-15T18:27:43+00:00** (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2025-02-20T00:16:09+00:00** (LC) Drafter Assigned
- **2025-02-20T00:54:09+00:00** (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
- **2025-02-20T16:06:21+00:00** (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- **2025-02-20T20:42:22+00:00** (LC) Draft in Assembly
- **2025-02-20T23:53:53+00:00** (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
- **2025-02-21T17:11:53+00:00** (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
- **2025-02-21T23:42:33+00:00** (H) Introduced
- **2025-02-21T23:51:07+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Requested
- **2025-02-22T16:10:23+00:00** (H) Referred to Committee - (H) State Administration `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-22T18:23:52+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) State Administration
- **2025-02-22T18:58:20+00:00** (H) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2025-02-24T23:05:27+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) State Administration
- **2025-02-24T23:18:23+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) State Administration
- **2025-02-25T21:18:05+00:00** (H) Hearing Canceled - (H) State Administration
- **2025-02-25T21:29:00+00:00** (H) Rereferred to Committee - (H) Business and Labor `referral-committee, referral-committee`
- **2025-02-26T14:42:00+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) Business and Labor
- **2025-02-26T16:51:37+00:00** (H) Hearing - (H) Business and Labor
- **2025-02-27T19:54:42+00:00** (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended - (H) Business and Labor `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-28T13:42:02+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Received `receipt`
- **2025-02-28T16:22:53+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Signed
- **2025-02-28T16:27:08+00:00** (H) Fiscal Note Printed
- **2025-02-28T21:12:20+00:00** (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended - (H) Business and Labor `committee-passage`
- **2025-03-05T20:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-03-06T01:42:00+00:00** (H) 2nd Reading Passed `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-03-07T15:00:00+00:00** (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-03-07T17:00:00+00:00** (H) 3rd Reading Passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-03-07T18:00:00+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Senate
- **2025-03-14T23:58:45+00:00** (S) First Reading `reading-1`
- **2025-03-17T15:03:11+00:00** (S) Referred to Committee - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-19T16:03:39+00:00** (S) Hearing - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs
- **2025-03-26T17:44:02+00:00** (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs
- **2025-03-26T20:58:00+00:00** (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred - (S) Business, Labor and Economic Affairs
- **2025-04-14T16:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2025-04-14T17:33:00+00:00** (S) 2nd Reading Concurred `reading-2, reading-2`
- **2025-04-15T19:00:00+00:00** (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading `reading-3`
- **2025-04-15T21:29:00+00:00** (S) 3rd Reading Concurred `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-04-15T21:29:25+00:00** (H) Sent to Enrolling
- **2025-04-18T12:43:33+00:00** (H) Returned from Enrolling
- **2025-04-23T23:00:32+00:00** (H) Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2025-04-24T17:30:00+00:00** (S) Signed by President `passage`
- **2025-04-24T21:45:28+00:00** (H) Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2025-05-01T21:14:29+00:00** (H) Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2025-05-05T17:18:08+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/d6726412-87b7-43ea-b741-03f64cf0532c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Montana legislature records).