Montana

Laws and Executive Orders

1999

1999 Executive Order MT E.O. 16 – Issued September 22, 1999

Montana Executive Order 99-16 established the Governor’s Council on Tobacco Use Prevention to advise the Department of Public Health and Human Services on implementing a comprehensive tobacco use prevention program. The order recognized tobacco use as the leading cause of preventable death in Montana, contributing to approximately 1,500 deaths annually, including from oral cancer. The council was tasked with guiding the use of funds from the CDC and the national tobacco settlement and ensuring coordination with other prevention efforts. Membership included representatives from health associations, government, education, law enforcement, business, youth, and tribal communities. The council was created for a two-year term and administratively attached to the Department’s Health Policy and Services Division.

2004

Montana Ballot Initiative No. 149 – Effective January 1, 2005

Montana voters approved Initiative 149, significantly increasing taxes on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, with funds dedicated to various health initiatives. The measure explicitly acknowledged smokeless tobacco as a cause of oral cancer, gum disease, and nicotine addiction. The initiative raised the cigarette tax by $1.00 per pack and doubled the tax on smokeless tobacco. Revenue was allocated to a special Health and Medicaid Initiatives account to expand Medicaid services, fund prescription drug programs, and support public health measures, including tobacco use prevention. The initiative emphasized the impact of tobacco-related diseases—including oral cancer—and aimed to reduce usage, especially among youth, through pricing deterrents and expanded healthcare access.

2017

Mt. SB 120 – Enacted May 4, 2017

Senate Bill 120 amended Montana Code Annotated §§ 37-4-401 and 37-4-405 to expand the scope of dental hygiene practice, including oral cancer screening. The bill authorized dental hygienists to perform oral cancer screenings under public health supervision without prior authorization or the physical presence of a dentist, provided they were working in public health facilities such as community clinics, Head Start programs, nursing homes, and mobile health units. The law also allowed prescriptive authority for certain non-controlled topical agents. These changes enabled hygienists to reach underserved populations with preventive services, including early detection of oral cancer.