The Office of the Montana State Auditor, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (CSI), generates the third most revenue of any agency in the State. Of that revenue, only a small percentage is used to fund the agency. The remaining funds are transferred to the State General Fund, the Healthy Montana Kids Program, and other state-based programs.

2021 Legislative Priorities
The Office of the Montana State Auditor is a criminal justice agency charged with protecting Montana’s consumers through insurance and securities education, regulation, and advocacy. Insurance and securities have changed over the years but the responsibility of the Commissioner to Montana consumers has not changed. In the 2021 legislative session (67th regular session), Commissioner Downing is proposing a package of common-sense and bipartisan legislation that aligns with his agency’s top priorities:
- Protecting Consumers
- Lowering Consumer Cost
- Reducing excessive or unnecessary government regulation
- Protecting the Integrity of the Insurance and Securities Industry
- Promoting the development and expansion of insurance markets
- Expanding Consumer Options and Advocacy in Healthcare
Commissioner Downing has worked diligently to bring forward the following insurance and securities legislation:
INSURANCE LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES
- Provide for restitution for consumers in insurance cases
- Expand telemedicine to align with technology and current clinical practices
- Grow the captive insurance market in Montana by eliminating unnecessary exams
- Reduce the numbers of years automobile and homeowners’ insurance underwriters can review adverse claims history
- Exempting Montana State Fund from the Montana Information Technology Act and the Montana Procurement Act
- Expanding access to healthcare alternatives, such as health sharing ministries and direct patient care models
SECURITIES LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES
- Require supervisors of brokers, typically living out of state, to be licensed in Montana
- Protect whistleblowers from retaliation if reporting fraud
- Maintain funding of Securities Restitution Fund to reimburse victims of fraud
Tracked Bills
Title | Bill # | Sponsor | Read Bill | Fact Sheet | Bill Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Expand Telemedicine | HB 43 | Knudsen | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Captives Examinations | SB 28 | Salomon | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Accreditation | HB 80 | Seekings-Crowe | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Insurance Housekeeping | HB 63 | Dooling | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Securities Housekeeping | HB 41 | Funk | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Supervisor Registration | HB 65 | Moore | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Uniform Whistleblower Act | HB 64 | Moore | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Securities Restitution Fund | HB 66 | Moore | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Repeal Med Mal Association | HB 74 | Gillette | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Captives Fees | SB 76 | Salomon | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Workers Compensation Modernatization | HB 118 | Ricci | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Homeowner Look Back | HB 195 | Ricci | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Auto Look Back | HB 117 | Ricci | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Direct Patient Care Safe Harbor | SB 101 | Smith | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Insurance Restitution Authority | LC1098 | Vinton | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Health Sharing Arrangements | SB 149 | McGillvray | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
Insurance Rate Discrimination | LC1097 | Text | FACT SHEET | Status | |
Repeal Certificate of Need | HB 231 | Reigier | Text | FACT SHEET | Status |
CSI Legislative Documents
Learn More About the 2021 Legislative Session