Governor Gianforte Receives Licensing Reform Task Force Report

Governor's Office

HELENA, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte today joined members of his Licensing Reform Task Force to receive its initial report of recommendations for policy and regulatory changes to Montana's occupational licensing system.

"Montana's 406 JOBS initiative is dedicated to breaking down barriers that keep hardworking Montanans from pursuing good jobs, advancing in their careers, and serving their communities," Gov. Gianforte said. "This Task Force is a great example of stakeholders coming together to develop industry-led solutions that expand opportunity while maintaining the standards that protect public health, safety, and consumers."

Gov. Gianforte (center) and DLI Commissioner Swanson (right), convening a meeting of the Licensing Reform Task Force in Helena

In January 2026, Gov. Gianforte created the task force through an executive order and charged its members with identifying and removing unnecessary licensing burdens while improving access to professional services and career opportunities across Montana, including in rural and frontier communities. The Licensing Reform Task Force created four subcommittees focused on barriers to entry and mobility, construction, health care, and periodic review.

The task force's initial report advances 37 recommendations for legislative development, administrative action, rulemaking, coordination, and further study. Members considered public comment, stakeholder testimony, survey findings, program information, and legal and operational records in developing the report. In total, the Task Force held 32 meetings and received more than 200 public comments.

"Occupational licensing plays an important role in protecting Montanans," said Sarah Swanson, Commissioner of Labor and Industry and chair of the task force. "The Task Force focused on practical, targeted improvements that can reduce unnecessary paperwork and delay, support qualified workers, improve transparency, and maintain the competency and accountability standards Montanans expect. Our work was informed by broad stakeholder input and robust data, ensuring that these recommendations are meaningful and relevant to those most impacted."

The 37 recommendations include 15 recommendations for legislators to consider in the 2027 legislative session, 12 administrative recommendations, and 10 recommendations for further development and study. The report recommends targeted changes intended to make licensing clearer, more efficient, and more responsive to Montana's workforce needs without diminishing necessary professional qualifications or public protection safeguards.

Among the recommendations are proposals to:

• Establish a scheduled review process for licensing boards, programs, and license types.

• Streamline the use of qualifying background checks and reliable primary-source verification of credentials when appropriate.

• Support workforce mobility through the Cosmetology Licensure Compact and consideration of specified health-care licensure compacts, subject to final legal, fiscal, operational, stakeholder, and implementation review.

• Develop a registered-apprentice licensing framework for occupations and professions in which apprenticeship can provide a safe, supervised route to a full credential.

• Improve selected health-care workforce pathways, including recommendations related to Certified Nursing Assistant licensure, social-work supervision requirements, behavioral-health terminology, and access barriers in underserved communities.

• Advance consumer-protection and safety-focused modernization in construction occupations.

The governor's executive order also directed the task force to evaluate public opinion with respect to occupational licensing in Montana. The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) contracted with Peak Insights, a public opinion research firm, to conduct the study from July to August 2026. The results showed 58 percent of licensed professionals surveyed and 47 percent of the general public believe the occupational licensing system needs reform. In addition, both licensed professionals and the general public overwhelmingly, 91 percent and 88 percent, respectively, believe DLI should continue to license certain professions.

The results also revealed most licensed professionals and the general public believe that professionals in a licensed industry are the most appropriate entity to oversee a profession and a majority of both licensed professionals and the public believe licensing boards should be regularly reviewed to determine if licensure is still a necessity for the occupation.

The full Licensing Reform Task Force report, as well as materials from previous meetings, is available here . A video recording of the governor's opening comments can be viewed here .

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