Kimberly Dudik

HELENA — Montana Governor Steve Bullock has signed nearly 180 bills into law so far this legislative session, on issues ranging from water rights to foster care.

The Montana House endorsed a bill Monday that would require the state health department to work with other organizations to develop a plan to prevent child abuse and neglect.

This week, lawmakers are considering how to fund the Office of the State Public Defender, that provides legal counsel to people who couldn’t otherwise afford it.

During the last two days of hearings, attorneys from across the state gathered in a small third floor room in the Capitol, telling lawmakers about budget cuts that they say are adding to their already burdened work.

Lawmakers in Helena are considering a bill that would allow foster children over the age of 14 to be involved in the planning process about their living situation as they age out of foster care.

A new bill would give Montana’s Child and Family Services Division more time to informally resolve child abuse cases before they are referred to the courts.

If passed, the bill would provide additional funding  for a child abuse pilot project passed by the legislature in 2015.

A bi-partisan task force of lawmakers is proposing a package of 7 bills this legislative session aiming to improve the work of Montana’s Public Defender Office.

Two of those bills got their first hearing Monday in the House Judiciary committee.

The Sexual Assault Evidence Task Force set up by the attorney general last November met for the third time in Missoula last Friday. Dr. Phil Kinsey gave fellow task force members an idea of how labor-intensive and time-consuming it is to test so-called rape kits during a tour of the state crime lab.

Governor Steve Bullock today said he’s taking action where the state legislature chose not to, to reform the state’s system for protecting abused and neglected children.

Local school districts in Montana are charged with coming up with a process so their students can report bullying at school and have those complaints formally addressed.

Today the Montana House of Representatives passed a bill that could finally place Montana alongside every other state in the union with an anti-bullying law. House Bill 284 would make bullying illegal, allowing for action to be taken in court.

Missoula representative Kimberly Dudik wants to do something about bullying in Montana Schools.

"Bullying is a big problem. There's been almost 3,000 Montana students that were suspended or expelled for bullying and harassment between 2012 and 2014."

Montana lawmakers are considering a bill that would deal with one of the worst side effects of the oil boom in Eastern Montana: the trafficking of women and underage girls for prostitution.

Stephanie Anderson, who describes herself as a sex trafficking victim told the House Judiciary Committee about her introduction to the sex trade.