Providers May Not Ask About Guns According to Montana's House Bill 459

HB 459, carried by Rep. Krayton Kerns (R-Laurel), was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Bullock to address concerns by gun owners that medical interviews and computerized medical records might be used as a tool to collect and centralize information about individuals' firearm ownership. Gun owners were also concerned that anti-gun bias by a health care practitioner might cause information about patient firearms to skew a practitioner's patient assessment or treatment.

According to Montana law, health care providers and facilities affected by this new law includes both medical and psychological practitioners.

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Good job, Montana! I used to be like a majority of folk who thought "guns are a danger to humanity". Then I realized that guns don't kill people, unless the person behind the gun has the intent to do so. Anyway, I'm happy that at least one (though I'm sure there are other states who will follow suit) state is realizing that we, as U.S. citizens, have the right to carry our guns and nobody should take that away from us.

reply to post by Kmhotaru

I agree, and hope other states take up this stance as well. Gun ownership has nothing to do with insurance, and the potential abuses of that information, as well as the ability to use that to politically force people out of gun ownership are too dangerous.
Which I why I expect them to try and interfere with this on a federal level.

reply to post by QuantumCypher


Yes, exactly. I thought it was definitely odd that health care professionals would ask whether or not the patient owns/has a gun. That fact has absolutely nothing to do with a patient's diagnosis. Of course, the state would love to know who owns a gun or not since hospitals have an obligation to disclose that sort of information.

I do wonder if they will be sneaky.
How much ammunition do you have.
How many cleaning kits do you have.

I think I would just leave that portion of the questionnaire blank, or just lie and say no since It's none of their business. Its not like they are going to go to your home and check. And hey, you have an advantage because the government thinks you don't have one...because thats what you put

But, I don't have to worry about it. I live in Montana. I love this state...

Ah so to protect the second amendment we take away the first? I do not see this law surviving a court challenge. Why would anybody be in support of legislating conversations?