Montana has no general law regarding family and medical leave but does provide parental leave provisions for state employees in Title 2, Chapter 18, Part 6 of the Montana Code Annotated. Maternity leave is provided in Title 49, Chapter 2, Part 3 of the Montana Code Annotated.

2-18-606. Parental leave for state employees.

(1) The department of administration shall develop a parental leave policy for permanent state employees. The policy must permit an employee to take a reasonable leave of absence and permit the employee to use sick leave immediately following the birth or placement of a child for a period not to exceed 15 working days if:

(a) the employee is adopting a child; or

(b) the employee is a birth father.

(2) As used in this section, "placement" means placement for adoption as defined in 33-22-130.

(3) A state agency that is not subject to the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. 2601 through 2654, may extend the provisions of that act to the employees of the agency.

49-2-310. Maternity leave -- unlawful acts of employers.

It shall be unlawful for an employer or his agent to:

(1) terminate a woman's employment because of her pregnancy;

(2) refuse to grant to the employee a reasonable leave of absence for such pregnancy;

(3) deny to the employee who is disabled as a result of pregnancy any compensation to which she is entitled as a result of the accumulation of disability or leave benefits accrued pursuant to plans maintained by her employer, provided that the employer may require disability as a result of pregnancy to be verified by medical certification that the employee is not able to perform her employment duties; or

(4) require that an employee take a mandatory maternity leave for an unreasonable length of time.

49-2-311. Reinstatement to job following pregnancy-related leave of absence.

Upon signifying her intent to return at the end of her leave of absence, such employee shall be reinstated to her original job or to an equivalent position with equivalent pay and accumulated seniority, retirement, fringe benefits, and other service credits unless, in the case of a private employer, the employer's circumstances have so changed as to make it impossible or unreasonable to do so.

50-19-501. Protection for nursing mother and infant child.

(1) The Montana legislature finds that breastfeeding a baby is an important and basic act of nurturing that must be protected in the interests of maternal and child health and family values. A mother has a right to breastfeed the mother's child in any location, public or private, where the mother and child are otherwise authorized to be present, irrespective of whether or not the mother's breast is covered during or incidental to the breastfeeding.

(2) A unit of local government may not prohibit breastfeeding in public by local ordinance.

(3) The act of breastfeeding may not be considered:

(a) a nuisance as provided in Title 27, chapter 30;

(b) indecent exposure as provided for in 45-5-504;

(c) sexual conduct as defined in 45-5-620(1)(f); or

(d) obscenity as provided for in 45-8-201.