County approves funded contact tracer for Montana Legislature session

On Jan. 6 the Lewis and Clark City-County Board of Health voted unanimously to accept a contract with State Legislative Services that provides funding for COVID-19 contact-tracing support while the Montana Legislature meets in Helena. The county will receive up to $7,000 from the state to fund a dedicated contact tracer and associated support staff focused on cases among lawmakers and legislative employees.

Public Health Officer Drenda Niemann told county commissioners the transient nature of legislative sessions creates unique contact-tracing challenges, with legislators and staff arriving from across Montana and moving in and out of the community over short periods. County documents note that the role will track cases at the State Capitol, coordinate with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and help identify close contacts who may have been exposed at the Capitol. "The state will also provide support staff for the position to help determine who a person’s close contacts at the State Capitol may have been," county records state.

The move follows two confirmed COVID-19 cases associated with the Legislature since the session began Jan. 4. County officials framed the short-term, state-funded position as a way to concentrate public-health follow up on the Capitol population without drawing heavily on routine local health resources that serve Helena residents and surrounding rural communities.

For Lewis and Clark County residents, the contract aims to reduce blind spots that can arise when a mobile population visits town for several weeks. Close-contact tracing focused on the Capitol can help interrupt chains of transmission before they spread into neighborhood households, workplaces, schools and small businesses that serve lawmakers and their staff while they are in Helena.

Policy implications extend beyond immediate containment. The state-funded tracer demonstrates a model for allocating responsibility when out-of-area groups converge on a county for brief but intense periods. It spares local public health teams from a full operational burden and underscores the need for interagency coordination between city-county health staff and state-level public health departments during high-traffic events.

Equity concerns are also in play. Lawmakers and staff who travel from rural parts of the state can carry infections into communities with limited clinic access, and transient populations may face barriers to testing and isolation. Targeted tracing at the Capitol helps protect both the people who work there and residents across Lewis and Clark County who depend on rapid case notification and consistent public-health follow up.

The takeaway? This small, state-funded contract buys focused capacity during a period of heightened risk at the Capitol, but it’s not a substitute for community-level precautions. Our two cents? If you live or work in Helena and have been at the Capitol, get tested if you feel unwell, keep up with vaccinations and stay tuned to county health updates so contact tracers can reach you quickly.