18-2-407. Forfeiture for failure to pay standard prevailing wage. (1) Except as provided in 18-2-403, a contractor, subcontractor, or employer who pays workers or employees at less than the standard prevailing wage as established under the public works contract shall forfeit to the department a penalty at a rate of up to 20% of the delinquent wages plus fringe benefits, attorney fees, audit fees, and court costs. Money collected by the department under this section must be deposited in the general fund. A contractor, subcontractor, or employer shall also forfeit to the employee the amount of wages owed plus $25 a day for each day that the employee was underpaid.
     (2) Whenever it appears to the contracting agency or to the Montana commissioner of labor and industry that there is insufficient money due to the contractor or the employer under the terms of the contract to cover penalties, the Montana commissioner of labor and industry may, within 90 days after the filing of notice of completion of the project and its acceptance by the contracting agency, maintain an action in district court to recover all penalties and forfeitures due. This part does not prevent the individual worker who has been underpaid or the commissioner of labor and industry on behalf of all the underpaid workers from maintaining an action for recovery of the wages due under the contract as provided in Title 39, chapter 3, part 2, except that appeal of the hearings officer's decision is made directly to district court rather than to the board of personnel appeals.

     History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 102, L. 1931; re-en. Sec. 3043.1, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 32, L. 1955; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 43, L. 1961; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 265, L. 1969; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 375, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 531, L. 1975; R.C.M. 1947, 41-701(3); amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 554, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 609, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 90, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 13, Ch. 389, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 467, L. 2003.