Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 17. STATE FINANCE

CHAPTER 8. DISBURSEMENT AND EXPENDITURE

Part 3. Warrants

Payments To Local Government Entities -- Notice

17-8-311. Payments to local government entities -- notice. (1) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(a) "Finance officer" means the county treasurer, city treasurer, town clerk, or the equivalent provided for in Title 7, chapter 3.

(b) "Local government entity" means a public entity that, whether or not governed by the legislative body of the local government, is required by law to conduct financial affairs through the finance officer of a city, town, or county. The term does not include a school district or a conservation district.

(2) (a) All payments made by a state agency or the state treasurer to any city, town, county, or local government entity must be payable to the finance officer of the appropriate city, town, or county.

(b) Any payment referred to in subsection (2)(a) may be made by electronic funds transfer at the discretion of the state agency or state treasurer if the entity receiving the payment has the technology to receive payment by electronic funds transfer.

(c) If the payment is to be deposited to the credit of a local government entity, the finance officer shall mail a notice of receipt of the payment to the local government entity. When applicable, the finance officer shall deposit the payment in the appropriate fund or account to the credit of the local government entity.

(3) If the state agency or the state treasurer is unable to determine if the payee is a government entity, the state agency or state treasurer shall process the claim as if it was not payable to a government entity. The state agency or state treasurer shall also mail a notice of issuance of the payment to the finance officer of the county and city to which the payment was issued.

(4) If a finance officer of a county receives a payment under subsection (2) or a notice of issuance under subsection (3), the finance officer shall notify the county clerk and recorder that the payment or notice has been received.

History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 320, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 432, L. 2005.