39-71-117. Employer defined. (1) "Employer" means:
     (a) the state and each county, city and county, city school district, and irrigation district; all other districts established by law; all public corporations and quasi-public corporations and public agencies; each person; each prime contractor; each firm, voluntary association, limited liability company, and private corporation, including any public service corporation and including an independent contractor who has any person in service under any appointment or contract of hire, expressed or implied, oral or written; and the legal representative of any deceased employer or the receiver or trustee of the deceased employer;
     (b) any association, corporation, limited liability company, or organization that seeks permission and meets the requirements set by the department by rule for a group of individual employers to operate as self-insured under plan No. 1 of this chapter; and
     (c) any nonprofit association, limited liability company, or corporation or other entity funded in whole or in part by federal, state, or local government funds that places community service participants, as described in 39-71-118(1)(e), with nonprofit organizations or associations or federal, state, or local government entities.
     (2) A temporary service contractor is the employer of a temporary worker for premium and loss experience purposes.
     (3) Except as provided in chapter 8 of this title, an employer defined in subsection (1) who uses the services of a worker furnished by another person, association, contractor, firm, limited liability company, or corporation, other than a temporary service contractor, is presumed to be the employer for workers' compensation premium and loss experience purposes for work performed by the worker. The presumption may be rebutted by substantial credible evidence of the following:
     (a) the person, association, contractor, firm, limited liability company, or corporation, other than a temporary service contractor, furnishing the services of a worker to another retains control over all aspects of the work performed by the worker, both at the inception of employment and during all phases of the work; and
     (b) the person, association, contractor, firm, limited liability company, or corporation, other than a temporary service contractor, furnishing the services of a worker to another has obtained workers' compensation insurance for the worker in Montana both at the inception of employment and during all phases of the work performed.
     (4) An interstate or intrastate common or contract motor carrier doing business in this state who uses drivers in this state is considered the employer, is liable for workers' compensation premiums, and is subject to loss experience rating in this state unless:
     (a) the driver in this state is certified as an independent contractor as provided in 39-71-401(3); or
     (b) the person, association, contractor, firm, limited liability company, or corporation furnishing drivers in this state to a motor carrier has obtained workers' compensation insurance on the drivers in Montana both at the inception of employment and during all phases of the work performed.

     History: En. 92-410.1 by Sec. 1, Ch. 154, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 92-410.1(part); amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 480, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 64, Ch. 613, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 323, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 813, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 458, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 29, Ch. 308, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 18, Ch. 344, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 516, L. 1995.