69-14-215. Issuance of bills of lading by railroad station agents -- penalty. (1) All railway companies operating in the state that do not permit bills of lading to be issued by employees other than agents are required to have bills of lading issued by the station agent at the nearest station where a station agent is regularly maintained in the direction toward which the shipment is destined. The conductor of the train that receives the shipment at its point of origin shall deliver to the agent at the nearest station at which an agent is maintained through which the shipment moves, immediately upon the arrival of the train carrying the shipment at the agency station, all data necessary for the issuance of a bill of lading for the shipment. The agent shall immediately issue the bill of lading and shall deliver the bill of lading to the shipper or the shipper's agent or shall, within 24 hours after the receipt of the data from the conductor, for shipment of 20,000 pounds or more, deposit the bill of lading in a United States post office, addressed and certified to the consignor of the shipment or the consignor's agent or attorney at the consignor's, agent's, or attorney's proper post-office address. A bill of lading for shipments of less than 20,000 pounds may be mailed without the use of certified mail.
     (2) A railway company operating in Montana that violates any provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and liable for a fine of not less than $50 or more than $1,000.

     History: En. Secs. 1, 2, Ch. 24, L. 1917; re-en. Secs. 6611, 6612, R.C.M. 1921; re-en. Secs. 6611, 6612, R.C.M. 1935; R.C.M. 1947, 72-654, 72-655; amd. Sec. 35, Ch. 43, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 2038, Ch. 56, L. 2009.