69-14-536. Extension of rail lines into Montana. (1) Any railroad corporation chartered by or organized under the laws of the United States or of any state or territory may extend, construct, maintain, and operate its railroad into and through this state to any place within the state and may build branches from any point on such extension or continuation of any such extension or branch. Before making such extension into the state or building any such branch road or any such continuation, the corporation shall, by resolution of its board of directors, to be entered in the records of its proceedings, designate the general route of such proposed extension, branch, or continuation and file a copy of such record, certified by the president and secretary, in the office of the secretary of state, who shall record the same when presented for record. Thereupon such corporations shall have all the rights, powers, privileges, immunities, and franchises to make, maintain, and operate such extension and build, maintain, and operate such branch or continuation, including the right of eminent domain, which it would have had if it had been incorporated for such purposes under the general laws of Montana. Any corporation of another state or of the United States extending its railroad or any portion thereof into or through this state:
     (a) shall establish and maintain an office or offices in this state at some point or points on its line at which legal process and notice may be served, as upon railroad corporations of this state; and
     (b) is subject to taxation and regulation and control by the laws of this state, in all respects the same as if the line were constructed by corporations organized under the laws of this state.
     (2) Before any railroad corporation organized under the laws of any other state or territory or of the United States shall be permitted to avail itself of the benefits of this section, such corporation shall file with the secretary of state a true copy of its charter or articles of incorporation.

     History: En. Sec. 702, 5th Div. Comp. Stat. 1887; re-en. Sec. 910, Civ. C. 1895; re-en. Sec. 4291, Rev. C. 1907; re-en. Sec. 6523, R.C.M. 1921; re-en. Sec. 6523, R.C.M. 1935; R.C.M. 1947, 72-221; amd. Sec. 49, Ch. 43, L. 1979.