18-1-402. Administrative procedures -- exhaustion -- time limitations. Whenever any contracting agency of the state of Montana provides a procedure for the settlement of any question or dispute arising between the contractor and said agency, the contractor, before proceeding to bring an action in court under the provisions of this part, must resort to such procedure within the time specified in his contract or, if no time is specified, within 90 days after the question or dispute has arisen, provided:
     (1) in the case where a settlement procedure is provided by said contracting agency, all actions authorized hereunder must be commenced within 1 year after a final decision has been rendered pursuant to such settlement procedure; and
     (2) in the case where no settlement procedure is provided by said contracting agency, the action must be commenced by the contractor within 1 year after the cause of action has arisen.

     History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 138, L. 1955; R.C.M. 1947, 83-602.