18-2-409. Montana residents to be employed on state construction contracts. (1) On any state construction project funded by state or federal funds, except a project partially funded with federal aid money from the United States department of transportation or when residency preference laws are specifically prohibited by federal law and to which the state is a signatory to the construction contract, each contractor shall ensure that at least 50% of the contractor's workers performing labor on the project are bona fide Montana residents, as defined in 18-2-401.

(2) For any contract awarded for a state construction project, except a project partially funded with federal aid money from the United States department of transportation or when residency preference laws are specifically prohibited by federal law, there must be inserted in the bid specification and the contract a provision, in language approved by the commissioner of labor and industry, implementing the requirements of subsection (1). The bid specification and the contract must provide that at least 50% of the workers on the project will be bona fide Montana residents. If due to a lack of qualified personnel each contractor cannot guarantee that at least 50% of the contractor's workers on the project will be Montana residents, the contract must provide that the percentage that the commissioner of labor and industry believes possible will be Montana residents.

(3) The commissioner of labor and industry shall enforce this section and investigate complaints of its violation and may adopt rules to implement this section.