Montana § 80-5-603 - Suspected Violations -- Sampling Procedures -- Confidentiality

§ 80-5-603. Suspected Violations -- Sampling Procedures -- Confidentiality

Suspected violations -- sampling procedures -- confidentiality. (1) When an intellectual property owner or that person's agent makes a claim that a grower has planted, grown, or retained seed or any other plant part from a protected plant in violation of the intellectual property rights of another person, the claimant shall: (a) request permission from the grower to enter the grower's land for the purpose of sampling; (b) notify the grower that the grower may ask that the sampling be done by the department; and (c) notify the department that a claim is being made. (2) If the grower withholds permission to enter the grower's land or refuses to be present for sampling at a reasonable time and place, the claimant may petition a court for permission to enter the grower's land and 80-5-604 (8) applies. (3) (a) A court may grant an order allowing a claimant to enter the property if the court determines the sampling effort to be: (i) minimally invasive; (ii) minimally disruptive; and (iii) reasonably based on information sufficient to support an inspection. (b) The court may order the claimant to pay for any physical damages caused during the process of sampling. (4) (a) When sampling is conducted, the grower and the claimant both have the right to be present if both the grower and the claimant have made a good faith effort to be present at a reasonable time and place. (b) A department representative must be present during sampling if the department's presence is requested by either the grower or the claimant. (c) The department may perform the sampling if asked to do so by the claimant or the grower. The department shall charge a fee that covers the costs of providing the sampling service. The fee may not exceed other seed-related sampling fees charged by the department. (5) Costs associated with sampling must be paid by the claimant unless: (a) both parties agree to a different assignment of costs through a contractual or settlement agreement; or (b) a different allocation is ordered through mediation or court order. (6) (a) The grower or the claimant may request that an independent laboratory confirm the presence of a protected plant in the samples taken. If the department took the sample, the department shall select an independent and qualified laboratory to conduct the requested laboratory services. (b) Costs associated with the laboratory services must be paid by the entity making the request unless: (i) both parties agree to a different assignment of costs through a contractual agreement or settlement agreement; or (ii) a different allocation is directed through mediation or court order. (7) The results of any sampling and laboratory services conducted pursuant to this section must be sent to the grower and the claimant by certified mail within 30 days. (8) The results of all sampling and testing are confidential unless both the grower and the claimant agree to make them public.