2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 35. Corporations, Partnerships, and Associations › Chapter 18. Rural Cooperative Utilities › Part 1. General › 35-18-106. Powers of cooperatives

35-18-106. Powers of cooperatives.
(1) A cooperative may:
(a) sue and be sued in its corporate name;
(b) have perpetual existence;
(c) adopt a corporate seal and alter the seal;
(d) become a member in one or more other cooperatives or corporations or own stock in other cooperatives or corporations;
(e) construct, purchase, take, receive, lease as lessee, or otherwise acquire and own, hold, use, equip, maintain, and operate and sell, assign, transfer, convey, exchange, lease as lessor, mortgage, pledge, or otherwise dispose of or encumber:
(i) electric transmission and distribution lines or systems;
(ii) electric generating plants;
(iii) electric refrigeration plants;
(iv) telephone lines, facilities, or systems (but not telegraph or radio broadcasting services or facilities) as defined by law;
(v) lands, buildings, structures, dams, plants and equipment, and all kinds or classes of real or personal property that may be considered necessary, convenient, or appropriate to accomplish the purpose for which the cooperative is organized;
(f) purchase or otherwise acquire and own, hold, use, and exercise and sell, assign, transfer, convey, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise dispose of or encumber franchises, rights, privileges, licenses, rights-of-way, and easements;
(g) borrow money and otherwise contract indebtedness and issue notes, bonds, and other evidences of indebtedness and secure the payment of indebtedness by mortgage, pledge, deed of trust, or any other encumbrance upon all of its then-owned or after-acquired real or personal property, assets, franchises, revenue, or income;
(h) subject to the requirements on the use of public thoroughfares and land that are imposed by the appropriate authority having jurisdiction over corporations constructing or operating electric transmission and distribution lines or systems or telephone lines, facilities, or systems, construct, maintain, and operate electric transmission and distribution lines or telephone, cable television, or broadband lines, facilities, or systems:
(i) along, upon, under, and across all public thoroughfares, including without limitation all roads, highways, streets, alleys, bridges, and causeways; and
(ii) upon, under, and across all publicly owned lands;
(i) exercise the power of eminent domain in the manner provided in Title 70, chapter 30, for the exercise of that power by corporations constructing or operating electric transmission and distribution lines or systems or telephone lines, facilities, or systems;
(j) conduct its business and exercise all of its powers within or outside of this state;
(k) adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws; and
(l) perform all other acts and exercise all other powers that may be necessary, convenient, or appropriate to accomplish the purpose for which the cooperative is organized or authorized under federal law.
(2) In addition to the powers listed in subsection (1), corporations organized under the provisions of 35-18-105(1) may:
(a) generate, manufacture, purchase, acquire, accumulate, and transmit electrical energy;
(b) distribute, sell, supply, and dispose of electrical energy in rural areas to:
(i) its members;
(ii) governmental agencies and political subdivisions; and
(iii) other persons not in excess of 10% of the number of its members;
(c) make loans to persons to whom electrical energy is or will be supplied by the cooperative to assist those persons in wiring their premises and installing in their premises electrical and plumbing fixtures, appliances, apparatus, and equipment of all kinds and character;
(d) in connection with electrical and plumbing fixtures, purchase, acquire, lease, sell, distribute, install, and repair the electrical and plumbing fixtures, appliances, apparatus, and equipment and accept or otherwise acquire and sell, assign, transfer, endorse, pledge, hypothecate, and otherwise dispose of notes, bonds, and other evidences of indebtedness and all types of security for electrical and plumbing fixtures; and
(e) make loans to persons to whom electrical energy is or will be supplied by the cooperatives for the purpose of and otherwise to assist those persons in constructing, maintaining, and operating electric refrigeration plants.
(3) In addition to the powers listed in subsection (1), corporations organized under the provisions of 35-18-105(2) may:
(a) improve and expand existing telephone lines, facilities, and systems;
(b) construct, acquire, operate, and furnish additional telephone lines, facilities, and systems that are required to ensure the availability of adequate telephone service to the widest practicable number of users of telephone service;
(c) make loans to persons to whom telephone service is or will be supplied by the cooperative to assist those persons in wiring their premises for telephone service and installing in their premises telephone fixtures, appliances, apparatus, and equipment of all kinds and character;
(d) in connection with telephone fixtures, purchase, acquire, lease, sell, distribute, install, and repair the telephone fixtures, appliances, apparatus, and equipment; and
(e) accept or otherwise acquire and sell, assign, transfer, endorse, pledge, hypothecate, and otherwise dispose of notes, bonds, and other evidences of indebtedness and all types of security for telephone fixtures.
History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 172, L. 1939; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 80, L. 1957; R.C.M. 1947, 14-503; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 237, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 254, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 168, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 61, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 42, Ch. 7, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 31, Ch. 125, L. 2001.