(1) Section 2-16-117, MCA, requires the department to adopt office hours which are outside of the regular 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. business day and 40-hour business week, as necessary, in county offices where the business office is fully staffed with four or fewer employees, and is not available to conduct both business office and field work at the same time.

(2) The alternative hours may also include times when a department employee is out of the business office for the purposes of providing assistance in another similarly situated county. Should the business office need to temporarily close during the hours described in (3) for an emergency or personal employee leave, the department will provide advance notice to the public of such closures as appropriate.

(3) Counties that meet the conditions provided for in statute are listed below, along with their established alternative business office hours:

(a) Blaine County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday; 8 a.m. to 12 noon Friday;

(b) Broadwater County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday;

(c) Carter County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday;

(d) Daniels County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; 8 a.m. to 12 noon Wednesday;

(e) Garfield County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Wednesday;

(f) Golden Valley County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Friday;

(g) Judith Basin County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; 8 a.m. to 12 noon Friday;

(h) Liberty County business office hours 8 a.m. to 12 noon Monday through Friday;

(i) McCone County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday;

(j) Meagher County business office hours 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday;

(k) Musselshell County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday;

(l) Petroleum County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Thursday, and Friday;

(m) Pondera County business office hours 8 a.m. to 12 noon Monday through Thursday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday;

(n) Powder River County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday;

(o) Prairie County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday;

(p) Treasure County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and

(q) Wheatland County business office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday.

(4) During the months of January and July of each year, the department will publish, in the local newspaper, the business office hours for each location stated in (3).