AN ACT

RELATING TO TAXATION; INCREASING THE RATE OF THE CIGARETTE TAX; MODIFYING DISTRIBUTIONS OF CIGARETTE TAX REVENUE; AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF REVENUE BONDS; CREATING THE CREDIT ENHANCEMENT ACCOUNT TO FACILITATE THE ISSUANCE OF REVENUE BONDS; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1.  Section 7-1-6.11 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1983, Chapter 211, Section 16, as amended) is amended to read:

"7-1-6.11.  DISTRIBUTIONS OF CIGARETTE TAXES.‑‑

A.  A distribution pursuant to Section 7-1-6.1 NMSA 1978 shall be made to the county and municipality recreational fund in an amount equal to one and thirty-six hundredths percent of the net receipts, exclusive of penalties and interest, attributable to the cigarette tax.

B.  A distribution pursuant to Section 7-1-6.1 NMSA 1978 shall be made to the county and municipal cigarette tax

fund in an amount equal to two and seventy-two hundredths percent of the net receipts, exclusive of penalties and interest, attributable to the cigarette tax.


C.  A distribution pursuant to Section 7-1-6.1 NMSA 1978 shall be made to the cancer research and treatment center at the university of New Mexico health sciences center in an amount equal to one and thirty-six hundredths percent of the net receipts, exclusive of penalties and interest, attributable to the cigarette tax.

D.  A distribution pursuant to Section 7-1-6.1 NMSA 1978 shall be made to the New Mexico finance authority in an amount equal to two and four-hundredths percent of the net receipts, exclusive of penalties and interest, attributable to the cigarette tax.

E.  A distribution pursuant to Section 7-1-6.1 NMSA 1978 in an amount equal to fourteen and fifty-two hundredths percent of the net receipts, exclusive of penalties and interest, attributable to the cigarette tax, shall be made, on behalf of and for the benefit of the university of New Mexico health sciences center, to the New Mexico finance authority.

F.  A distribution pursuant to Section 7-1-6.1 NMSA 1978 in an amount equal to six and eleven-hundredths percent of the net receipts, exclusive of penalties and interest, attributable to the cigarette tax shall be made to the New Mexico finance authority for improvements to department of health facilities.


G.  A distribution pursuant to Section 7-1-6.1 NMSA 1978 in an amount equal to fifteen and ninety-five hundredths percent of the net receipts, exclusive of penalties and interest, attributable to the cigarette tax shall be made to the New Mexico finance authority for deposit in the credit enhancement account created in the authority."

Section 2.  Section 7-12-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1971, Chapter 77, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:

"7-12-3.  EXCISE TAX ON CIGARETTES--RATES.--

A.  For the privilege of selling, giving or consuming cigarettes in New Mexico, there is levied an excise tax at the rate of four and fifty-five hundredths cents ($.0455) for each cigarette sold, given or consumed in this state.

B.  The tax imposed by this section shall be referred to as the "cigarette tax"."

Section 3.  NEW MEXICO FINANCE AUTHORITY REVENUE BONDS--PURPOSE--APPROPRIATION.--

A.  The New Mexico finance authority may issue and sell revenue bonds in compliance with the New Mexico Finance Authority Act for a term not exceeding fifteen years in an amount not exceeding sixty million dollars ($60,000,000) for the purpose of designing, constructing, equipping and furnishing additions and improvements to the university of New Mexico hospital and the cancer research and treatment center at the university of New Mexico health sciences center.


B.  The New Mexico finance authority may issue and sell revenue bonds authorized by this section when the vice president for health sciences of the university of New Mexico certifies the need for issuance of the bonds.  The net proceeds from the sale of the bonds are appropriated to the health sciences center of the university of New Mexico for the purposes described in Subsection A of this section.

C.  The cigarette tax proceeds distributed to the New Mexico finance authority pursuant to Subsection E of Section 7-1-6.11 NMSA 1978 shall be pledged irrevocably for the payment of the principal, interest, premiums and related expenses on the bonds and for payment of the expenses incurred by the authority related to the issuance, sale and administration of the bonds.

D.  The cigarette tax proceeds distributed to the New Mexico finance authority pursuant to Subsection E of Section 7-1-6.11 NMSA 1978 shall be deposited each month in a separate fund or account of the authority.  Money in the separate fund or account in excess of the monthly amount necessary for immediate payment or designation for payment of principal and interest due on the bonds is appropriated to the university of New Mexico health sciences center and shall be transferred each month to the university of New Mexico health sciences center.


E.  Upon payment of all principal, interest and other expenses or obligations related to the bonds, the New Mexico finance authority shall certify to the secretary of taxation and revenue that all obligations for the bonds issued pursuant to this section have been fully discharged and shall direct the secretary of taxation and revenue and the state treasurer to cease distributing cigarette tax proceeds to the authority pursuant to Subsection E of Section 7-1-6.11 NMSA 1978 and to distribute those cigarette tax proceeds to the general fund.

F.  Any law authorizing the imposition, collection or distribution of the cigarette tax or that affects the cigarette tax shall not be amended, repealed or otherwise directly or indirectly modified so as to impair any outstanding revenue bonds that may be secured by a pledge of those cigarette tax revenues, unless the revenue bonds have been discharged in full or provisions have been made for a full discharge.

G.  The New Mexico finance authority may additionally secure the revenue bonds issued pursuant to this section by a pledge of money in the public project revolving fund with a lien priority on the money in the public project revolving fund as determined by the authority.

Section 4.  NEW MEXICO FINANCE AUTHORITY REVENUE BONDS--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FACILITIES--APPROPRIATION.‑-

A.  The New Mexico finance authority may issue and sell revenue bonds in compliance with the New Mexico Finance Authority Act for projects authorized specifically by law for improvements to department of health facilities.


B.  The New Mexico finance authority may issue and sell revenue bonds authorized by this section when the secretary of finance and administration certifies the need for issuance of the bonds.  The net proceeds from the sale of the bonds are appropriated to the capital program fund administered by the property control division of the general services department for the purposes described in Subsection A of this section.

C.  The cigarette tax proceeds distributed to the New Mexico finance authority pursuant to Subsection F of Section 7-1-6.11 NMSA 1978 shall be pledged irrevocably for the payment of the principal, interest, premiums and related expenses on the bonds and for payment of the expenses incurred by the New Mexico finance authority related to the issuance, sale and administration of the bonds.


D.  The cigarette tax proceeds distributed to the New Mexico finance authority pursuant to Subsection F of Section 7-1-6.11 NMSA 1978 shall be deposited each month in a separate fund or account of the authority.  Money in the separate fund or account in excess of the combined total of the principal, interest and other expenses or obligations related to the bonds coming due in that fiscal year is appropriated to and shall be transferred to the capital program fund for capital improvements to department of health facilities recommended by the secretary of health and approved by the secretary of finance and administration.

E.  Upon payment of all principal, interest and other expenses or obligations related to the bonds, the New Mexico finance authority shall certify to the secretary of taxation and revenue that all obligations for the bonds issued pursuant to this section have been fully discharged and shall direct the secretary of taxation and revenue and the state treasurer to cease distributing cigarette tax proceeds to the authority pursuant to Subsection F of Section 7-1-6.11 NMSA 1978 and to distribute those cigarette tax proceeds to the general fund.

F.  Any law authorizing the imposition, collection or distribution of the cigarette tax or that affects the cigarette tax shall not be amended, repealed or otherwise directly or indirectly modified so as to impair any outstanding revenue bonds that may be secured by a pledge of those cigarette tax revenues, unless the revenue bonds have been discharged in full or provisions have been made for a full discharge.

G.  The New Mexico finance authority may additionally secure the revenue bonds issued pursuant to this section by a pledge of money in the public project revolving fund with a lien priority on the money in the public project revolving fund as determined by the authority.


Section 5.  A new section of the New Mexico Finance Authority Act is enacted to read:

"CREDIT ENHANCEMENT ACCOUNT CREATED--USE OF ACCOUNT--RELEASE OF MONEY TO THE GENERAL FUND.--

A.  The credit enhancement account is created as a separate account within the authority for use only as provided in this section.

B.  All cigarette tax proceeds distributed each month to the authority pursuant to Subsection G of Section 7‑1-6.11 NMSA 1978 shall be deposited in the credit enhancement account.

C.  Amounts deposited in the credit enhancement account may be pledged irrevocably as additional security for the payment of the principal, interest, premiums and expenses on bonds issued by the authority for:

(1)  designing, constructing, equipping and furnishing additions and improvements to the university of New Mexico hospital and the cancer research and treatment center at the university of New Mexico health sciences center; and

(2)  improvements to department of health facilities.


D.  The authority shall determine monthly upon receipt of cigarette tax proceeds if the individual amounts of cigarette tax proceeds distributed pursuant to Subsection E or Subsection F, respectively, of Section 7-1-6.11 NMSA 1978 are sufficient to meet the monthly amount required for immediate payment or designation for payment of principal, interest, premiums and expenses on bonds additionally secured by the credit enhancement account.  Any insufficient amount shall be paid immediately from the credit enhancement account.  A payment from the credit enhancement account shall be reimbursed in succeeding months from the individual amount of cigarette tax proceeds distributed pursuant to Subsection E or Subsection F, as applicable, of Section 7-1-6.11 NMSA 1978 in excess of the amount required for immediate payment or designation for payment of principal, interest, premiums and expenses on bonds.  All money in the credit enhancement account in excess of the monthly amount required for immediate payment or designation for payment of principal, interest, premiums and expenses on bonds shall be transferred monthly by the authority to the general fund.


E.  Upon payment of all principal, interest, premiums and expenses on bonds additionally secured by a pledge of amounts deposited in the credit enhancement account, the authority shall certify to the secretary of taxation and revenue that all obligations for bonds have been fully discharged and shall direct the secretary of taxation and revenue and the state treasurer to cease distributing cigarette tax proceeds to the authority pursuant to Subsection G of Section 7-1-6.11 NMSA 1978 and to distribute those cigarette tax proceeds to the general fund.

F.  Any law authorizing the imposition, collection or distribution of the cigarette tax or that affects the cigarette tax shall not be amended, repealed or otherwise directly or indirectly modified so as to impair any outstanding revenue bonds that may be secured by a pledge of those cigarette tax proceeds distributed to the credit enhancement account, unless the revenue bonds have been discharged in full or provisions have been made for a full discharge."

Section 6.  EFFECTIVE DATE.--

A.  The effective date of the provisions of Section 1 of this act is August 1, 2003.

B.  The effective date of the provisions of Sections 2 through 5 of this act is July 1, 2003.