HOUSE BILL 819

48th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

Gail Chasey

AN ACT

RELATING TO GOVERNMENTAL CONDUCT; LIMITING GIFTS TO CANDIDATES FOR STATE OFFICE AND STATE OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES; PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES.

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

     Section 1. SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the "Gift Act".

     Section 2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Gift Act:

          A. "family member" means a person within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity of the other person;

          B. "gift" means any donation or transfer to a state officer or employee, a candidate for state office or a family member of a state officer or employee without commensurate consideration of money, property, service, loan, promise or any other thing of value, including food, lodging, transportation and tickets for entertainment or sporting events, but does not include:

                (1) any activity, including but not limited to the acceptance of a donation, transfer or contribution, or the making of an expenditure or reimbursement, that is authorized by the Campaign Reporting Act or the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended;

                (2) a gift given under circumstances that make it clear that the gift is motivated by a family relationship or close personal relationship rather than the recipient's position as a state officer or employee or candidate for state office;

                (3) compensation for services rendered or capital invested that is:

                     (a) normal and reasonable in amount;

                     (b) commensurate with the value of the service rendered or the magnitude of the risk taken on the investment;

                     (c) in no way increased or enhanced by reason of the recipient's position as a state officer or employee or candidate for state office; and

                     (d) not otherwise prohibited by law;

                (4) payment for a sale or lease of tangible or intangible property that is commensurate with the value of the services rendered and is in no way increased or enhanced by reason of the recipient's position as a state officer or employee or candidate for state office;

                (5) a commercially reasonable loan made in the ordinary course of the lender's business on terms that are

available to all similarly qualified borrowers;

                (6) reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses actually incurred in the course of performing a service for the person making the reimbursement;

                (7) any gift accepted on behalf of and to be used by the state or a political subdivision of the state, including travel, subsistence and related expenses accepted by a state agency in connection with a state officer's or employee's official duties that take place away from the state official's or employee's station of duty; or

                (8) anything for which fair market value is paid or reimbursed by the state officer or employee or candidate for state office;

          C. "market value" means the retail cost a person would incur to purchase a gift; and

          D. "state officer or employee" means any person who has been elected to, appointed to or hired for any state office and who receives compensation in the form of salary or is eligible for per diem or mileage.

     Section 3. LIMITATION ON GIFTS.--

          A. A state officer or employee or a candidate for state office shall not knowingly accept, and a person shall not knowingly donate to a state officer or employee or a candidate for state office, a gift of a market value greater than two hundred fifty dollars ($250).

          B. A lobbyist registered with the secretary of state, the lobbyist's employer or a government contractor shall not donate gifts of an aggregate market value greater than one thousand dollars ($1,000) in a calendar year to any one state officer or employee or to any one candidate for state office.

          C. A state officer or employee shall not solicit gifts for a charity from a business or corporation regulated by the state agency for which the state officer or employee works and shall not otherwise solicit donations for a charity in such a manner that it appears that the purpose of the donor in making the gift is to influence the state officer or employee in the performance of an official duty.

     Section 4. PENALTIES.--A person who violates the provisions of the Gift Act is guilty of a petty misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be sentenced in accordance with the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978.

- 4 -