44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

RELATING TO TAXATION; AMENDING THE GASOLINE TAX ACT TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF "RECEIVED", TO PROVIDE A DEDUCTION FOR CERTAIN RETAIL SALES OF REGISTERED TRIBAL DISTRIBUTORS AND TO NARROW THE DEDUCTION FOR EXPORTS; AMENDING THE PETROLEUM PRODUCTS LOADING FEE ACT TO ELIMINATE REDUNDANT LANGUAGE AND CORRECT AN ERROR.

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

Section 1. Section 7-13-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1971, Chapter 207, Section 2, as amended) is amended to read:

"7-13-2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Gasoline Tax Act:

A. "aviation gasoline" means gasoline sold for use in aircraft propelled by engines other than turbo-prop or jet-type engines;

B. "department" means the taxation and revenue department, the secretary of taxation and revenue or any employee of the department exercising authority lawfully delegated to that employee by the secretary;

C. "distributor" means any person, not including the United States of America or any of its agencies except to the extent now or hereafter permitted by the constitution and laws thereof, who receives gasoline in this state. "Distributor" shall be construed so that a person simultaneously may be both a distributor and a retailer or importer;

D. "drip gasoline" means a combustible hydrocarbon liquid formed as a product of condensation from either associated or nonassociated natural or casing head gas and that remains a liquid at room temperature and pressure;

E. "ethanol blended fuel" means gasoline containing a minimum of ten percent by volume of denatured ethanol, of at least one hundred ninety-nine proof, exclusive of denaturants;

F. "fuel supply tank" means any tank or other receptacle in which or by which fuel may be carried and supplied to the fuel-furnishing device or apparatus of the propulsion mechanism of a motor vehicle when the tank or receptacle either contains gasoline or gasoline is delivered into it;

G. "gallon" means the quantity of liquid necessary to fill a standard United States gallon liquid measure or that same quantity adjusted to a temperature of sixty degrees fahrenheit at the election of any distributor, but a distributor shall report on the same basis for a period of at least one year;

H. "gasoline" means any flammable liquid hydrocarbon used primarily as fuel for the propulsion of motor vehicles, motorboats or aircraft except for diesel engine fuel, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas, compressed or liquefied natural gas and products specially prepared and sold for use in aircraft propelled by turbo-prop or jet-type engines;

I. "government-licensed vehicle" means a motor vehicle lawfully displaying a registration plate, as defined in the Motor Vehicle Code, issued by the United States or any state, identifying the motor vehicle as belonging to the United States or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo or any of its political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities;

J. "highway" means every road, highway, thoroughfare, street or way, including toll roads, generally open to the use of the public as a matter of right for the purpose of motor vehicle travel regardless of whether it is temporarily closed for the purpose of construction, reconstruction, maintenance or repair;

K. "motor vehicle" means any self-propelled vehicle or device that is either subject to registration under Section 66-3-1 NMSA 1978 or used or that may be used on the public highways in whole or in part for the purpose of transporting persons or property and includes any connected trailer or semitrailer;

L. "person" means an individual or any other entity, including, to the extent permitted by law, any federal, state or other government or any department, agency, instrumentality or political subdivision of any federal, state or other government;

M. "rack operator" means the operator of a refinery in this state or the owner of gasoline stored at a pipeline terminal in this state;

[N. "received" means:

(1)

(a) gasoline that is produced, refined, manufactured, blended or compounded at a refinery in this state or stored at a pipeline terminal in this state by any person is "received" by such person when it is loaded there into tank cars, tank trucks, tank wagons or other types of transportation equipment or when it is placed into any tank or other container from which sales or deliveries not involving transportation are made;

(b) when, however, such gasoline is delivered at the refinery or pipeline terminal to another person registered as a distributor under the Gasoline Tax Act, then it is "received" by the distributor to whom it is so delivered;

(c) when such gasoline is delivered at the refinery or pipeline terminal to another person not registered as a distributor under the Gasoline Tax Act for the account of a person that is so registered, it is "received" by the distributor for whose account it is delivered; and

(d) when gasoline is shipped to a distributor, or for the account of a distributor, away from the refinery or pipeline terminal, it is "received" by the distributor where it is unloaded;

(2) notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this subsection, when gasoline is shipped or delivered from a refinery or pipeline terminal to another refinery or pipeline terminal, such gasoline is not "received" by reason of such shipment or delivery;

(3) any product other than gasoline that is blended to produce gasoline other than at a refinery or pipeline terminal in this state is "received" by a person who is the owner thereof at the time and place the blending is completed; and

(4) except as otherwise provided, gasoline is "received" at the time and place it is first unloaded in this state and by the person who is the owner thereof immediately preceding the unloading, unless the owner immediately after the unloading is a registered distributor, in which case such registered distributor is considered as having received the gasoline;]

N. "registered Indian tribal distributor" means an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo recognized by the United States whose reservation or pueblo grant lies wholly or partly in this state, a corporation or other enterprise wholly owned by that Indian nation, tribe or pueblo or a corporation or other enterprise wholly owned by one or more members of that Indian nation, tribe or pueblo that is registered with the department as a distributor pursuant to the Gasoline Tax Act; provided that the department shall register a corporation or enterprise as an Indian tribal distributor only upon certification by the Indian nation, tribe or pueblo that the corporation or other enterprise is wholly owned by that nation, tribe or pueblo or wholly owned by one or more of its members;

O. "retailer" means a person who sells gasoline generally in quantities of thirty-five gallons or less and delivers such gasoline into the fuel supply tanks of motor vehicles. "Retailer" shall be construed so that a person simultaneously may be both a retailer and a distributor or wholesaler;

P. "secretary" means the secretary of taxation and revenue or the secretary's delegate;

Q. "taxpayer" means a person required to pay gasoline tax;

R. "unloaded" means removal of gasoline from tank cars, tank trucks, tank wagons or other types of transportation equipment into a nonmobile container at the place at which the unloading takes place; and

S. "wholesaler" means a person who is not a distributor and who sells gasoline in quantities of thirty-five gallons or more and does not deliver such gasoline into the fuel supply tanks of motor vehicles. "Wholesaler" shall be construed so that a person simultaneously may be a wholesaler and a retailer."

Section 2. A new section of the Gasoline Tax Act, Section 7-13-2.1 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

"7-13-2.1. [NEW MATERIAL] WHEN GASOLINE RECEIVED AND BY WHOM.--

A. Except as provided otherwise in this subsection, gasoline that is produced, refined, manufactured, blended or compounded at a refinery in this state or stored at a pipeline terminal in this state by a person is received by that person when it is loaded there into tank cars, tank trucks, tank wagons or other types of transportation equipment or when it is placed into a tank or other container in this state from which sales or deliveries not involving transportation are made. Gasoline is not received when it is shipped from one refinery or pipeline terminal to another refinery or pipeline terminal. Gasoline delivered at the refinery or pipeline terminal to a person:

(1) registered as a distributor pursuant to the Gasoline Tax Act is received there by the distributor at the time of delivery; or

(2) not registered as a distributor pursuant to the Gasoline Tax Act for the account of a person who is registered as a distributor is received there by the distributor for whose account it is delivered at the time of delivery.

B. Gasoline imported into New Mexico by any means other than in the fuel supply tank of a motor vehicle or by pipeline is received at the time and place it is imported into this state. The person who owns the gasoline at the time of importation or, if the gasoline is delivered to a person who is registered as a distributor pursuant to the Gasoline Tax Act, the distributor receives the gasoline at the time and place of importation.

C. Any product other than gasoline that is blended in this state to produce gasoline other than at a refinery or pipeline terminal is received by the person who is the owner of the gasoline at the time and place the blending is completed.

D. If gasoline is received within the exterior boundaries of an Indian reservation or pueblo grant and the gasoline tax is not paid with respect to the gasoline by the person receiving the gasoline within the exterior boundaries of the Indian reservation or pueblo grant, the gasoline is also received when the gasoline is transported off the reservation or pueblo grant by any means other than in the fuel supply tank of a motor vehicle. In such a case, the person who owns the gasoline immediately after the time of transportation off the reservation or pueblo grant or, if the gasoline is delivered to a person registered as a distributor pursuant to the Gasoline Tax Act, the distributor receives the gasoline at the time and place the gasoline is transported off the reservation or pueblo grant."

Section 3. Section 7-13-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1991, Chapter 9, Section 32, as amended) is amended to read:

"7-13-4. DEDUCTIONS--GASOLINE TAX.--In computing the gasoline tax due, the following amounts of gasoline may be deducted from the total amount of gasoline received in New Mexico during the tax period, provided satisfactory proof thereof is furnished to the department:

A. gasoline received in New Mexico, but exported from this state for consumption outside this state by a rack operator, distributor or wholesaler other than in the fuel supply tank of a motor vehicle or sold for export by a rack operator or distributor; provided that, in either case:

(1) the person exporting the gasoline is registered in or licensed by the destination state to pay that state's gasoline or equivalent fuel tax;

(2) proof is submitted that the destination state's gasoline or equivalent fuel tax has been paid or is not due with respect to the gasoline; or

(3) the destination state's gasoline or equivalent fuel tax is paid to New Mexico in accordance with the terms of an agreement entered into pursuant to Section 9-11-12 NMSA 1978 with the destination state;

B. gasoline received in New Mexico sold to the United States or any agency or instrumentality thereof for the exclusive use of the United States or any agency or instrumentality thereof. Gasoline sold to the United States includes gasoline delivered into the supply tank of a government-licensed vehicle of the United States;

C. gasoline received in New Mexico sold to an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo or any political subdivision, agency or instrumentality of that Indian nation, tribe or pueblo for the exclusive use of the Indian nation, tribe or pueblo or any political subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof. Gasoline sold to an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo includes gasoline delivered into the supply tank of a government-licensed vehicle of the Indian nation, tribe or pueblo; [and]

D. gasoline received in New Mexico, dyed in accordance with department regulations and used in any manner other than for propulsion of motor vehicles on the highways of this state or motorboats or activities ancillary to that propulsion; and

E. gasoline received in New Mexico and sold at retail by a registered Indian tribal distributor if the sale occurs on the reservation or pueblo grant of the distributor's nation, tribe or pueblo and the gasoline is placed into the fuel supply tank of a motor vehicle on that reservation or pueblo grant."

Section 4. Section 7-13A-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1990, Chapter 124, Section 16, as amended) is amended to read:

"7-13A-3. IMPOSITION AND RATE OF FEE--DENOMINATION AS "PETROLEUM PRODUCTS LOADING FEE".--

A. For the privilege of loading gasoline or special fuel from a rack at a refinery or pipeline terminal in this state into a cargo tank, there is imposed a fee on the distributor at a rate provided in Subsection [C] D of this section on each gallon of gasoline or special fuel loaded in New Mexico on which the petroleum products loading fee has not been previously paid.

B. For the privilege of importing gasoline or special fuel into this state for resale or consumption in this state there is imposed a fee determined as provided in Subsection [C] D of this section on each load of gasoline or special fuel imported into New Mexico for resale or consumption on which the petroleum products loading fee has not been previously paid. [For the purposes of this section, "load" means eight thousand gallons of gasoline or special fuel.]

C. To determine how many loads a person is to report [under] pursuant to the provisions of this section, the person shall divide by eight thousand the total gallons of gasoline reported for the purposes of Section 7-13-3 NMSA 1978 as adjusted [under] pursuant to the provisions of Section 7-13-4 NMSA 1978 and the total gallons of special fuels received in New Mexico less any gallons [exempted under Section 7-13A-4 NMSA 1978] deducted pursuant to Section 7-16A-10 NMSA 1978. Loads shall be calculated to the nearest one-hundredth of a load.

[C.] D. The fee imposed by this section is and may be referred to as the "petroleum products loading fee" and shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150) per load or whichever of the following applies:

(1) in the event the secretary of environment certifies that the unobligated balance of the corrective action fund at the end of the prior fiscal year equals or exceeds eighteen million dollars ($18,000,000), the fee shall be set at forty dollars ($40.00) per load;

(2) in the event the secretary of environment certifies that the unobligated balance of the corrective action fund at the end of the prior fiscal year exceeds twelve million dollars ($12,000,000) but is less than eighteen million dollars ($18,000,000), the fee shall be set at eighty dollars ($80.00) per load;

(3) in the event the secretary of environment certifies that the unobligated balance of the corrective action fund at the end of the prior fiscal year exceeds six million dollars ($6,000,000) but is less than twelve million dollars ($12,000,000), the fee shall be set at one hundred twenty dollars ($120) per load; and

(4) in the event the secretary of environment certifies that the unobligated balance of the corrective action fund at the end of the prior fiscal year is less than six million dollars ($6,000,000), the fee shall be set at one hundred fifty dollars ($150) per load.

[D.] E. The amount of the petroleum products loading fee set pursuant to Paragraph (1), (2), (3) or (4) of Subsection [C] D of this section shall be imposed on the first day of the month following expiration of ninety days after the end of the fiscal year for which the certification was made.

[E.] F. As used in this section, "unobligated balance of the corrective action fund" means corrective action fund equity less all known or anticipated liabilities against the fund."

Section 5. REPEAL.--Section 7-13A-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1991, Chapter 9, Section 34) is repealed.

Section 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 1999.