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

RELATING TO THE PUBLIC REGULATION COMMISSION; DEFINING ELECTION CYCLE FOR THE PURPOSES OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.

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

Section 1. Section 8-8-19 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1998, Chapter 108, Section 19) is amended to read:

"8-8-19. PROHIBITED ACTS--CANDIDATES--COMMISSIONERS AND EMPLOYEES.--

A. As used in this section, in addition to the definitions provided in Section [2 of the Public Regulation Commission Act] 8-8-2 NMSA 1978:

(1) "affiliated interest" means a person who directly controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a regulated entity, including an agent, representative, attorney, employee, officer, owner, director or partner of an affiliated interest. For the purposes of this definition, "control" includes the possession of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether directly or indirectly, through the ownership, control or holding with the power to vote of ten percent or more of the person's voting securities;

(2) "election cycle" means the time during which a candidate is required to file a campaign report for a primary or general election as provided in Subsection E of Section 1-19-29 NMSA 1978;

[(2)] (3) "intervenor" means a person who is intervening as a party in an adjudicatory matter or commenting in a rulemaking pending before the commission or has intervened in an adjudicatory or rulemaking matter before the commission within the preceding twenty-four months, including an agent, representative, attorney, employee, officer, owner, director, partner or member of an intervenor;

[(3)] (4) "pecuniary interest" includes owning or controlling securities; serving as an officer, director, partner, owner, employee, attorney or consultant; or otherwise benefiting from a business relationship. "Pecuniary interest" does not include an investment in a mutual fund or similar third-party-controlled investment, pension or disability benefits or an interest in capital credits of a rural electric cooperative or telephone cooperative because of current or past patronage; and

[(4)] (5) "regulated entity" means a person whose charges for services to the public are regulated by the commission and includes any direct or emerging competitors of a regulated entity and includes an agent, representative, attorney, employee, officer, owner, director or partner of the regulated entity.

B. In addition to the requirements of the Campaign Reporting Act, the Financial Disclosure Act and the Governmental Conduct Act, candidates for the commission, commissioners and employees of the commission shall comply with the requirements of this section and Sections [17 and 18 of the Public Regulation Commission Act] 8-8-17 and 8-8-18 NMSA 1978, as applicable.

C. A candidate for election to the [public regulation] commission shall not solicit or accept:

(1) anything of value, either directly or indirectly, from a person whose charges for services to the public are regulated by the commission. For the purposes of this paragraph, "anything of value" includes money, in-kind contributions and volunteer services to the candidate or his campaign organization, but does not include pension or disability benefits; or

(2) more than five hundred dollars ($500) per election cycle from any other person.

D. A commissioner or employee of the commission shall not:

(1) accept anything of value from a regulated entity, affiliated interest or intervenor. For the purposes of this paragraph, a commissioner may accept allowable campaign contributions when campaigning for reelection. For the purposes of this paragraph, "anything of value" does not include:

(a) the cost of refreshments totaling no more than five dollars ($5.00) a day or refreshments at a public reception or other public social function that are available to all guests equally;

(b) inexpensive promotional items that are available to all customers of the regulated entity, affiliated interest or intervenor; or

(c) pension or disability benefits received from a regulated entity, affiliated interest or intervenor;

(2) have a pecuniary interest in a regulated entity, affiliated interest or intervenor, and if a pecuniary interest in an intervenor develops, the commissioner or employee shall divest himself of that interest or recuse himself from the proceeding with the intervenor interest; or

(3) solicit any regulated entity, affiliated interest or intervenor to appoint a person to a position or employment in any capacity.

E. After leaving the commission:

(1) a former commissioner shall not be employed or retained in a position that requires appearances before the commission by a regulated entity, affiliated interest or intervenor within two years of his separation from the commission;

(2) a former employee shall not appear before the commission representing a party to an adjudication or a participant in a rulemaking within one year of ceasing to be an employee; and

(3) a former commissioner or employee shall not represent a party before the commission or a court in a matter that was pending before the commission while the commissioner or employee was associated with the commission and in which he was personally and substantially involved [in the matter].

F. The attorney general or a district attorney may institute a civil action in the district court for Santa Fe county or, in his discretion, the district court for the county in which a defendant resides if a violation of this section has occurred or to prevent a violation of this section. A civil penalty may be assessed in the amount of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) for each violation, not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000)."