NMSA 1-19-34.4. Education and voluntary compliance; investigations; referrals

1-19-34.4. Education and voluntary compliance; investigations; referrals for enforcement. A. The secretary of state shall advise and seek to educate all persons required to perform duties under the Campaign Reporting Act of those duties. This includes advising all known reporting individuals at least annually of that act's deadlines for submitting required reports and statements of no activity. The state ethics commission, in consultation with the secretary of state, shall issue advisory opinions, when requested in writing to do so, on matters concerning that act. B. The secretary of state may conduct examinations of reports filed pursuant to Section 1- 19-29 NMSA 1978 and the state ethics commission may initiate investigations to determine whether any provision of the Campaign Reporting Act has been violated. C. Any person who believes that a provision of the Campaign Reporting Act has been violated may file a written complaint with the state ethics commission pursuant to the terms of the State Ethics Commission Act [Chapter 10, Article 16G NMSA 1978]. If the commission has jurisdiction for the complaint, the state ethics commission shall refer the complaint to the secretary of state. Upon referral, the secretary of state shall attempt to achieve voluntary compliance with the Campaign Reporting Act. Within thirty-five days after receiving the complaint from the state ethics commission, the secretary of state shall return the complaint to the state ethics commission and certify to the state ethics commission whether voluntary compliance was achieved. If the secretary of state certifies voluntarily compliance, the state ethics commission shall dismiss the complaint or that part of the complaint alleging a violation of the Campaign Reporting Act. If the secretary of state does not certify voluntarily compliance, the state ethics commission shall proceed with the complaint pursuant to the terms of the State Ethics Commission Act. D. The secretary of state and the state ethics commission shall at all times seek to ensure voluntary compliance with the provisions of the Campaign Reporting Act. E. At any time, the secretary of state may refer a matter to the state ethics commission for a civil injunctive or other appropriate order or to the attorney general or a district attorney for criminal enforcement. History: 1978 Comp., § 1-19-34.4, enacted by Laws 1993, ch. 46, § 15; 1995, ch. 153, § 15; 1997, ch. 112, § 4; 2021, ch. 109, § 3.