NMSA 1978, § 10-16-1 Short title
10-16-1. Short title
Chapter 10, Article 16 NMSA 1978 may be cited as the "Governmental Conduct Act".
1953 Comp., § 5-12-1, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 306, § 1; 1993, ch. 46, § 26.
Governmental Conduct
NMSA 1978 ch. 10, art. 16
in effectNMSA 1978, § 10-16-2 Definitions
10-16-2. Definitions
As used in the Governmental Conduct Act:
A. "business" means a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, firm, organization or individual carrying on a business;
B. "confidential information" means information that by law or practice is not available to the public;
C. "contract" means an agreement or transaction having a value of more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) with a state or local government agency for:
(1) the rendition of services, including professional services;
(2) the furnishing of any material, supplies or equipment;
(3) the construction, alteration or repair of any public building or public work;
(4) the acquisition, sale or lease of any land or building;
(5) a licensing arrangement;
(6) a loan or loan guarantee; or
(7) the purchase of financial securities or instruments;
D. "employment" means rendering of services for compensation in the form of salary as an employee;
E. "family" means an individual's spouse, parents, children or siblings, by consanguinity or affinity;
F. "financial interest" means an interest held by an individual or the individual's family that is:
(1) an ownership interest in business or property; or
(2) any employment or prospective employment for which negotiations have already begun;
G. "local government agency" means a political subdivision of the state or an agency of a political subdivision of the state;
H. "official act" means an official decision, recommendation, approval, disapproval or other action that involves the use of discretionary authority;
I. "public officer or employee" means any elected or appointed official or employee of a state agency or local government agency who receives compensation in the form of salary or is eligible for per diem or mileage but excludes legislators;
J. "standards" means the conduct required by the Governmental Conduct Act;
K. "state agency" means any branch, agency, instrumentality or institution of the state; and
L. "substantial interest" means an ownership interest that is greater than twenty percent.
1953 Comp., § 5-12-2, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 306, § 2; 1979, ch. 350, § 1; 1993, ch. 46, § 27; 2007, ch. 362, § 1; 2011, ch. 138, § 2.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-3 Ethical principles of public service; certain official acts prohibited; penalty
10-16-3. Ethical principles of public service; certain official acts prohibited; penalty
A. A legislator or public officer or employee shall treat the legislator's or public officer's or employee's government position as a public trust. The legislator or public officer or employee shall use the powers and resources of public office only to advance the public interest and not to obtain personal benefits or pursue private interests.
B. Legislators and public officers and employees shall conduct themselves in a manner that justifies the confidence placed in them by the people, at all times maintaining the integrity and discharging ethically the high responsibilities of public service.
C. Full disclosure of real or potential conflicts of interest shall be a guiding principle for determining appropriate conduct. At all times, reasonable efforts shall be made to avoid undue influence and abuse of office in public service.
D. No legislator or public officer or employee may request or receive, and no person may offer a legislator or public officer or employee, any money, thing of value or promise thereof that is conditioned upon or given in exchange for promised performance of an official act. Any person who knowingly and willfully violates the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a fourth degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978.
1978 Comp., § 10-16-3, enacted by Laws 1993, ch. 46, § 28; 2007, ch. 362, § 2; 2011, ch. 138, § 3.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-3.1 Prohibited political activities
10-16-3.1. Prohibited political activities
A public officer or employee is prohibited from:
A. directly or indirectly coercing or attempting to coerce another public officer or employee to pay, lend or contribute anything of value to a party, committee, organization, agency or person for a political purpose;
B. threatening to deny a promotion or pay increase to an employee who does or does not vote for certain candidates, requiring an employee to contribute a percentage of the employee's pay to a political fund, influencing a subordinate employee to purchase a ticket to a political fundraising dinner or similar event, advising an employee to take part in political activity or similar activities; or
C. violating the officer's or employee's duty not to use property belonging to a state agency or local government agency, or allow its use, for other than authorized purposes.
Laws 2007, ch. 362, § 9; 2011, ch. 138, § 4.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-4 Official act for personal financial interest prohibited; disqualification from official act; providing a penalty
10-16-4. Official act for personal financial interest prohibited; disqualification from official act; providing a penalty
A. It is unlawful for a public officer or employee to take an official act for the primary purpose of directly enhancing the public officer's or employee's financial interest or financial position. Any person who knowingly and willfully violates the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a fourth degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978.
B. A public officer or employee shall be disqualified from engaging in any official act directly affecting the public officer's or employee's financial interest, except a public officer or employee shall not be disqualified from engaging in an official act if the financial benefit of the financial interest to the public officer or employee is proportionately less than the benefit to the general public.
C. No public officer during the term for which elected and no public employee during the period of employment shall acquire a financial interest when the public officer or employee believes or should have reason to believe that the new financial interest will be directly affected by the officer's or employee's official act.
1953 Comp., § 5-12-4, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 306, § 4; 1993, ch. 46, § 29; 2007, ch. 362, § 3; 2011, ch. 138, § 5.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-4.1 Honoraria prohibited
10-16-4.1. Honoraria prohibited
No legislator, public officer or employee may request or receive an honorarium for a speech or service rendered that relates to the performance of public duties. For the purposes of this section, "honorarium" means payment of money, or any other thing of value in excess of one hundred dollars ($100), but does not include reasonable reimbursement for meals, lodging or actual travel expenses incurred in making the speech or rendering the service, or payment or compensation for services rendered in the normal course of a private business pursuit.
Laws 1993, ch. 46, § 38.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-4.2 Disclosure of outside employment
10-16-4.2. Disclosure of outside employment
A public officer or employee shall disclose in writing to the officer's or employee's respective office or employer all employment engaged in by the officer or employee other than the employment with or service to a state agency or local government agency.
Laws 2007, ch. 362, § 10; 2011, ch. 138, § 6.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-4.3 Prohibited employment
10-16-4.3. Prohibited employment
It is unlawful for a state agency employee or local government agency employee who is participating directly or indirectly in the contracting process to become or to be, while such an employee, the employee of any person or business contracting with the governmental body by whom the employee is employed.
Laws 2011, ch. 138, § 1.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-6 Confidential information
10-16-6. Confidential information
No legislator or public officer or employee shall use or disclose confidential information acquired by virtue of the legislator's or public officer's or employee's position with a state agency or local government agency for the legislator's, public officer's or employee's or another's private gain.
1953 Comp., § 5-12-6, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 306, § 6; 1993, ch. 46, § 30; 2007, ch. 362, § 4; 2011, ch. 138, § 7.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-7 Contracts involving public officers or employees
10-16-7. Contracts involving public officers or employees
A. A state agency shall not enter into a contract with a public officer or employee of the state, with the family of the public officer or employee or with a business in which the public officer or employee or the family of the public officer or employee has a substantial interest unless the public officer or employee has disclosed through public notice the public officer's or employee's substantial interest and unless the contract is awarded pursuant to a competitive process; provided that this section does not apply to a contract of official employment with the state. A person negotiating or executing a contract on behalf of a state agency shall exercise due diligence to ensure compliance with the provisions of this section.
B. Unless a public officer or employee has disclosed the public officer's or employee's substantial interest through public notice and unless a contract is awarded pursuant to a competitive process, a local government agency shall not enter into a contract with a public officer or employee of that local government agency, with the family of the public officer or employee or with a business in which the public officer or employee or the family of the public officer or employee has a substantial interest.
C. Subsection B of this section does not apply to a contract of official employment with a political subdivision. A person negotiating or executing a contract on behalf of a local government agency shall exercise due diligence to ensure compliance with the provisions of this section.
1953 Comp., § 5-12-7, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 306, § 7; 1983, ch. 90, § 1; 1989, ch. 264, § 26; 1993, ch. 46, § 31; 2007, ch. 362, § 5; 2009, ch. 66, § 11; 2011, ch. 138, § 8.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-8 Contracts involving former public officers or employees; representation of clients after government service
10-16-8. Contracts involving former public officers or employees; representation of clients after government service
A. A state agency shall not enter into a contract with, or take any action favorably affecting, any person or business that is:
(1) represented personally in the matter by a person who has been a public officer or employee of the state within the preceding year if the value of the contract or action is in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000) and the contract is a direct result of an official act by the public officer or employee; or
(2) assisted in the transaction by a former public officer or employee of the state whose official act, while in state employment, directly resulted in the agency's making that contract or taking that action.
B. A former public officer or employee shall not represent a person in the person's dealings with the government on a matter in which the former public officer or employee participated personally and substantially while a public officer or employee.
C. A local government agency shall not enter into a contract with, or take any action favorably affecting, any person or business that is:
(1) represented personally in the matter by a person who has been a public officer or employee of that local government agency within the preceding year if the value of the contract or action is in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000) and the contract is a direct result of an official act by the public officer or employee; or
(2) assisted in the transaction by a former public officer or employee of that political subdivision of the state whose official act, while in employment with that political subdivision of the state, directly resulted in the agency's making that contract or taking that action.
D. For a period of one year after leaving government service or employment, a former public officer or employee shall not represent for pay a person before the state agency or local government agency at which the former public officer or employee served or worked.
1953 Comp., § 5-12-8, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 306, § 8; 1983, ch. 90, § 2; 1993, ch. 46, § 32; 2011, ch. 138, § 9.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-9 Contracts involving legislators; representation before state agencies
10-16-9. Contracts involving legislators; representation before state agencies
A. A state agency shall not enter into a contract for services, construction or items of tangible personal property with a legislator, the legislator's family or with a business in which the legislator or the legislator's family has a substantial interest unless the legislator has disclosed the legislator's substantial interest and unless the contract is awarded in accordance with the provisions of the Procurement Code [13-1-28 to 13-1-199 NMSA 1978], except the potential contractor shall not be eligible for a sole source or small purchase contract. A person negotiating or executing a contract on behalf of a state agency shall exercise due diligence to ensure compliance with the provisions of this subsection.
B. Except as provided in Subsection C of this section, a legislator shall not appear for, represent or assist another person in a matter before a state agency, unless that appearance, representation or assistance is provided without compensation.
C. A legislator may appear for, represent or assist another person in a matter before a state agency when the legislator is an attorney or other professional who is making that appearance or providing that representation or assistance while engaged in the conduct of that legislator's profession. That legislator shall not:
(1) make references to the legislator's legislative capacity except as to matters of scheduling; or
(2) use legislative stationery, legislative email or any other indicia of the legislator's legislative capacity.
D. A legislator shall not make direct or indirect threats related to legislative actions in any instance in which the legislator appears for, represents or assists another person in a matter before a state agency.
1953 Comp., § 5-12-9, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 306, § 9; 1989, ch. 143, § 1; 1993, ch. 46, § 33; 2007, ch. 362, § 6; 2023, ch. 3, § 1.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-11 Codes of conduct
10-16-11. Codes of conduct
A. Each elected statewide executive branch public officer shall adopt a general code of conduct for employees subject to the officer's control. The New Mexico legislative council shall adopt a general code of conduct for all legislative branch employees. The general codes of conduct shall be based on the principles set forth in the Governmental Conduct Act.
B. Within thirty days after the general codes of conduct are adopted, they shall be given to and reviewed with all executive and legislative branch officers and employees. All new public officers and employees of the executive and legislative branches shall review the employees' general code of conduct prior to or at the time of being hired.
C. The head of every executive and legislative agency and institution of the state may draft a separate code of conduct for all public officers and employees in that agency or institution. The separate agency code of conduct shall prescribe standards, in addition to those set forth in the Governmental Conduct Act and the general codes of conduct for all executive and legislative branch public officers and employees, that are peculiar and appropriate to the function and purpose for which the agency or institution was created or exists. The separate codes, upon approval of the responsible executive branch public officer for executive branch public officers and employees or the New Mexico legislative council for legislative branch employees, govern the conduct of the public officers and employees of that agency or institution and, except for those public officers and employees removable only by impeachment, shall, if violated, constitute cause for dismissal, demotion or suspension. The head of each executive and legislative branch agency shall adopt ongoing education programs to advise public officers and employees about the codes of conduct. All codes shall be filed with the state ethics commission and are open to public inspection.
D. Codes of conduct shall be reviewed at least once every four years. An amended code shall be filed as provided in Subsection C of this section.
E. All legislators shall attend a minimum of two hours of ethics continuing education and training developed and provided, in consultation with the director of the legislative council service, by the state ethics commission or a national state legislative organization of which the state is a member, approved by the director, biennially.
1953 Comp., § 5-12-11, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 306, § 11; 1969, ch. 93, § 1; 1993, ch. 46, § 34; 2003, ch. 33, § 1; 2019, ch. 86, 23.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-11.1 State agency or local government agency authority
10-16-11.1. State agency or local government agency authority
Nothing in the Governmental Conduct Act shall be construed to preclude a state agency or local government agency from adopting and publishing ordinances, rules or standards that are more stringent than those required by the Governmental Conduct Act.
Laws 2011, ch. 138, § 13.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-13 Prohibited bidding
10-16-13. Prohibited bidding
No state agency or local government agency shall accept a bid or proposal from a person who directly participated in the preparation of specifications, qualifications or evaluation criteria on which the specific competitive bid or proposal was based. A person accepting a bid or proposal on behalf of a state agency or local government agency shall exercise due diligence to ensure compliance with this section.
1953 Comp., § 5-12-13, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 306, § 13; 2007, ch. 362, § 7; 2011, ch. 138, § 10.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-13.1 Education and voluntary compliance
10-16-13.1. Education and voluntary compliance
A. The state ethics commission shall advise and seek to educate all persons required to perform duties under the Governmental Conduct Act of those duties. This includes advising all those persons at least annually of that act's ethical principles.
B. The state ethics commission shall seek first to ensure voluntary compliance with the provisions of the Governmental Conduct Act. A person who violates that act unintentionally or for good cause shall be given ten days' notice to correct the matter. Referrals for civil enforcement of that act shall be pursued only after efforts to secure voluntary compliance with that act have failed.
1978 Comp., § 10-16-13.1, enacted by Laws 1993, ch. 46, § 35; 2019, ch. 86, § 24.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-13.2 Certain business sales to the employees of state agencies and local government agencies prohibited
10-16-13.2. Certain business sales to the employees of state agencies and local government agencies prohibited
A. A public officer or employee shall not sell, offer to sell, coerce the sale of or be a party to a transaction to sell goods, services, construction or items of tangible personal property directly or indirectly through the public officer's or employee's family or a business in which the public officer or employee has a substantial interest, to an employee supervised by the public officer or employee. A public officer or employee shall not receive a commission or shall not profit from the sale or a transaction to sell goods, services, construction or items of tangible personal property to an employee supervised by the public officer or employee. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply if the supervised employee initiates the sale. It is not a violation of this subsection if a public officer or employee, in good faith, is not aware that the employee to whom the goods, services, construction or items of tangible personal property are being sold is under the supervision of the public officer or employee.
B. A public officer or employee shall not sell, offer to sell, coerce the sale of or be a party to a transaction to sell goods, services, construction or items of tangible personal property, directly or indirectly through the public officer's or employee's family or a business in which the public officer or employee has a substantial interest, to a person over whom the public officer or employee has regulatory authority.
C. A public officer or employee shall not receive a commission or profit from the sale or a transaction to sell goods, services, construction or items of tangible personal property to a person over whom the public officer or employee has regulatory authority.
D. A public officer or employee shall not accept from a person over whom the public officer or employee has regulatory authority an offer of employment or an offer of a contract in which the public officer or employee provides goods, services, construction, items of tangible personal property or other things of value to the person over whom the public officer or employee has regulatory authority.
Laws 2007, ch. 362, § 8; 2011, ch. 138, § 11.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-13.3 Prohibited contributions; financial service contractors
10-16-13.3. Prohibited contributions; financial service contractors
A. A business that contracts with a state agency or local government agency to provide financial services involving the investment of public money or issuance of bonds for public projects shall not knowingly contribute anything of value to a public officer or employee of that state agency or local government agency who has authority over the investment of public money or issuance of bonds, the revenue of which is used for public projects in the state.
B. A public officer or employee of a state agency or local government agency that has authority over the investment of public money or issuance of bonds, the revenue of which is used for public projects in the state, shall not knowingly accept a contribution of anything of value from a business that contracts with that state agency or local government agency to provide financial services involving the investment of public money or issuance of bonds for public projects.
C. For the purposes of this section:
(1) "anything of value" means any money, property, service, loan or promise, but does not include food and refreshments with a value of less than one hundred dollars ($100) consumed in a day; and
(2) "contribution" means a donation or transfer to a recipient for the personal use of the recipient, without commensurate consideration.
Laws 2007, ch. 362, § 11; 2011, ch. 138, § 12.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-14 Enforcement procedures
10-16-14. Enforcement procedures
A. The state ethics commission may investigate suspected violations of the Governmental Conduct Act and forward its findings and evidence to the attorney general, district attorney or appropriate state agency or legislative body for enforcement. If a suspected violation involves the office of the state ethics commission, the attorney general may enforce that act. If a suspected violation involves the office of the attorney general, a district attorney may enforce that act.
B. Violation of the provisions of the Governmental Conduct Act by any legislator is grounds for discipline by the appropriate legislative body.
C. If the state ethics commission determines that there is sufficient cause to file a complaint to remove from office a public officer removable only by impeachment, the commission shall refer the matter to the house of representatives of the legislature. If within thirty days after the referral the house of representatives has neither formally declared that the charges contained in the complaint are not substantial nor instituted hearings on the complaint, the state ethics commission shall make public the nature of the charges but shall make clear that the merits of the charges have never been determined. Days during which the legislature is not in session shall not be included in determining the thirty-day period.
D. Violation of the provisions of the Governmental Conduct Act by any public officer or employee, other than those covered by Subsection C of this section, is grounds for discipline, including dismissal, demotion or suspension. Complaints against executive branch employees may be filed with the agency head and reviewed pursuant to the procedures provided in the Personnel Act. Complaints against legislative branch employees may be filed with and reviewed pursuant to procedures adopted by the New Mexico legislative council. Complaints against judicial branch employees may be filed and reviewed pursuant to the procedures provided in the judicial personnel rules. Complaints against employees subject to the State Ethics Commission Act [Chapter 10, Article 16G NMSA 1978] may also be filed with the state ethics commission, which shall determine whether to forward a complaint to the appropriate state agency or investigate the complaint on its own.
E. Subject to the provisions of this section, the provisions of the Governmental Conduct Act may be enforced by the state ethics commission. Except as regards legislators, state employees or statewide elected officials, a district attorney in the county where a person who allegedly violated the provisions resides or where an alleged violation occurred may also enforce that act. Enforcement actions may include seeking civil injunctive or other appropriate orders.
1953 Comp., § 5-12-14, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 306, § 14; 1993, ch. 46, § 36; 2019, ch. 86, § 25.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-17 Criminal penalties
10-16-17. Criminal penalties
Unless specified otherwise in the Governmental Conduct Act, any person who knowingly and willfully violates any of the provisions of that act is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment for not more than one year or both. Nothing in the Governmental Conduct Act shall preclude criminal prosecution for bribery or other provisions of law set forth in the constitution of New Mexico or by statute.
Laws 1993, ch. 46, § 37.
NMSA 1978, § 10-16-18 Enforcement; civil penalties
10-16-18. Enforcement; civil penalties
A. If the state ethics commission reasonably believes that a person committed, or is about to commit, a violation of the Governmental Conduct Act, the state ethics commission may refer the matter to the attorney general or a district attorney for enforcement.
B. The state ethics commission may institute a civil action in district court or refer a matter to the attorney general or a district attorney to institute a civil action in district court if a violation has occurred or to prevent a violation of any provision of the Governmental Conduct Act. Relief may include a permanent or temporary injunction, a restraining order or any other appropriate order, including an order for a civil penalty of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) for each violation not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000).
Laws 1995, ch. 153, § 23; 2019, ch. 86, § 26.
Source: New Mexico Compilation Commission (nmonesource.com)URL: https://nmonesource.com/nmos/nmsa-unanno/en/item/18510/index.doFetched: 10/20/2026