New Mexico Statutes Chapter 12. Miscellaneous Public Affairs Matters § 12-11-3. Definitions

A. “attack” means any hostile action by an enemy of the United States which is intended to and physically damages citizens or property in the United States;

B. “disaster” means damage or injury, caused by enemy attack, to persons or property in this state of such magnitude that a state of martial law is declared in the state and a disaster emergency is declared by the chief executive officer of the United States and the chief executive officer of this state;

C. “unavailable” means unable, because of death, disability or presumption of death raised by absence from usual place of domicile for unknown causes, to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the office. The appearance of the officer at his place of office will automatically disqualify a disaster successor, and remove the unavailability of the officer;

D. “deputy” means a deputy, assistant or subordinate officer who is authorized under ordinary circumstances to exercise the powers and duties of an office;

E. “disaster successor” means a person possessing the qualifications required of the office, designated pursuant to the Disaster Succession Act to act in the stead of an officer who is unavailable during the period of a disaster.