New Mexico Statutes Chapter 9. Executive Department § 9-16-6. Superintendent; duties and general powers
Current as of May 06, 2021 | Updated by FindLaw Staff
Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes, a free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw's Learn About the Law.
A. The superintendent is responsible to the governor for the operation of the department. It is the superintendent's duty to manage all operations of the department and to administer and enforce the laws with which the superintendent or the department is charged.
B. To perform the superintendent's duties, the superintendent has every power expressly enumerated in the laws, whether granted to the superintendent or the department or any division of the department, except where authority conferred upon any division is explicitly exempted from the superintendent's authority by statute. In accordance with these provisions, the superintendent shall:
(1) except as otherwise provided in the Regulation and Licensing Department Act, exercise general supervisory and appointing authority over all department employees, subject to any applicable personnel laws and regulations;
(2) delegate authority to subordinates as the superintendent deems necessary and appropriate, clearly delineating such delegated authority and the limitations thereto;
(3) organize the department into those organizational units the superintendent deems will enable it to function most efficiently, subject to any provisions of law requiring or establishing specific organizational units;
(4) within the limitations of available appropriations and applicable laws, employ and fix the compensation of those persons necessary to discharge the superintendent's duties;
(5) take administrative action by issuing orders and instructions, not inconsistent with the law, to assure implementation of and compliance with the provisions of law for whose administration or execution the superintendent is responsible and to enforce those orders and instructions by appropriate administrative action or actions in the courts;
(6) conduct research and studies that will improve the operations of the department and the provision of services to the residents of the state;
(7) provide courses of instruction and practical training for employees of the department and other persons involved in the administration of programs, with the objective of improving the operations and efficiency of administration;
(8) prepare an annual budget of the department;
(9) provide cooperation, at the request of heads of administratively attached agencies, in order to:
(a) minimize or eliminate duplication of services and jurisdictional conflicts;
(b) coordinate activities and resolve problems of mutual concern; and
(c) resolve by agreement the manner and extent to which the department shall provide budgeting, recordkeeping and related clerical assistance to administratively attached agencies;
(10) appoint, with the governor's consent, a “director” for each division. These appointed positions are exempt from the provisions of the Personnel Act. 1 Persons appointed to these positions shall serve at the pleasure of the superintendent;
(11) give bond in the penal sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) and require directors to each give bond in the penal sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) conditioned upon the faithful performance of duties, as provided in the Surety Bond Act. 2 The department shall pay the costs of these bonds; and
(12) require performance bonds of such department employees and officers as the superintendent deems necessary, as provided in the Surety Bond Act. The department shall pay the costs of these bonds.
C. The superintendent may apply for and receive, with the governor's approval, in the name of the department any public or private funds, including United States government funds, available to the department to carry out its programs, duties or services.
D. The superintendent may make and adopt such reasonable and procedural rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the duties of the department and its divisions; provided that where a licensing entity requires submission of fingerprints as part of the initial license application, and a licensee has provided fingerprints and the license has been issued, the licensing entity shall not require a licensee to submit fingerprints again to renew the license, but a licensee shall submit to a background investigation if required; and provided further that the prohibition against requiring additional fingerprints shall not apply to the financial institutions division of the department when utilizing the nationwide multistate licensing system and registry. No rule or regulation promulgated by the director of any division in carrying out the functions and duties of the division shall be effective until approved by the superintendent, unless otherwise provided by statute. Unless otherwise provided by statute, no regulation affecting any person or agency outside the department shall be adopted, amended or repealed without a public hearing on the proposed action before the superintendent or a hearing officer designated by the superintendent. The public hearing shall be held in Santa Fe unless otherwise permitted by statute. Notice of the subject matter of the regulation, the action proposed to be taken, the time and place of the hearing, the manner in which interested persons may present their views and the method by which copies of the proposed regulation, proposed amendment or repeal of an existing regulation may be obtained shall be published once at least thirty days prior to the hearing date in a newspaper of general circulation and mailed at least thirty days prior to the hearing date to all persons who have made a written request for advance notice of hearing. All rules and regulations shall be filed in accordance with the State Rules Act. 3
The following definitions are applicable to this title:
1. “Property” means any money, personal property, real property, computer data, computer program, thing in action, evidence of debt or contract, or any article, substance or thing of value, including any gas, steam, water or electricity, which is provided for a charge or compensation.
2. “Obtain” includes, but is not limited to, the bringing about of a transfer or purported transfer of property or of a legal interest therein, whether to the obtainer or another.
3. “Deprive.” To “deprive” another of property means (a) to withhold it or cause it to be withheld from him permanently or for so extended a period or under such circumstances that the major portion of its economic value or benefit is lost to him, or (b) to dispose of the property in such manner or under such circumstances as to render it unlikely that an owner will recover such property.
4. “Appropriate.” To “appropriate” property of another to oneself or a third person means (a) to exercise control over it, or to aid a third person to exercise control over it, permanently or for so extended a period or under such circumstances as to acquire the major portion of its economic value or benefit, or (b) to dispose of the property for the benefit of oneself or a third person.
5. “Owner.” When property is taken, obtained or withheld by one person from another person, an “owner” thereof means any person who has a right to possession thereof superior to that of the taker, obtainer or withholder.
A person who has obtained possession of property by theft or other illegal means shall be deemed to have a right of possession superior to that of a person who takes, obtains or withholds it from him by larcenous means.
A joint or common owner of property shall not be deemed to have a right of possession thereto superior to that of any other joint or common owner thereof.
In the absence of a specific agreement to the contrary, a person in lawful possession of property shall be deemed to have a right of possession superior to that of a person having only a security interest therein, even if legal title lies with the holder of the security interest pursuant to a conditional sale contract or other security agreement.
6. “Secret scientific material” means a sample, culture, micro-organism, specimen, record, recording, document, drawing or any other article, material, device or substance which constitutes, represents, evidences, reflects, or records a scientific or technical process, invention or formula or any part or phase thereof, and which is not, and is not intended to be, available to anyone other than the person or persons rightfully in possession thereof or selected persons having access thereto with his or their consent, and when it accords or may accord such rightful possessors an advantage over competitors or other persons who do not have knowledge or the benefit thereof.
7. “Credit card” means any instrument or article defined as a credit card in section five hundred eleven of the general business law.
7-a. “Debit card” means any instrument or article defined as a debit card in section five hundred eleven of the general business law.
7-b. “Public benefit card” means any medical assistance card, food stamp assistance card, public assistance card, or any other identification, authorization card or electronic access device issued by the state or a social services district as defined in subdivision seven of section two of the social services law, which entitles a person to obtain public assistance benefits under a local, state or federal program administered by the state, its political subdivisions or social services districts.
7-c. “Access device” means any telephone calling card number, credit card number, account number, mobile identification number, electronic serial number or personal identification number that can be used to obtain telephone service.
8. “Service” includes, but is not limited to, labor, professional service, a computer service, transportation service, the supplying of hotel accommodations, restaurant services, entertainment, the supplying of equipment for use, and the supplying of commodities of a public utility nature such as gas, electricity, steam and water. A ticket or equivalent instrument which evidences a right to receive a service is not in itself service but constitutes property within the meaning of subdivision one.
9. “Cable television service” means any and all services provided by or through the facilities of any cable television system or closed circuit coaxial cable communications system, or any microwave or similar transmission service used in connection with any cable television system or other similar closed circuit coaxial cable communications system.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - New Mexico Statutes Chapter 9. Executive Department § 9-16-6. Superintendent; duties and general powers - last updated May 06, 2021 | https://codes.findlaw.com/nm/chapter-9-executive-department/nm-st-sect-9-16-6.html
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature or via Westlaw before relying on it for your legal needs.
Was this helpful?