§ NMSA 1978, § 1-19-34.4Education and voluntary compliance; investigations; referrals for enforcement

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.
1-19-34.5
Campaign Practices 1-19-34.6
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 [10-16G-1 to 10-16G-16 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.