2014 New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 75 - Miscellaneous Natural Resource Matters
Section 1 Rural Infrastructure
Section 75-1-3 Fund created; administration; emergency fund.

A. A special fund is created to be known as the "rural infrastructure revolving loan fund". Money appropriated to the fund or to the department to carry out the provisions of the Rural Infrastructure Act [75-1-1 NMSA 1978] may be used to make loans and grants to local authorities, individually or jointly, for water supply, wastewater or solid waste facilities. Appropriations made to the fund but not expended at the end of the fiscal year for which appropriated shall not revert to the general fund but shall accrue to the credit of the fund. Earnings on the balance in the fund shall be credited to the fund. In addition, when the proceeds from the issuance of severance tax bonds appropriated to the fund are deposited in the state treasury, interest earned on that money during the period from deposit in the state treasury until the actual transfer of the money to the fund shall be credited to the fund.

B. Ten percent of any appropriation to the fund or to the department to carry out the provisions of the Rural Infrastructure Act shall be set aside for emergency grants and loans pursuant to Section 75-1-5 NMSA 1978.

C. All water supply, wastewater and solid waste facilities shall be designed in compliance with the engineering requirements established by the secretary after consulting with and considering the recommendations of the professional engineering societies operating in New Mexico. The secretary shall also establish, by regulation, guidelines for the ranking of projects for top priority based on public health needs.

D. The department shall administer the fund and shall make grant and loan disbursements in accordance with the Rural Infrastructure Act. The secretary shall adopt regulations to govern the application procedure and requirements for disbursing grants and loans under the Rural Infrastructure Act, including requirements consistent with the purpose of the act for determining the eligibility and priority of local authorities for such grants and loans.

E. Receipts from the repayment of loans, including loans approved by the state board of finance pursuant to Section 75-1-5 NMSA 1978, shall be deposited in the fund by the department, including receipts from the repayment of loans made pursuant to appropriations to carry out the purposes of the Water Supply Construction Act made prior to the effective date of the Rural Infrastructure Act.

F. Money in the fund is appropriated to the department to carry out the provisions of the Rural Infrastructure Act. The department may allocate up to two percent of the total balance in the fund to pay for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the provisions of the Rural Infrastructure Act. Money allocated for administrative expenses shall be placed in a separate administrative account in the fund to be used solely for administrative expenses, and the department shall at the beginning of the fiscal year determine the projected administrative costs for the year and deposit in the account the appropriate amount; provided that the amount to be deposited does not exceed two percent of the total balance in the fund. Money in the account shall remain in the account at the end of a fiscal year.

G. Loans and grants made pursuant to the provisions of the Rural Infrastructure Act shall not be used by the local authority on any project constructed in fulfillment or partial fulfillment of requirements made of a subdivider by the provisions of the Land Subdivision Act [47-5-1 NMSA 1978] or the New Mexico Subdivision Act [47-6-1 NMSA 1978].