Section 6-10-36 - Public money deposits of certain governmental units; distribution; interest. - New Mexico Statutes

6-10-36. Public money deposits of certain governmental units; distribution; interest.

A.     All public money, except that in the custody of the state treasurer, institutions of higher education, technical and vocational institutes, incorporated municipalities and counties that have adopted home rule charters as authorized by the constitution of New Mexico and local school boards that have been designated as boards of finance, shall be deposited in qualified depositories in accordance with the terms of this section or invested as otherwise provided by law.  

B.     Deposits of funds of a governmental unit may be made in noninterest-bearing checking accounts in one or more banks or savings and loan associations designated as checking depositories located within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit.  In addition, deposits of funds may be in noninterest-bearing accounts in one or more credit unions designated as checking depositories located within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit to the extent the deposits are insured by an agency of the United States.  If there is no checking depository within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit, one or more banks, savings and loan associations or credit unions within the county in which the principal office of the governmental unit is located may be so designated, but credit union deposits shall be insured by an agency of the United States. 

C.     Public money placed in interest-bearing deposits in banks and savings and loan associations shall be equitably distributed among all banks and savings and loan associations having their main or staffed branch offices within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit that have qualified as public depositories by reason of insurance of the account by an agency of the United States or by depositing collateral security or by giving bond as provided by law and that desire a deposit of public money pursuant to this section. The deposits shall be in the proportion that each bank's or savings and loan association's deposits bears to the total deposits of all banks and savings and loan associations that have their main office or staffed branch office within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit and that desire a deposit of public money pursuant to this section.  The deposits of the main office of a savings and loan association and its staffed branch offices within the geographical boundaries of a governmental unit is the total deposits of the association multiplied by the percentage that deposits of the main office and the staffed branch offices located within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit are of the total deposits of the association, net of any public fund deposits.  The deposits of each staffed branch office or aggregate of staffed branch offices of a savings and loan association located outside the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit in which the main office is located is the total deposits of the association multiplied by the percentage that deposits of the branch or the aggregate of branches located outside the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit in which the main office is located are of the total deposits of the association, net of any public fund deposits.  The director of the financial institutions division of the regulation and licensing department shall promulgate a formula for determining the deposits of banks' main offices and branches for the purposes of distribution of public money as provided for by this section.  

D.     Public money may be placed at the discretion of the designated board of finance or treasurer in  interest-bearing deposits in credit unions having their main or staffed branch offices within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit to the extent the deposits are insured by an agency of the United States. 

E.     The rate of interest for all public money deposited in interest-bearing accounts in banks, savings and loan associations and credit unions shall be set by the state board of finance, but in no case shall the rate of interest be less than one hundred percent of the asked price on United States treasury bills of the same maturity on the day of deposit.  Any bank or savings and loan association that fails to pay the minimum rate of interest at the time of deposit provided for in this subsection for any respective deposit forfeits its right to an equitable share of that deposit under this section. 

If the deposit is part or all of the proceeds of a bond issue and the interest rate prescribed in this subsection materially exceeds the rate of interest of the bonds, the interest rate prescribed by this subsection shall be reduced on that deposit to an amount not materially exceeding the interest rate of the bonds if the bond issue would lose its tax-exempt status pursuant to the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. 

F.     Public money in excess of that for which banks, savings and loan associations and credit unions within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit have qualified may be deposited in qualified depositories in other areas within the state under the same requirements for payment of interest as if the money were deposited within the geographical boundaries of the governmental unit or may be invested as provided by law. 

G.     The department of finance and administration may monitor the deposits of public money by governmental units to assure full compliance with the provisions of this section.