§ 9-23-6 — Secretary; duties and general powers

A. The secretary is responsible to the governor for the operation of the department. It is the secretary’s duty to manage all operations of the department and to administer and enforce the laws with which the secretary or the department is charged. B. To perform the secretary’s duties, the secretary has every power expressly enumerated in the laws, whether granted to the secretary or the department or any division of the department, except where authority conferred upon any division is explicitly exempted from the secretary's authority by statute. In accordance with these provisions, the secretary shall: (1) except as otherwise provided in the Aging and Long-Term Services 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 secretary deems necessary and appropriate, clearly delineating such delegated authority and the limitations thereto; (3) organize the department into those organizational units the secretary deems will enable it to function most efficiently, subject to 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 secretary’s duties; (5) take administrative action by issuing orders and instructions, not inconsistent with the law, to ensure implementation of and compliance with the provisions of law for whose administration or execution the secretary is responsible and to enforce those orders and instructions by appropriate administrative action in the courts; (6) conduct research and studies that will improve the operations of the department and the provision of services to the citizens 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, record-keeping and related clerical assistance to administratively attached agencies; and (10) appoint, with the governor's consent, for each division, a "director". These appointed positions are exempt from the provisions of the Personnel Act [Chapter 10, Article 9 NMSA 1978]. Persons appointed to these positions shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary. C. The secretary 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. Where functions of departments overlap or a function assigned to one department could better be performed by another department, the secretary may recommend appropriate legislation to the next session of the legislature for its approval. E. The secretary may make and adopt such reasonable procedural rules as may be necessary to carry out the duties of the department and its divisions. A rule promulgated by the director of any division in carrying out the functions and duties of the division shall not be effective until approved by the secretary unless otherwise provided by statute. Unless otherwise provided by statute, no rule affecting any person or agency outside the department shall be adopted, amended or repealed without a public hearing on the proposed action before the secretary or a hearing officer designated by the secretary. The public hearing shall be held in Santa Fe unless otherwise permitted by statute. Notice of the subject matter of the rule, 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 rule, proposed amendment or repeal of an existing rule 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. Rules shall be filed in accordance with the State Rules Act [Chapter 14, Article 4 NMSA 1978].

Legislative History

Laws 2004, ch. 23, § 6.