A. A licensee shall:

(1) give the director notice in a record signed under penalty of perjury in a form and in a medium prescribed by the director of a proposed change of control within fifteen days after learning of the proposed change of control;

(2) request approval by the director of the proposed change of control; and

(3) submit a nonrefundable fee of two thousand dollars ($2,000) with the notice.

B. After review of a request for approval pursuant to Subsection A of this section, the director may require the licensee to provide in a record signed under penalty of perjury in a form and in a medium prescribed by the director additional information concerning the proposed persons in control of the licensee. The additional information shall be limited to the same types required of the licensee or persons in control of the licensee as part of its original license or renewal application.

C. The director shall approve a request for change of control pursuant to Subsection A of this section if, after investigation, the director determines that the person or group of persons requesting approval has the competence, experience, character and general fitness to operate the licensee or person in control of the licensee in a lawful and proper manner and that the public interest will not be jeopardized by the change of control.

D. When an application for a change of control pursuant to Article 6 [58-32-601 to 58-32-607 NMSA 1978] of the Uniform Money Services Act is complete, the director shall notify the licensee in a record of the date on which the request was determined to be complete and:

(1) the director shall approve or deny the request within one hundred twenty days after that date; or

(2) if the request is not approved or denied within one hundred twenty days after that date:

(a) the request is deemed approved; and

(b) the director shall permit the change of control, pursuant to this section, to take effect as of the first business day after expiration of the one-hundred-twenty-day period.

E. The director, by rule or order, may exempt a person from any of the requirements of Paragraphs (2) and (3) of Subsection A of this section if it is in the public interest to do so.

F. Subsection A of this section does not apply to a public offering of securities.

G. Before filing a request for approval to acquire control of a licensee or person in control of a licensee, a person may request in a record a determination from the director as to whether the person would be considered a person in control of a licensee upon consummation of a proposed transaction. If the director determines that the person would not be a person in control of a licensee, the director shall enter an order to that effect and the proposed person and transaction is not subject to the requirements of Subsections A through C of this section.

History: Laws 2016, ch. 88, § 604.

Effective dates. — Laws 2016, ch. 88, § 1007 makes Laws 2016, ch. 88 effective January 1, 2017.