All money derived from the operation of state parks or recreation areas or from the governmental gross receipts tax distributions pursuant to Section 7-1-6.38 NMSA 1978 appropriated to the energy, minerals and natural resources department for state park and recreation capital improvements, or from gifts, donations, bequests or endowments, except as the money may be pledged for the retirement of bonds issued under the State Park and Recreation Bond Act [16-2-20 to 16-2-29 NMSA 1978] or appropriated for state park and recreation purposes by the legislature or acquired from any other source whatsoever, shall not at any time or in any event revert or be transferred to general or other state funds; and such funds shall be used solely for the purpose of acquiring, developing, operating and maintaining state parks or recreation areas and maintenance, operation and expenditures of the state park and recreation division [state parks division] of the energy, minerals and natural resources department, the payment of traveling expenses and salaries of officers, park superintendents and employees and the retirement of state park and recreation bonds. Expenditures shall be made in accordance with budgets approved by the department of finance and administration.

History: Laws 1935, ch. 57, § 16; 1941 Comp., § 4-116; 1953 Comp., § 4-9-18; Laws 1963, ch. 98, § 18; 1965, ch. 14, § 4; 1965, ch. 280, § 11; 1977, ch. 254, § 28; 1987, ch. 234, § 22; 1995, ch. 141, § 22.

Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law.

Laws 1997, ch. 149, § 3 provided that the "state park and recreation division" means the "state parks division". See 9-5A-6.1 NMSA 1978.

Cross references. — For special recreation and museum privileges for veterans and their immediate families on Veteran's Day, see 28-13A-1 NMSA 1978.

The 1995 amendment, effective April 5, 1995, in the first sentence, inserted "or from the governmental gross receipts tax distributions pursuant to Section 7-1-6.38 NMSA 1978 appropriated to the energy, minerals and natural resources department for state park and recreation capital improvements", deleted "department of" preceding "energy", and inserted "department" following "natural resources" near the end of the sentence.

The 1987 amendment, effective July 1, 1987, in the middle of the first sentence substituted "shall not" for "shall be covered into a fund to be known as the 'state park and recreation fund', hereby created, which shall be a revolving fund and no part of which shall," inserted "of the department of energy, minerals and natural resources" near the end of the first sentence and "and the retirement of state park and recreation bonds" at the end of that sentence and made minor changes in language throughout the section.