Construction; definitions.

A. None of the provisions of the New Mexico Small Loan Act of 1955 [Chapter 58, Article 15 NMSA 1978] are amended or repealed by the New Mexico Bank Installment Loan Act of 1959. B. None of the provisions of the New Mexico Bank Installment Loan Act of 1959 apply to the assignment or purchase of retail installment contracts originated under the provisions of Sections 58-19-1 through 58-19-14 NMSA 1978 or originated under the provisions of Sections 56-1-1 through 56-1-15 NMSA 1978. C. In the event of a conflict between a requirement of the New Mexico Bank Installment Loan Act of 1959 and a requirement of the Home Loan Protection Act [Chapter 58, Article 21A NMSA 1978], the requirement of the Home Loan Protection Act shall control. D. As used in the New Mexico Bank Installment Loan Act of 1959: (1) "consumer" means a person who resides in New Mexico or who enters into a loan agreement in New Mexico; (2) "consumer reporting agency" means any person that, for monetary fees or dues or on a cooperative nonprofit basis, regularly engages in the practice of assembling or evaluating, and maintaining, for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports to third parties bearing on a consumer's creditworthiness, credit standing or credit capacity, each of the following regarding consumers: (a) public record information; or (b) credit account information from persons who furnish that information regularly and in the ordinary course of business; (3) "debit authorization" means an authorization signed by a consumer to electronically transfer or withdraw funds from the consumer's account for the specific purpose of repaying a loan; (4) "make a loan" means to originate a new loan agreement or to make any change to the terms of an existing loan agreement, including the principal amount financed, the annual percentage rate, finance charge, fees or payment schedule; (5) "month" means one-twelfth of a year; (6) "person" includes an individual, copartner, association, trust, corporation and any other legal entity; (7) "prime rate of interest" means the bank prime loan rate published by the board of governors of the federal reserve system on the last business day of the preceding month; and (8) "year" means three hundred sixty-five days. E. The director of the financial institutions division of the regulation and licensing department shall issue and file as required by law interpretive regulations to effectuate the purposes of the New Mexico Bank Installment Loan Act of 1959. In issuing, amending or repealing interpretive regulations, the director shall issue the regulation amendment or repeal of the regulation as a proposed regulation amendment or repeal of a regulation and file it for public inspection in the office of the director of the financial institutions division. Distribution thereof shall be made to interested persons, and their comments shall be invited. After the proposed regulation has been on file for not less than two months, the director may issue it as a final regulation by filing as required by law. Any person who is or may be adversely affected by the adoption, amendment or repeal of a regulation under this section may file an appeal of that action in the district court in Santa Fe county within thirty days after the filing of the adopted regulation, amendment or repeal as required by law. F. Any person complying with the regulations adopted by the director of the financial institutions division of the regulation and licensing department is deemed to have complied with the provisions of the New Mexico Bank Installment Loan Act of 1959.