Witnesses; subpoenas; service of process.

A. If the department orders a person to appear before it, the department shall compensate the witness one full day's per diem plus mileage as provided for employees in the Per Diem and Mileage Act [10-8-1 to 10-8-8 NMSA 1978]. The state shall pay such compensation out of the motor transportation fee fund pursuant to rules of the department of finance and administration. Witnesses subpoenaed by parties other than the department shall be paid the same compensation by the party issuing the subpoena. B. A person shall not be excused from testifying or producing documentary evidence before the department or a court in obedience to a subpoena of the department issued pursuant to the Motor Carrier Act on the ground that the testimony or documentary evidence required of the person may tend to incriminate the person or subject the person to a penalty. A person shall not be prosecuted or subjected to a penalty for a transaction or matter about which the person may be required to testify or produce documentary evidence; provided that a person testifying shall not be exempt from prosecution and punishment for perjury committed in testifying. A person shall not be required to testify or produce documentary evidence in response to an inquiry not pertinent to a question lawfully before the department or court for determination. C. Upon request of the department, a district court may issue a writ of attachment to a person who fails to comply with a subpoena issued by the department compelling the person to comply with the subpoena. The court shall have the power to punish for contempt in the same manner as for disobedience of a subpoena issued by the court. D. The department may administer an oath, certify to an official act, issue a subpoena and compel the attendance of a witness and the production of evidence in hearings before the department for the purposes provided in the Motor Carrier Act. E. The department may issue and serve process on the person affected by delivering a copy of the process, signed by a member of the department, to the person or to an officer or agent of the person. An employee of the department, a duly authorized law enforcement officer or a person over the age of eighteen who is not a party to the proceeding may serve process and shall return a copy of the process served, with an endorsement of service, to the department. The endorsed process shall be entered into the record of the proceeding and shall be prima facie evidence that the process was duly served. F. The department may in writing authorize an employee or other person to investigate and take testimony regarding a matter pending before the department.