53-7B-9: Contracts involving public employees.

Except as provided in Section 10 of the New Mexico Research Applications Act, the research applications center shall not enter into any contract involving services or property of a value in excess of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) with an employee of the state or one of its agencies, instrumentalities, institutions or political subdivisions or with a business in which the employee has a controlling interest unless the board makes a determination, in writing, that the employee:

A. is employed by a university;

B. is principally involved in research, public service, economic development or instruction; and

C. is able to provide services that are not readily available from another person or is able to provide services that are less expensive or of higher quality than are otherwise available.