The Attorney General of Texas
Febmary 21. 1986
JIM MATTOX
Attorney General
Supreme Court BulldIng Mr. Max-An J. Tltzmu~ opinionNo. Jn-445
P. 0. Box 1m ExecutiveDirector
A”stin. TX. 78711. 2543 Texas SurplusPropertyAgency Re: Whether the Texas Surplus
512l4752501 P. 0. Box 8120 Property Board may make purchases
Telex wom7413S7
Telecopier 5121475aS8
San Antonio.Texas 78208 from the trust fund created by
article6252-6b,V.T.C.S.,without
approval by the State Purchasing
714 Jackson. Suite 700 and General ServicesCommission
oauel* TX. 752024506
214R42-S944
Dear Mr. Tltxman:
4S24 AIberIa Ave.. Suite 180 You ask whctht?lcpurchseesby the Texas Surplus Property Agency
El Paso. TX. 79905.2793 which are paid foi Erom its Service Charge Trust Fund are subjectto
915633-3484 purchasingand appz,ovalproceduresof the Starr Purchasingand General
ServicesCommissior.under article601b, V.T.C.S.
1001 Texas, suite 700
HOUI~M). TX. 770029111 Section 3.01 oE the State Purchasingand General Services Acr,
7131223-5886 codifiedas srtlcla:
601b, V.T.C.S.,providesin pertinentpart, that
(a) %a [StatePurchasingand General Services
SW Broadway, Suite 312
Lubbock, TX. 79401-3479
Commissions]
shall purchase,lease, rent, or other-
8081747-5238 wise acquire all supplies, materials, services,
and equipment for all state agencies, except for
serial rend journal subscriptionsfor libraries
4309 N. Tenth. Suite B
MeAllen. TX. 78501~lSS5
operated as a part of university system or
512m24547
institutionsof higher education.. . . (Emphasis
added).
200 MOhl Plaza, sutte 400 Section l.OZ::!)of article 601b defines a “state agency" to
ssn Antonlo. TX.782052797 includeany depart,ment.commission,board, office, or other agency In
512/225-4191
the executivebranch of state governmentcreated by the constitution
or a statute of this state. In our opinion, the Texas Surplus
An Equal OppOrtU!Iit,‘l Property Agency, created by article 6252-6b, V.T.C.S., is a state
Affirmative Action SmPloYer agency within that definition. As such, the Texas Surplus Property
Agency is subject to the applicable provisions of article 601b
relating to the purchase of supplies, materials, services, and
equipmentunless ,%nexceptionhas been made by the legislature. Cf.
AttorneyGeneral@inion MW-177 (1980) (HigherEducationAuthorityG
an agency in cxec~a:ive
branch of state governmentand, therefore,not
subjectto artlclo601b).
p. 2020
Mr. Narvin 3. Titzmak- Paga 2 (JM-445)
.
Where the legislature,mskesno exceptionto the provisionsof a
statute, the presumptionis that it intended no exceptions. It is
well settled that exceptionsin statutes are not ordinarilyimplied.
See Spears v. City of San Antonio, 223 S.W. 166. 169 (Tax. 1920);
sbbs v. Lowrey's Heirs, -253 S.W.2d 312, 313 (Tex. Civ. App. -
Eastland 1952,writ ref'd n.r.e.).
Section 3.02 of article 601b expressly limits the State
Purchasing and General Selvlces Commission'spurchasing authority.
Such authoritydoes not exttmd to purchases
(1) for resale;
(2) for auxil::ary
enterprises;
(3) for organized activities relating to
instructional dep,srtmeutsof institutions of
higher learning ttudsimilar activitiesof other
state agencies;01:
(4) from gifts or grants other than federal
grants.
Section 4(g) of article 621;2:-6b
expresslygrants an exemptionto the
Texas Surplus PropertyAgemy from the provisionsof sections8.01 -
8.10 and 9.01 - 9.15 of article601b, which provisionsrelate,respec-
tively, to accountingfor state property and to surplus and salvage
property of the state. Article 6252-6b containsno exewptionfor the
Surplus Property Agency from the provisions of article 601b that
relate to the purchasingof supplies,waterials,services,and equip-
ment for all state agencies.
Neither of the acts :lnquestion contains a specific exemption
applicable to purchasesmde by the Surplus Property Agency or to
purchases that are paid from the agency's trust fund. Cf. Attorney
General Opinion JM-417 (l!@S). Certain provisions of xcle 601b
relatingto the approvaland paymentof invoicesand purchasevouchers
way not be applicableto purchaseswade from the agency'strust fund,
but we find no indicatiou of a legislative Intent to exempt the
Surplus Property Agency frm the applicablepurchasingprovisionsof
article 601b. See Attormy General Opinion E-138 (1973) (Board of
Control to makepurchases paid from ArchitectsRegistrationFund No.
109); M-1067 (1972) (no provision in statute that would exempt
LegislativePropertyTax Committeefrom requirementthat purchasesbe
wade by Board of Control under prior purchasingact -- i.e.. srt.
664-3.V.T.C.S.). Cf. V.T.C.S.art. 4442c, §6C(j),(where legislature
expressly providesthat State Purchasing and General Services Act
(article601b) does not apply to paymentswade from the nursing home
trust fund by a trusteeoperatinga nursinghome).
p. 2021
r- Mr. Marvin J. Titman - Page 3 (Jh-443)
I
SUMMARY
Purchasesof t:upplies,materials,servicesand
lquipeentby the Isxas SurplusPropertyAgency are
not lxenpt from epplicablepurchasingprovisions
of the State Purch,ssing
and GeneralServicesAct.
J+.-JJL
Very ruly your ,
.
JIM HATTOX
AttorneyGeneralof Texas
JACR HIGETOWER
First AssistantAttorneyGen,sral
MARY KELLER
ExecutiveAssistantAttorneyGeneral
ROBERT GRAY
SpecialAssistsatAttorneyGeneral
RICK GILPIN
Chairman.OpinionComittee
Preparedby Nancy Sutton
AssistantAttorneyGeneral
p. 2022