Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

Court: Texas Attorney General Reports
Date filed: 1985-07-02
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Combined Opinion
                                The Attorney General of Texas
                                                   Novtmber 7. 1985
JIM MATTOX
Attorney General


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                                Mr. Vernon H. ArreL:L                        Opinion No. m-376
                                Commissioner
Audi”. TX. 7071% 2548           Texas Rehabilitatim    Coamlssion            Re:    Whether    article     6252-llc,
5121475.2501                    118 E. Riverside Dr:lve                      V.T.C.S.,  applies to psychologists
T*lrx 0101874.1357
                                Austin. Texas     787134                     who provide dlagnostlc     and restora-
talecopler 512J4750256
                                                                             tion services    directly   to clients
                                                                             of    the     Texas     Rehabilitation
714 Jackson. Sulle 700                                                       Commlssloa
Dallas. TX. 75202-4506
2w742as44
                                Dear Mr. Arrell:

4824 Alberta Ave.. SUitC (80          You state      t’hat the Texas Rehabilitation        Commission provides
El Pnso, TX. 799052793          diagnostic     and re~~toration semices    to clients   as required by federal
915/533.34S4                    law and regulation.,       Among the services    to be provided are psycholo- -.
                                gical services.       I’he commission has arranged with licensed      psycholo-
    ,I Texas, suite 700
                                gists  to provide such services       directly    to the client   at commi5sioa
 nouston, TX. 77002-3111        expense.     See Texas Rehabilitation      Commission. Psychological     Evalua-
 7lY223aSS                      tions 6 Counseling 7. Maximum Affordable            Payment Schedule,   (revised
                                August 1, 1984) (fees for counseling           performed directly   by licensed
                                psychologist).
 806 Broadway, Suite 312
 Lubbock. TX. 79401.3479
 8C6747.5238                          You ask thl? following    question   about     contracting               licensed
                                psychologists to provide diagnostic   and restoration     services             for your
                                clients:
 4309 N. Tenth. Suits 6
 McAll.n. TX. 78501-1685
 512lS82.4547
                                                Do    the    provision5      of    article       6252-11~.
                                             V.T.C.S<. I, ‘Use of Private       Consultants      by State
                                             Agencies I)’ apply to psychological           services    that
  200 M&I Plaza. Suite 4W                    are prov!;ded directly     to clients   of the commission
  San Antonlo, TX. 782052797
                                             for diagnostic    and restoration     services?
  51212254191

                                       Article     625:.-,llc.   V.T.C.S.,     governs the selection           and use of
  An Equal OppOftUnitYl          private   consultants        by state agencies.         V.T.C.S.     art. 6252-11~.   53.
  Alflrmativs Action Employer    It requires       the agency to publish             notice     in the Texas Register
                                 inviting    offers    for consulting      services;      after    the agency contracts
                                 vith    a private      consultant     it must publish           information     about the
                                 contract    in the Texas Register.              Id.    554. 6.       Reports    and other
                                 materials     developed by the cousultant            must be filed        vlth the Texas
                                 State Library and, if requested,           vith the Legislative          Budget Eoard and
                                 the Governor’s Bud:get and Planning Office.                Id.
                                                                                            -     55.




                                                                   p. 1717
Mr. Vernon Il. Arrcll     - pagi, 2   (JM-376) *




      Article 6252-11~. V.¶‘.C.S.,        vas enacted in 1977 and amended in
1979.   Acts 1977, 65th Le&,     ch.       454 at 1185; Acts 1979. 66th Leg.,
ch. 773, art.  98, at 1957.    The       1979 amendmentm were enacted aa part
of Eouae Bill No. 1673, th’c State        Purchasing end General Services Act.
Acta 1979, 66th Leg.,   ch. 773 et        1908.  The caption of Rouse Bill No.
1673 reads aa follows:

           &I Act     rclat$n:$  to  creation  of    the State
           Purcheaing    and Eeneral  Services Commission and
           abolition  of rho State Board of Control.

Id.    The caption     does not mention the ameudments to article      6252-11~.
n.C.S.;.    or the      employwut     of consultants  by state agencies.      The
State Purchasing       and Geneml Services Comisaion       he8 no duties under
article   6252-11~.     V.T.C.S,;;  the purchase of consulting   services  under
that statute     is     express1.y excepted    from the State Purchasing      and
General Services       Act.   V.Y.C.S. art. 601b, 53.01(b)(3).

      Article   III.    section   35 of the Texas ConatltutZou   provides   that

            [n]o bill,     (except   general   epproprlatLon    bills,
            which    may eml race     the    various   subjects      and
            accounts,   for md on accouot of which moueys are
            appropriated)    5'2511 contain more than one subject,
            which shall be expressed in its title.         But if any
            subject   shall he: embraced in aa act, vhich shall
            not be expressoil lo the title,        such act shall be
            void only as to so much thereof,         as shall not be
            so expressed.

 The purpose of this secttoo  is to give notice to the legislature    and
 the people of the subject matter of the proposed law, and thereby to
 prevent passage of a law upon one subject under guise of a title which
 expresses   another.   C. kaymen Construction    Company v.     American
 Indemnity Company, 471T%.2d     564 (Tex. 1971); Gulf Insurance Compaq
 v. James, 185 S.W.2d 966 (,Tex. 1945).

        The cawion       of Eome Bill No. 1673 does not nive notice of the
 provisions      amending article   6252-llc, V.T.C.S.    Se;, e.g., C. Hayman
 Constructioa      Company Y. rkmericaa Indemnity Company, 7          Attorney
 General Opinion VW-225 (:?157).       House Bill No. 1673 there ore violates
 article    III.    section   35 of the Texas Constitution.    and it is void
 insofar as it attempts to amend article         6252-11~. V.T.C.S.  Arnold v.
 Leonard, 273 S.W. 799 (Tsex. 1925).

        Legislative  history   enables us to determine vhy the caption of
 House Bill No. 1673 is deiective.       The bill as introduced had the same
 caption aa the enacted bill.         It did not include the amendments to
 article    6252-11~. V.T.C,.S.,  when introduced   or vhen approved by the




                                         p. 1718
Mr. Vernon H. Arrell       - Page 3    (a-376)




Eouse.     A Senate floor    amendment iocluded   the amendments to article
6252-11~. V.T.C.S.,      in Eoua~~ Bill No. 1673.    Bill File for 8.1). No.
1673, 66th Leg. 1979, Legirilatlve       Reference Library.     The title    of
Rouse Bill No. 1673 wes not rewritten           to encompess the edditioael
material.     The House adopted the Senate amendments snd Eouae Bill No.
1673
__._   carrled
       ---~~~~   the
                  .~~~ same
                       ~~     tith  when finally    enacted  aa when it vas
introduced.     See generally Gulf Insurance Cbmpany V. James. 185 S.W.2d
966 (Tex. 1945): Attorney G