TEKEATTORNEYGBCNERAL
OF TEXAS
Ausrrnv. %bXLAS 78711
January 7, 1’5’5
The Honorable Bob Armstrong Opinion No. H- 488
Commissioner
General Land Office Re: Whether expenditures for an
Austin, Texas 78701 airplane and automobiles
may be made out of General
Land Office appropriation
Dear Commissioner Armstrong: for travel expenditures.
In article 3 of the current Appropriations Bill the General Land Office
and Veterans Land Board are authorized to maintain and operate one
airplane and two automobiles. Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., ch. 659, p.1992.
However, the Act does not designate the item from which the expenditures
are to be made. The Act provides:
Funds appropriated above may be used to
maintain and operate one airplane.
None of the funds appropriated to the General
Land Office and Veterans! Land Board may be
expended for maintenance, operation or storage
of more than two motor vehicles.
Youhave therefore requested our opinion considering whether such
expenditu,res may be made out of the General Land Office appropriation
for travel expenditures.
It is well established that funds appropriated for one pumose may not be
used for another. Attorney General Opinions v-565 (1948); V-918 (1949);
v-1015 (1950). Accordingly, article 5, section 10 of the Appropriatiore
Act, Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., ch. 659, pa 2202, limits expenditures for con-
summable supplies and materials, current and recurring operating
expense, and capital outlay to those items listed within the Comptroller’s
Manual of Accounts, Expenditure Classification. While no such precise
p. 2211
The Honorable Bob Armstrong, page 2 (H-488)
limitations are placed on travel expenditures, any expenditures made
from that item must in fact be made for the purpose of travel. To the
extent that the vehicles to be operated and maintained are to be used
for travel of department members, this criterim is satisfied. Travel
has been defined as “the making of trips from one locality to another. ”
Attorney General Opinion O-2700 (1940).
There is some indication that the Appropriations Act itself contemplates
the operation and maintenance of departmental vehicles to be within the
travel item by dealing with such operations and maintenance in article 5.
section 17, Travel Regulations. Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., ch. 659, p. 2207.
Having found no contrary indication elsewhere, it is our opinion that
expenditures for the operation and maintenance of General Land Office
vehicles may be made from the travel item where the Legislature has
not designated a particular item from which such expenditures are to be
made and where the vehicles are actually used for that purpose.
SUMMARY
The General Land Office may pay for the
operation and maintenance of its airplane and
two automobiles from the travel item of the
Appropriations Act.
/ / Attorney General of Texas
_-- I--
CNDALL. First Assistant
/
L. ROBERT HEATH, Chairman
Opinion Committee
pe 2212