Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

THE ATI-ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS Doctor Bevlngton Reed Opinion No. H- 1221 Commlealoner, Coordinating Board Texae College and~university System Re: Authority of the P. O. BOX 12788, Capitol Statlon Coordinating Board Austin, Texas ‘78711 to contract with Huston-Tllloteon College, a private church related college, for the purpose of providing work for student= eligible to participate In the College-Work Study Programe at that Dear Doctor Reed: Institution? We quote from your opinion request concerning the above captioned matter: "Chapter 1 of Title 45, Part 175, of the code of Federal Regulations provided a College Work-Study Program 'to stimulate part-time em- ployment of,students, particularly thoee from low income families3 who are In need of the earnings from euch employment In order to pursue courses of study at eligible Institutions. "Administration of the program Is limited to 'educational lnetltutions where teaching la conducted and which have an Identity of their own.' "Work-Study Programs may operate 'under an lnstltutlon~l agreement for the part-time em- ployment of students and may Involve work,for the Institution itself or work for a public or private ~od~~~o"r.P~~~~nr~~"h":O?ng.t;a~n~~ $uhal%.ons of Title 45, Public Welfare, ae quoted In Federal Register Volume 34, No. 91, Tuesday, May 13, 1969.) -5987- Doctor Hevlngton Reed, page 2 (M-1221) "Hueton-Tlllotson College of Austin, Texas, a private church-related college, participates In the College Work-Study Program a8 an eligible Institution. "The Coordinating Board, Texas College and University System, proposes to contract with Hueton-Tlllotson College 80 that students eligible for the College Work-Study Program atthat ln- stltutlon would provide service8 to the Coordinating Hoard, Texas College and University System, which Is a state agency. Such students will be employees of Huston-Tillotson College. The~Coordlnating Hoard will furnish work stations and reimburse- ment to Huston-Tlllotson College for 20 percent of the students' salary for time actually worked. "A copy of the proposed contract and of the Federal Regulations are enclosed for your con- venience. "Can the Coordinating Hoard, Texas College and University System, contract with Huston- ?LL7&+~~~,%XB.~%, % rlpLv.a.t& churc~h-relatedcollege, for the purpose of providing work for students eligible to participate In the College Work- Study Program at that Institution?" Section 61.067 of the Texa8 Education Code Is specific on the contractual authority of the Coordinating Hoard. It reads: 'In achieving the goals outlined in this chapter and in performing the functions assigned to it, the board may contract with any other state governmental agency as authorized by law, with any agency of the Unlted~States, and with corporations and individuals. . ." This office, in Attorney General Opinion No. M-373 (1969) upheld the power of the legislature to authorize the Coordinating Board to enter Into various contracts for the maintenance and operation of state Institutions of higher education. -5988- . Doctor Revlngton Reed, page~3 (M-1221) The parties to the proposed contract you have submitted are the Coordinating Board and Ku&ton-Tillotson College, a private church related corporation. Section 61.064 of the Texas Education Code expresely recognizes the authority of the Coordinating Board to enter lnto.contracts and cooperative undertakings with private colleges and unlver- slties. The Board Is required, among other things, to enlist their cooperation “In developing a statewide plan for the orderly growth of the Texas system of higher education,” including the authority to “enter Into coopera- tive undertakings with those institutions on a shared-cost basis.” The Board “shall cooperate with those private institutions, within statutory and co?stltutlonal llmlta- tions, to achieve the purposes of this chapter.” .Under Section 61.068 of the Texas Education Code, the foordinating Board I@ given express authority grants and donations of personal property ~from an individual, group, aseoclatlon, or corporatdthe on United States. .,.’ One of the chief goals or purposes of the chapter, the Higher Education Coordinating Act of 1965 (Section 61.002, Texas Education Code),18 that of establlahlng, in the field of public higher education in the State, the Coordinating Board, “an agency to provide leadership and coordination for the Texas higher education system. . . to the end that the State of Texas may achieve excellence for college education of its youth through the efficient and effective utilization and concentration of all avallable~ resources. . . The Board “shall represent the highest authority in the state in mattere of public higher education.” Section 61.051, Texas Education Code. The avowed purpose of the federal College Work-Study program, In which the Coordinating Board and Huston-Tlllotson College of Austin, Texas, propose by contract to participate, is educational and Is a public, governmental purpose. The fact that the students at Huston-Tlllotson, a church-related college will be receiving remuneration in consideration of their employment does not violate the separation of church and state doctrine of Article 1, Section 7, Texas Constl- tutlon, nor the prohibition of grant@ of public funds to individuals of Article III, Section 51, Texas Constitution. -5989- , Doctor Bevington Reed, page 4 (M-1221) We believe the federal law and the purposed contract as aubmltttd meet the test of the U. S. Supreme Court of having . . . a secular legislative purpose and a primary effect that neither advances nor inhibits religion. Everson vs. Board of Education, 374 US 1 (1947). This office, in Attorney General Opinion No. M-861(1971) has so upheld the validity and constitutionality of bills providing for tuition equalization grants. On the other hand, any programs which sought to ex- clude otherwise eligible students from the public employment upon the ground that they might thereby be enabled to pursue a course of study at private church related colleges would, indeed, be discriminatory and Inhibit religion unconstitutionally. The government must not depart from its constitutional duty to remain neutral. The College Work-Study program and contract meet the tests set out in the most recent decision of the United States Supreme Court, since they reflect a proper secular legislative purpose, their primary effect neither advances nor Inhibits religion, the administration of the Act and program does not foster an excessive government entanglement with re- ligion, and their Implementation does not Inhibit the free exercise of religion. See Lemmon v. Kertzman,$;3 z.;. 602, 612-613(1971); Tllton v. Richardson, 403 (19711, and Attorney General Opinion No. M-1036(1&2 7 . In view of the foregoing considerations, It is our opinion that the Coordinating Board may enter Into the proposed contract with Huston-Tillotson College for the purpose of providing work for students eligible to parti- cipate in the College Work-Study Program at that lnstitu- tlon. -SUMMARY- The Coordinating Hoard has the legal auth- ority to contract with Huston-Tillotson College, at Austin, Texas, a private church-related college, for the secular legislative public purpose of providing work for students eligible to partl- clpate In the federal College Work-Study Program at that Institution. There Is no violation of -5990- . , Doctor Elevlngton.Reed,page 5 (M-1221) the separation of church and state doctrine of Article I, Section 7, Texas Constitution, or the prohibition of public funds to lndlvlduale of Article III, Section 51, Texas Constitution; nor ie there any violation of the federal constitution, there being no Inhibition or advancement of religion or the fostering of excessive government entangle- ment with religion. Attor General of Texas Prepared by: Kerns Taylor Assistant Attorney General APPROVZD: OPINION COMMITTEE W. E. Allen, Acting Chairman J. C. Davis Melvin Corley Jack Goodman Robert Flowers SAMUEL D. MCDANIEL Staff Legal Assistant ALFRED WALKER Executive Assistant NOLA WHITE First Assistant -5991-