July 29, 19%
Hon. Robert S. Calvert
Comptroller of Fubllc Accounts
Capitol Station
Austin, Texas Opinion No. S-75 1
Re: Valldlty of a contract for
prlntlng and stationery for
the Legislature which ya6
not let on competitive bida
and approved by the Qouernor,
Secretary of State.,and
Comptroller of Public Ac-
counts prior to performance
Dear Wcr Calvert: under said contract.
You have requested an opinion on the following
questions:
"l.~Does the Legitilaturehave $he
authority to provide for s~tatloneryand prlnt-
lng, binding, equipment, and secure repalrs
for the use of the Legislature without the
'"'lettingof a contract upon competitive bids?
"2,.IP contracts must be let for,prlnt-
lng and binding, do they require appro.val
of the Covernor, Secretary of State, and.
Comptroller?
“3. If the above listed Items must be
obtained or performed under contract, doea
Article 616 aleo apply?
"4. After a regular aontract has been
let to the lowest responsible bidder for all
stationery,prlntlng and binding, and the
repa,lrlngand the furnishingthe halla~and
. .
Hon. Robert S. Calvert, page 2 (S-75)
rooms used for the meeting of the Leglsla-
lx+ and Its committees,should the Leglsla- .,
ture disregard the regtilar‘kontkatit
and pur-
chase any or all of the Items,listed above
from a person other than the lowest bidder
in the regular contract and at a price equal
to or less than the price set out In the
regular contract, would the Governor,
.Secretaryof State, and Comptrollerbe author-
ized to approve this last purchase by the
Legislatureand would such approval author-
ize the Issuance of warrants In payment of a
claim for such purchases?"
Section 21 of Article XVI of the Constitution
of Texas, ~provldeti:
"All stationery and printing, except
proelamatlonsand such printing as may be
done at the Deaf,and Dumb Asylum, paper, and
fuel used In t~heLegislatureand other de-
partments of the government, except the
Judicial Department,,shallbe furnished, and
the printing and binding of the laws, journals
*y,and department report,s,and all othe,rprlnt-
lng and bfndlng and the repairing and fur-
nishing the halls and,rooms used for the
meetings of the Legislatureand lts~commlttees,,
shall be performed under ,contrabt,to be'
given to the lowest responslble,bidder,below
such n+xlmum price, and under such regulations,
as shall be preacrlbed by lay,. No member or
offioer of any departmentof the gov.ernment
shall be In any way InterestedIn such con-
tract; and all such contracts shall be sub-
ject to the approval of the Governor, Secre-
tary of State and Comptroller."
The provisions above quoted~are mandatory and
the approval of the Governor, Secretary of State and
Comptroller Is essential to the validity of any contract
govkrned by Its provisions. Teer v. Mcknn, 65 S.W.2d
362 (Tex.Clv.App.1933). In State v. Steck Co..,236
A-.
Hon. Robert S. CBlveet, page, 3,(S-75)
,S.V.2d 866 (Tex.Clv,Apti. 19511 errorrei.) the 00wf held
Invalid a contract for the manufacture of clgarette:,tq
atampe which had note .been let on. a mmpetit~ive .-bid bsrrla
and me not approved,~.by’ thb:.Oo+rnW,, Secretary *of .Btat,e,
and Comptroller. The Court s:tated:
11. , . There the CQurt~f~ur$d ~tl%eEtiw
, .were “I*anufaotured’.; if 80, then the oqn-
pact 3’or their nuihutW,Wre~Creae~reWlmd. .W
be awerd,ed ‘in the manner provided in ~+iPt.
‘, 7047e-1,Set, 3, mpra.. If sprinted, .then
~,.suchcontmat ,wa# required. $0 be 8wmdql fn
the’ manner, ~movlded: IWthat Artiale aq! ,*$a~~,,
Art, XVI.,,.sec. 23 ,of ,me conati$ution,. mwrh
.: “A . . .,,,.
!,. .,..I
II. . . . In ~m&ng the $$mtrao*, baiozku&,
..~the ofricera, of ‘th&,Stat;e. .jmild exeralee only
‘: those pouem upnferred on thetu by the law .qi .
the Statue, and the power t,o’make;the son-
,$rac,t., .aa it: war,,mde,. .ia., not ~$ravided !+
that ‘Im, fo&q~,whlqh”reaeon..a ~l@gal.~~~lg8~
,tlon ‘against the Stafe~ was not : oLyBe$sd‘%y
the umiuthoalaed cont$met,., tilid,ap,pe&&W!,&
$m:yaa not grovidod i?or by .,m?-exNting
PO& North :CavaUr Club, a, ;SheM,:.;,
125 GOX. 339, 83 S.N..?d~66Ol..Au&ln
,N&lenal
Bank v.’ Sheppard, 123 'Tex,,
~272~~
71,S42d ~
2421 Nlcholr v. State, 11 TexXiv~iApp., 327,
32 &W.W.‘45% Er&M’.i State v~. .Psrl+ln. ’
Tqx.CIv.App~., 79 S.W.2d143,.Br.Dio.
In ~vliw tir the foregciing qe, at&qW &ii Wu?
tm0 (~0~
~r0iww.:
.*
l., The Legislature doer no+ have authoritY t;o
provide for stationery and printing,. binding, QQIPipauti~~
and repairs Sclr the we ot the I@girl,atW?e Withput. ,%&O
letting of a c.ontraot upon oom&iz,$abl,@. N+C@I&,
hart, XVI, Seo.21; Teer. V, MC 1 &tiate v.~ S&a*
co., aupra.
2. Such contrapts mua* b@ ~approyad ,by .&he
Governor, Sewetary of estate and ComptrolJej?,. ?peSr Q ~.
McOsnn, supra. .
.,’
‘\
. f
*:
._
-
Bon. Robert S. Calver,t,page 4 (.S-75).
,~’
s 3,*-Article 616; Vernon’s ~~.tii’l Statutee; ap-
pl~les@ ,suohcontrac~ts for printing and atatlonery. How-
ever, the CoinptrQ43er can only ,approve:suohacoounts.if
the contract‘Wet+“th.e requiremeats of Se&&n 21’of :Article
XVI of the Constitutionof Texas.
,-
‘. : ~4.’ Supplies,atidse,rvicesenumerated.inSection
21 ‘of Article XVI bf:the Constitutiono’f.Texas‘.oannot be
purcha,sed,,
from~anyone ,whodde~snot hold a ootiract there-
for which has been let on competitivebids and which has
been approved by the Governor, Secretary of .State,and
ComptrolY.f3, even though’,the price’pa~idWnot In excess
of the ‘regulardo,ntractprice then lriforce ,for similar
supplies. and.zaez%Lces. If additional sup&ies or services
not covered by th,eoriginal contrac.tare needed, 8,new
contract must be entered into for such addltlonal suppl,les
or services in.compliancewith Section 21 of,Article XVI of
the Cotisti.tut$o$‘~ ‘State, %?.~’
~S$eckCo.., ,suwa.
. .sup@f&qy ~:. .: ~‘~
.,, :’
Section 21.of.Art+zle m, ‘of’ th&o&stl-
tution ef Teixasrequires that statxiwqry.and’
prin,ting, ;bbitid,ing,
and the’repa.ir*ng, and.furnish-
ing of ~thi? ~:hal,ls
and rooms used,for meCinga. of
the’Legi~slature ,be.‘furnishedby the l$&Wtig~of
con.traM% o;zi oompetiti.ve bids ~jindthat Che con-
Wacta ‘be, approved by.1th.e~Governor,Secretary ::
of Sta.tearidCoinptroll.er. ~‘,
,‘.’
APPROVED:
~>>, .,.I~.,.y,,
B. Duncan Davis
County Affairs Division
‘;
Mary E. Wall
Reviewer
‘~
Robert S.,Trot&. ,
First Assistant
John Ben,Shepperd
AttorneysGjneral.
JR:am
.: