Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

TEEAITORNEYGE~~L OF TEXAS Aus-rxiu 11. TEXAS I=RICEDANIEL July 3, 1952 Hon. Robert S. Calvert Comptroller of public Accounts Austin, Texas Opinion No. V-1473 Re: Applicability of H.B. ,753, 52na Legislature, 1951.,relating to ac- countabiiity for State property, to the State Board ofPublIc Account- ancy, the State-Board of Nurse Examiners, and the Dear Sir: State Optometry Board. Your request for an opinion is in part as "I will thank you to advise this ae- partment whether the following state agencies are governed by House Bill No. 753, passed by the Fifty-second Legislature, and whether these agencies are required to account and report tQ the State Comptroller the property each has in its possession as required by Rouse Bill No. 753: State Board of Public Aocountancy; State Optometry Board; Board.of Nurse Examiners." House Bill 753, Acts 52na Leg., R.S. 1951, ch. 356, p. 602 (Art. 6252-6, V.C.S.) defines "agency" as follows: "'Agency' shall include any State de- partment, agency, board or other instrumen- tality, whether it is financed in whole or in part by funds appropriated by the Leg- islature or not; but shall not include local political subdivisions of the State, such as f counties, cities, towqs; school districts, flood control districts, irrigations districts, and the like." Hon. Robert S. Calvert.,page 2 (V-1473) This office held in'Attorney Qeneral's Opinion V-1443 (1952) that the definition of agency" included such instrumentalities as the Daughters of the Republic, the Daughters of the Confederacy, the San Jacinto Museum of History'Association, the Battleship Texas Commission of Texas, and the State Board of C~ontrol. The Texas State Board oftPublic Accountancy was created originally in 1915 by the Legislature for the purpose of regulating publicsaccountants. S.B. 222,'Acts'34th Leg., R.S. 1915, ch. 122, p. 184, super- seded by S.B. 176 Acts 49th Leg., R.S. 1945, Ch. 315, py'517 (now Art. $la, V.C.S.). The State Board of~optometry was created by the Legislature in 1921 for-the purpose of regulating the practice of optometry. S.B. 50, Acts 37th Le 1st C.S. 1931j ch.'51, p. 159.(now Arts. 4552-456& V.C.S.). The Board of Nurse Examiners for-the State of Texas was created by the Legislature in 1923 for the ,purposeof regulating~the'practide of professional nursing. S.B. 40,~Acts 38th.Leg., R.S. 1923';ch. 183, p'.415 (now.Arts. 4513-4528b;V.C.S;). ThenLegislature.has prescribed the qualifi- cations, notiers,and dutiesand provided a method of compensationfor the membersof the~respective boards. The defInitionof "agency"~'is'stated iticlear and un* ambiguous language.Bnd includes ~every instrumentality of the State with certain specZfic exceptions.'notap- plicable'to your request. St 'is'thereforeour opinion that House Bill 753 is'applicable to these state agencies',and .theyare~required to.'accountand report to~the State Comptroller the'property each has in its possession,~as required by~House Bill 753- Att'y.~Gen. op:v-1443' (1951). SUMMARY House Bill 753, &ti 52nd Le:., R.S. 1951, ch. 356, p. 602 (Art: 6252- , V.C.S,.) establishing an accounting system for State property, is applicable to'the Texas State Board of.Public Accountancy, the Texas State ',Boardof Optometry, and the Board of~Nurse Hon. Robert S. Calvert, page 3 (V-1473) Examiners for the State of Texas. They are required to account and report to the State Comptroller of Publia Accounts the property each has in its possession as required by the act. Att'y, Gen. Op. V-1443 (1951). Yours very truly, APPROVEP: PRICE DANIEL Attorney General J. C. Davis.> Jr. County Affairs Division E. Jacobson Reviewing Assistant Assistant Charles D. Mathews First Assistant JR:am