Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

x-3 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN . 1 Bonorabls Lon Alsup ~~aoutive Smretary-Dirsotor state Oowal~sion for ths Dlind Jand Offlor wlildiag Austin, Texsa mar Sir: Opinion No. O-7203 Bar Whothr here raqu*etod en opinion fr above subjaot. RDB thlr lrttar, the I \\ ogni%os \>that the the stat4~Eeion n one-thirdor his ation Dfvfeion of and ia antitled to or hia earviao. The LegielA- tho dapmtmntal appropriation n for the Blind Ha balion n applio~ble to the salary or the ry-.Dfreator of th.i.8 agamy. "Cn April 1, 1946, in rsgulsr fmating the State C~mlssion ror Ghe Blind outhorlmd the salary of the 3xeautloe ::*cmtary-Diractor or the State Commiesion for the Blind to ba ploaad at %&,200.00 per mnur~, Honorable Lon Alsup, Fags 2 $2,400.00 to ba l’rom Stoto funds and tha rriuaindar to be paid by lW6ral funda. The Xxroutlrs Seora- tary-DIrector was authorlzstl to submit an amendment on this subject to the Texas State Flan for Vooa- tlonal Rehabllltatlon to the Fudsral olfiar for approval. It was thought that brrorcl the amendment to tha Texas State Plan for Vooatlonal RshabIlltatIon was submitted to the Nashlngton ofrice that a ruling should be had from your department as to whether or not the supplementation of the salary of the Xxrou- tlw SIoratary-Mreotcr ma legal.” In the appropriations mada for the State Oomnlaslon for the Blind (&mats Bill 317 , Aots 49th Legislature, 1945, p. 826)‘ Itrm 1 thereof approprlsttos @!,400.00 per annum to be paid from tha General Revenue Fund of the State on the salary 0r the Exsoutite saoratary-DIrector or the 0c0unIssion. In thia item, them la a parcrnthatioal dlreotion that the Exeoutin Saoretary-DIreotor is to .raoslrs “an anma1 salary or $3,6,00.00, $2&;.00 to be paid f’rom Stata funds and $1.200.00 from Badoral . In the Aot OwatIng the State ComIaaIon ior the Bllnd~, ” Andy providing for ita or&anlaation and tunotlon, authorization Is given to tha Comiialseion to “appoint and rIx, the oompensatlon or an Bxroutits Sooratary and s'uoh other workers a% may be naoreaary t;o~l~kdbrraotive the purposes or this Act withIr? the aDpropriatIon ’ P .I (Saotlon 3, Article 3207a, V.A.e.S.) Ylhlle the aalarlaa prodded In the appropriation bill ma9 not as a general rule be supplemented troa any other sourW, the State CoinmIssIon for the Blind In eproiiIa.slly uxamptsd froa such a rrstrlotlon (Seotion 2, submotion 14b, Sonata Bill 317, @t& Laglalature, 1945). The epplloetion for and aoarptanoa of funds fro5 the Gorsrrqnt of the Unltrd State8 for tha State Comrnieslon tar the Blind is authorized and euch funds are appropriated %o ths apaolfio purposes authorized by the grantor”. (SsatIon 2, Sub8sO.tiOn 9, senats Bill 317, 49th Lqlalature, 1945.) It apprara that run&s are advanoed by the Federal government to Dtatea that have 83 apprnvhd plan ror aid 80 the blind for purposes whiah am snulasrated in a :~ report to the Psdsral government filed by the State. il’it1s Q2, U.S.C.A., Sections 1201, 1202 and 1203.) If, therarora, finds are advemosd by the Federal government for tha purposs of aupplelnen- ting the salary or tha Eraautlve 2earstarpDirector of the Stata [ .., 15 Iionorsblr Lon Alaup, Page 3 Commission for the Blind, the paymsnt of an aiidltlonal sum from IJsUeral funcls would bs V’wltGln the approprletlona providadW. (Opinion or Attorney General, No. O-6735.) i:hethar the salary of the Rxaoutlve Saorrstary-Mreotor may be supplanented from Federal funds depend6 upon whsther the above noted dlreotlon in the appropriations bill upsrates to withdraw or restrict the authority glvsn to the Stats Cunvnlsslon for the Blind to fix the salary ot suoh oifloar *within tb appropriations provided”. V.hl1.s thsrs Is no qurstlon that the Legislature has tha authority to withdrew or repeal bhs authority orlglnally given to the Cummlsslon to fir ths salary of thir orrloer, it 15 not bd. lsved that suoh authority oan be cloamml to have been withdrawn by 8 parenthatlaal and purely dlnotory pro- vlalon in the appropriation bill. Tha only posslbla reason that can be asorlbed for this dirootlon ia the lppro rletion bill ia that the Laglslature intendad to avoid thle o,ff s 6or’B befag paid rmm Faderal funda ln an amount greater than that provltlrd to be paid from %nto fundr end it Is noted that the propomd ln~roae~ or $60~.00 per annum would not dsreet suoh a purpose. It rhouid also be noted thnt in 1945 the 29th Lsglsfaturr sabablishsd wlthiu the State C~mmleslrm ror the Blind a yooattinal Rehabllitatlan Dlvlslo~and lmpussd orrtaln addltlonal dutloa upon ths Exroctlva Saoretary-Dlrrctor or the Ccmmlselon. (li. 8. 347, Aote &9th Ugls- latura, 1945, p. 374.) This Act also provldrd ror oooparation by this Dlvislon wlth the Faders1 Govarnment. The roregolng oonslderaa, yvu are advlasd that it la the oplnlon or thls orrioe that the Stats Quonmirsioa for ths Blind Is authorized to supplement f’rola run48 reocllved f’rom the Governmen or tha UnltsB States ths salary or the Exsoutlte Sooretary-Dirsotor to the extent proposed if granted by the Fedan], Authorltl8s for that purpose. Youra very truly A~~~OQD#I la, 1946 s!!Q BY Robert G. Kooh ,< .4salstant And ,’ Assistant c JL:ms