Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN GROVER SELLERS A~TORNCI GINC,W. Honorable Qeorge R. Sbeppsrd c0i3ptroim or Publi0 ib300um Austla, TenI Dear Sir: ..OphiM -~ lb. o-7075 Rar Payment or pm Bond of State Tbls will acknowledge receipt of 9, 1946, vbereln you ask the opinion of tbl the question of vbetber the mium on the nished by a member of the Bo out of the appropziatioa o? Department, under the beading as set out in Senate Bill Ao. ture, 1945, quoted in part 88 111 above referred to provide8 'no tbo payment of the bond premium8 i Water Bnglneers3 , Seotion 2, Revised loallyior tbe payment Board OS Water Englneer8. ;~l$ne;al'r opinion fo. O-2092, ule that an ofrloer or agent-of the only suoh oompenstitlonand emoluments of the State. McCall8 v. City of Rockdale, 112 Tex, 209, 246 9. W. 654. It iollovs that any public officer or agent vbo demands mileage, fees or expenses must polnt out some statute authorizing Its &llOVmCe. Where 8 duty requiring an expenditure of money Is Imposed upon a public oiflcer or agent, and no provision le made to Honorable Qeorge B. Sheppard, page 2 defray tbe 88me, swh oifloer QC a&ent Is deemed to be repaid ior the expsnses lnourred In the dl8ohPrge of such duty by vbatever oompensatlon 18 slloved snd paid to him ior hi8 servicer as 8uoh pub110 agent. It IS therefore apparent.that, in order for the Chlei Clerk or the Department of Agrloulture to be entitled to reimbursement for the e%psnse lnourred by hti In furnlshlng the bond required by statute, there must exist sose statutory pmnislon r0r the allov8noe snd paylssnt or the ssme.” Blnoe there is no ~ovlsloa of tha statutes oy sps- cific Item la the Appro~latlon Bill, oontemplating relmburse- n.entby the State to the msnbers of the Board of Wets* Bag:- Eeors for the expenses lnourred by them In furnishing t&b OffI- clal Bond required br lav, you are advised that such bond pre- nlum cannot be regarded as a oontlngent Item of expense lavfully to be lnourred by the Departmsnt, and, therefore, suoh bond pre- nium may not ha paid by the Board of Water Euglneers out of Its contingent expense rued. Referenoe 1s made to Attorney Qeneral~s Oplnlons, Eos. o-2092, O-3866, O-4205 and O-3032. very truly yours BY - ~ibn&& hbeir - Asalstent