E A'ITORNEYGENEBAL.
OF EXAS
Grover Sellers
-SON
AlTGRNEN GENERAL
HonorableWearer Baker, Chairman
Board of Control
Austin,Texao
Dear Sir: Opinionlvo.O-6965
Re: Authorityof Board of Control
to contractwith Federal
Gorerment for lease of any
abandonedAmy Camp or Camp8
for eleqmonynaryssrrlce.
Your recentcommunloatlonto this departmentmade, in part,
a8 followe:
** * l In view of the fact that Texaa hae
more than one hundredtrainingcappa for armed forcea,
a plan was suggestedwherebywe could acquirecome of
theseForts to take care of the eleemosynarymade of
this State,particularlyla the above mentionedfields.
The Legislature,by CoucurrentRenolution,Importuned
the Membersof the Congressof Texas to help aa; and
In additionthereto,duly enactedthe folloviuglaw:
"In Item 30 of sec. 2 of 9. B. 317, 49th
Legislature,
RegularSession,we find the
followiug:
"'TheBoard of Control is hereby authorized
to leasefrom any ageucy bf the Federal Gorern-
ment for ncmiaalconsideration auy fort, army
camp or any other facilityfor any period of time
not to exceedten years, for any we or purpose in
eleemosynaryservice,and any unexpendedmum0 at
the end of the flret year of the biennium,end-
ing September1, 1947, Is hereby appopriatedout
of the maintenanceand eupportfpds a.8provided
for in House Blllllo.206 of the Forth-ninthLagla-
laturafor the purposeof paying any euch lease or
leaeem,repairsand reconvertingsuch facilityor
facilitiesto rult the aeeda of elemorynary eenlce,
paylqgall supportand maintenancecoet, utilities,
bilJ.#of every kind and character,and salarleenece#-
. I
HonorableWearer Baker, pqe 2, o-6965
aary to the operationthereof,for maid blennlm,
or for the pnrpoeeof rumoringany property,or
properties,acquiredby the State for eleemorynary
purpoaerfrom any location,or locatlono,unto State
owned laude,and for the purposeof paying all ex-
pensesnaoaasary and incidentthereto,provided,
hoverer,that auy salary,or salarleaset up by the
State Board of Control Incidentand neceasau for
the operationof such facility,or facilitler,ehall
not exceed In cost the mm of mouey appropriatedfor
the mm, or similarpoaitlonsin eleemomyuarymm-
ice.'
qou will furtherfind a# a part of the eleemo#ynarybill
which va.spassed unanirously by both the House and Senate,the
followiugappropriation mearure:
"There le he-by appropriatedto the State
Board of Controlany unexpendedbalaance in auy
ftmd or item appropriatedto any eleemoayuaryin-
stitutionremainingat the end of the currentfle-
cal year and at the end of the flmcal year ending
August 31, 1946, to be wed by the Board of Control
for the followlegpurposesonly:
"'1. For the repairing,remodellugand/or
renovatingof any hospital,ward building,dorritory,
or soy other buildingat any Elesroryna~ Inatitntion.
II
'2. For the replacementand installationof any
plumbingfixtures,electrlcalviriugand fixtures,
heating ineulatloru,and my like equipmentat any
aleemosyamy 1natitution.
"'3. For conetructloaof any new building,or
building,and purohaaeof equlaent and furniture
necessaryto place mame In me at any eleemorynary
institution,or at my other desirablesite, where
sufficientlaudscan be obtainedwithout coot to
the state.
"'4. For the mpport and maintenancefor opera-
tion and um of any uew or renovatedbuildingor
buildiugnwhich &all Includethe employmentof mf-
flolentpersonnelto operateand maintainmaid bulld-
ing or bulldlaga. Salariesof raid employeer#hall
not exoeedthose paid in mlmllariustltutionrfor
aame or minllarwork.
HonorableWearer Baker, page 3, O-6965
"'5. Thw Board of Cpntrol shall during thw
biwuniumwudlpgAuguwt 31, 1947, If labor and
material6arw available,opwnd $20,000.00iron
said unexpendedbalaucwfor conwtmction of lir-
ing quwrtwrrfor employewwof the Wichitw Fallw
State Hospital.
"'6. For the purpowwof reconvwrtlngto State
eleemowynarysenlca any U. S. army carp or camps
in the State of Texas which has or have been or may
be abandonedby the armed forcws of the United States.
Thlw to laoludwthe cost of any repair6or improve-
ments necessaryfor the rwconrwrsionof said cslapor
cwmpw, thw cost of support,operationand mnintenanca
therwof,and the cowt of employingwufficlwntpersonnel
in COMectiOU therewith. Salariesof such employees
are not to exceed those paid in wlmilarlnwtitutionw
for the same or nirilarwork.'
"In view of the aforesaidlwglwlation,thiw Board
has nude applica$ionfor thrrw faoilltlweformerlyused by
the armed forcer; to wit:
'TortRinggold,Texas, a.8a tubercularhospital;
"Thw P. 0. W. Camp wt Brady, Texas, for a jurwnilw
dwlinquwntBwgro Girls' School;and
"P. 0 W. Camp at I(wxia,
Twxaa, for handicapped
children.
"There is speciallwgielationwupportiugthe maln-
tenancwof the P. 0 W. Camp at Brady for the aforesaidnwgro
schooland the hwrwinaftwrwwt out inquiresarw not directed
to its operation.
“i l *
"Throughthe courtwwyof nwmbwrw of your staff
workingwith our legalrwpreawntatirw from thlw Board before
the organlratlonof thw 49th Legislature,the aforwwaid
lwgiwlatlonwaw writtenand Incorporatedin blllw duly
pawned by the Le$lsl.aturw
anq hereinabovewet out. For
your furtherinformation,thq Comptrollerof PublicAccounts
certified,aw requiredby the Constitution,to the appropria-
Mon.
"Will you kindlyad+ww this Board whether thw
prorlwionof thw aforwwaldldglwlationerw legal and effective,
’
HouorablwWeaver Baker, page 4, O-6965
according to the readingthereof, and whetherthlw Board la
empoweredto actiratwsuch abandonedfacilitlwe,reconvert
and maintainthen in the manner thereinprovided.'
"Amongthe generalpowers of the Board of Control'rwgarding
wlwemoeynarylnwtltntionwlioted uudwr Article 693, RevisedCivil Statutes,
are the following:
'1. To make rules and rwgulatilonsfor the
governmentof the State wleerowyneryinwtitutionw, not
inconsistentwith t&w Conwtltutionand laws.
"5. To make all contractsand nwcwwwaryar-
rangementsfor the erectionof buildingor impmramentw
upon the groundsof thw institutions.
"7. It shall wxwrciwwa carefulwupwnlwion
ovwr the gwneralopwrationwof such inwtitutlonwand control
the expenditurea,and direct thw manner In which thwlr
revenueshall be diwburwwd.
"8. It may take and hold in truwt any gift or
devise of rwal or personalwwtatwfor the bwnwfltof such
Institutionand apply the wemw aw the donor or dwriwor
nay direct."
Section35 of Article 3 of our Conwtitutloaprorldwa,
in part, that:
30 bill, (exceptgeneralappropriationbillw,
which may embracethe rwrloussubjectsand accounts,for
and on accountof which moneys are appropriated)ehall
containmorw than onw subject,which shall be expressed
la its title." /
The captionto the ElewmoeynaryAppropriation Bill of the
49th Legislature,more specificallydesignatedaa H. B. 206, Chap. 237,
49th Legislature,RegularSeseion,reads as follows:
*An st making appropriationw for thw wupport,
melntwnanceand improvementof thw Eleemosynaryand Reforma-
tory Institutionsof the State of Texww for thw two year
period bwginalugSeptember1 1945, and endingAu&uwt 31,
1947; ana prescribingcwrtwlnrwgulationeand rwwtrictions
itirwwuectto the expenditureof said appropriations; and
declaringau wmwrgwncy." (Bphawlw ourw)
Thw captionto the DepartmentalAppropriation Bill of
said Leglwlaturw,more apeclflcallydwalgnatwdl e S B. 317, Chap. 378,
HonorableWwavwr Baker, page 5, o-6965
49thLegislature,RwgulwrSwwwion,rwadw, in part, aw follovw;
"An Aot making wpproprlatlonwfor the wupport
and maintenanceof the wxwcutlvwand admlnlwtrativw dw-
part4nwntwand wgwnciwwof the Statw Qover~wnt for the
two-ywarperiod beginningSwptwmbwr1, 1945,and ending
August 31, 1947,wnd for paymentof other wpwolfiwdolalmw
and Item; * l *provingfor the Board of Control to
nwgotlatwpurchaseof Fwdwral commodltlew;w w *providing
that thw Board of Controlmay be authorizedto leaaw and
opwrwtwany army camp of fort frcm the Federal Governmwnt;
and providingw~wclfio1Imltatloneand regulationwvia rwfwr-
enow to the wxpwndlturwof the app~oprlatlonw made hwrein;
and declaringan emergency." (Emphasisourw)
It will be noted that Item 30 of Section2 of 3 B. 317,
quotedIn your communicationto this department,appropriatesto the
Board of Controlfor the purposesthereinwet forth any unexpendedwumw
at the end of the first year of the bienniumendingSeptwmbwr:l,1947,
out of the maintenanceand supportfundw aw providedfor in House Bill
IVo.206 of the Forty-ninthLegislature.
Your quotationsfrom the EleemosynwryBill are from
Section2 of said H. B 206. It Is to be noted that wald Section2 .
appropriatesto the Boerd of Controlfor the purposesbhwrelnwet
forth and quotedin your communication, any unexpendedbalance In any
fund or Itwm appropriatedto any wl&wmowynwryInstitutionremaining
at the end of the currentfiecal year (1944-1945)and at the wnd of
thw fiscalyear endingAuguwt 31, 1946. It should also be noted that
each portionof said two generalappropriation bills quoted In your
communicationappliesstrictlyto eleemowyneryservice. Therefore,
all of wald quotedprovlwlonwwre gwrmwnwto wlewmowynwrywwrvlcw,
and must be read and oonwlderwdIn connectionwith each other.
A carefulreadingof these provlwionwin wald approprla-
tion bill6 convlnceeuw that they do not violateSection 35 of Article
3 of our Constitution,said provisionaare germaneto and definitely
connectedwith thw subjectof the appropriations, viz: elwwmowynary
service,as clearlycovered by the captionto H. B. Ro. 206. Such ner-
vice, by general law,lwunder the mauagwmwntaud jurlwdlotionof the
Board of Control,which Is one of the admlnlwtratlvw dwpartmwntsand
agwnclwwof our Stste Covwrument. Article693, RevisedCivil Statutew,
1925,from vhich vw have theretoforequoted,liwtw the generalpowers
and dutiww of said Board of Controlfor the governmentof thw State
slwwmowyuaryinwtitution. It is certain,therwforw,that ample provl-
wlon has bean made by gwnerallaw for the proper applicationof any
funds appropriatedfor elwemowynwryserviceby the Leglwlatureof
Texas. Such funds, of courww,must be expendedand appliedIn accord-
anew with the lawfulregulationsand restriction8containedInthw
appropriations.
HonorableWeaver Baker, page 6, 0-6965
The canw of Conlwy v. Daughtersof the Republic,(Sup.
Ct.) 156 S. W. 197,InvolvedlegielatlonclaImadto be in violation
of Section35, Article 3 of our Constitution.The State, pursuant
to an act of the,29th Lbgialature,affectiveJanuary 26, 1905,had
purchawwdthe Alamo prop&ty in San'Atitonio, and had dwllvwrw~wuw
to the carw and:aus~ody'Of'the~Dau~tbrw of the Rwpublia,ofTexaw.
Said propertyvae:,'tobe meiiitainbdby wdid~Da@it~w of the R*$pablii
"la good order ~r&rwpalF,~withoutcharge to &ie State,'awa'eaored
memorial,"thw own&-whip,thwreof rwmalnlngin Vie'Statw. gevdra&years
thwrwaftwr, atlis~Cellbd'Stswldn
of the Legiilaturw, In 1911,'thegeneral
approprlatIod,'W11.uwe.snacted,and,~conUinwdthw,foll~l~~provision:
;,
,' :
'"ForThe Yeais
Endlltg’- "
“Au& 31, 1929 “Au& 31, 1913
Vor the irprovementof
the Alamo propertybw-
longingto the State of
Twxaw, in thw City of
San Antonio,to be ex-
pendedundwr thw direction
of the Supwrintwndent of
PmblIc Buildingwand
Grounds,upon approval
of thw Governor . I . . 0 0 e q I a e $5,000.00
Objectionyaw made to said appropriationbill that it
vaw violativeof Swctlon35, Article 3 of our Constitution. In diw-
cuwwingthiw objection,Chief JuwtlceBrown wrote a.8follows:
"To the argumentthat the dirwctlona.8to
expenditureof the $5,000 is unconwtitutional,it
lw wuffiolwntto way that from this language-
'no bill (exceptgeneralappropriation bills,vhioh
may embracethe variouwsubjectsand accountw,{or
and on accountof which moneys are appropriated)
shall containmorw than onw wubject,which shall
be expressedIn its titlw' - the excwptlonrwliwvew
that bill from the limitationand pemite the wemw
treatmentof each wubjwctof the appropriationbill
that would apply if it vwrw wmbracwdin a wwparatw
bill.
"It cannot be that a wwpantw and independent
Honorable Weaver Baker, page 7, o-6965
Lav would bw nwowewary to direct and control the
expenditure of every item of appropriation."
Aleo, regarding the legality of certain provirionw
contained la en appropriation bill, sew the caee of Booth b Flinn
v. Miller, (Sup. Ct. of Penn.) 85 Atl. 457.
Constitutional proriwions on titles of bills must bw
conwtruwd liberally In order to sustain t+w validity of the title
and the etatute. Marrow ana technical COnd,NCtiO,U whould bw
aroldbd. Sutherland Statutory Construction, 3rd Edition, (horack),
p. 292, par. 1704.
Also, "In deciding the coastltutionality of a etitute
l l l, w~wry PreamptiOn faTOr thW Talidity Of the Act. Aw iw true
in cawwe prw6wntlng other c.onwtltutlonaliewuw8, thw Courta avoid de-
claring an Act unconwtltutionalwhwnerer possible.* Id., p. 295,
par. 1906.
"All prorisionP that are incidental or auxiliary to,
or In any reasonable q wnsw will promote the object Indicated In the
title, legltlmately may be Included in the Act." Id., 'p. 296, par.
1707.
Also, the following quotation from 59 C. J., p. 812,
paragraph 373, is most aignlficant:
"All matters, hovever, which arw germane to,
and natyrally connected with, the eubjwct announced
by the title of an Act and not wxc$udwd thwrwby are
corwrad by It and may validly be included in thw
statute.'
It le therefore the opln$on of this department that
thw proris'ioneof the Leglelation under consideration are legal and
effectITe, according to the reading thereof. It is also our opinion
that the Board of Control is empowered to activate such abandonwd
facilltlew, and to rwconrwrt and maintain them in the manner prorldwd
in such lwglwlation.
Yours rwry tru4
Al'TOFRlKfGEKSEALOFTlEAS
BY
L. H. Flwvwllen
Aselwtant
IHF:EP