-. . .
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
OROVER SELLERS
m-rOINExGENEIUL
Bonorebls John H. Mntsr8
Ex*autlve Glraotor
Stmte Department ofPublio NdS8ra
Auatln 3, Tex.6~
Your request fo
tloned matter ha8
rromyour lettar 0
with were~0~ t0
P of Child Welfare
rtloulnr question with rarersnoe
to this
u Is whether or not 8 mmioipsllt~ nay
a~rswlos,~ ohlldren'a boarding homea,
or athor plaoes for the oar63
ng crgacnolos
or ob114nn l 6 opsolri~a~ in the above
olted srtlolar am3 lr so wlmther that rrunlolpallty
m e y c h a r ~t,l lea for sooh llaoaass. se have an in-
stanoo la Tex~a where the olty lo ohm&ring 35 fee for
8 lloensc to board ohildren. You can ccc the herdship
this nl&t work on m-mm boarding perenta or this 35
may have tc;cm0 rran Community Cheat money 0r the
Hon. John 11.::lntcrro,
pa&q?2
l(tuncykhloh nuryb* usin the boerALaK hose. r:e
wera not ourc nhr.therth4 0 IWO MU va1l.dohergo
daoa the superior statute of the otato, namsly,
Artlolo l+&42a,dlreoto that thio department foouo
ouoh llaeeoes without ieo.
'In your oplrloa, planme indicate whether o
foe mix bo oharged by the mmlolpallty under Its
ordimnoe ror any ot the olosoIrIo~tliwo owarrd
whIoh Inoludoo not only boar4InnghopI far ohll-
Cron, lnstItutioao, ohlld plaolng ageoaioo but
o8h.r plaaeo for thblr oara an4 ouotody.*
!%otloa 1 of Article 4442s. Vernon*8 Annototad Clvll
~ta$utoo. provI400:
*Xvery parson, a8ooolAtlon or oorporotIon,
*h&her oporotlng r0r ohorlty or rovonuo, rho
ohcil owa, ocrrduufor aonoge a doy mroorf,
ahUdr~n"o boordin& home, or ohlld plaaing
lgonoy, or other plaoe for thr oar0 or ouotody
of children uwhr rirta8n years .0r op. or who
oholl lollolt rtdt8 in this f3toteror my ouah
plooo (IClnobltutlon, oholl obtoln SII~KUUIR~
llooora rrcm the Xate Bbrd oi Koolth rhioh
1looaoe ohs11 ba Ioonod wlthou8 ioo, ond under’
ouoh roooonoble ond unliorr r ules lnd regcrlo-
tloao es sold BoorA shall pnoorlk. Provided
that ii sold rundo ore lolloltod by said oooo-
olotlono or oorporotlonathrough any 8gont or
agents thuwof, oaly one oueh lloeaom oh011 ho
rOqUtTOd by l0Oh 0014 l8OOOIotIOA or MarpOre-
tloA t6r oooh OOUAt)’ Oi the Stat. oi T~xoo ln
.hloh oounty meld funds ora oollolted.
PootIon 6 or Artlolo 6?@0 lpeoltleaIl,ytrsnoioro the'
dotloo an4 reojxmoIblliti~o plooed in the Woto Board ar Walth
t Artiolo 44420 to tb Mvlolon or Chlid wolfer* or the +tate
ward or Control, and Csoqloa 8, ‘oupra. reads on followor
I. ,. 4’77
lion.John il. ~"lot.~rs,
Pete 3
-930. 8. The lloei~olug.vlaltl~ and ln-
opootlon oi all lqenoleo rsoulred under Chapter
2G4. pago 444, or the hner?rl and Tpeolal Taaro
or tho Poguler f’usalon of the blet Lop;loleturo,
1929. now required by tbe Ytnte f!ooard of %io;th,
shall be tnA te mreby trnnulerrrd to aod rc4e
IIpart or tiledUtiQ8 Of ttls mvieion 0r Ct?IlA
"0lfU.W Cf the "t9tQ %4Fd Of CCXltiOl.’
13 1939, %he tc~lalsture poeued whnt 1s known me
the "Public Solture Aat uf 1939." (Aotr .cf1939, p- 54l.j.
Sotloo ?a ef ttlo Cat transfcrrd ":li ct the rlphta, gowro
sod duties heretolore aoarcrrs4 by len cn t.CuZiriolot.of
Child Keltarc of the Rorrd of Ccntrol, V.~C tot othttrwiscin
OOniliOt With my prwbOlOUE Of 8i%O Aclt,'ard heraby co+
tlnurd in ruu row3 rab direct. sad ere horeby trrraaferred
to. eaA oo%torred upca the ?tatu *xpartnant of ?ublfo ~dtnr~
so orsated.Ey this Aot, sod shell be hold, lzoroloa4 and per-
formed by the Ctatc iIM$mrtrnont Of vubllo wdtsrQ under the
pfovlsfone or this Aot and the oovarol Aoto now in ror00 and
any anunda*nt or rcend-xmtn theieto .rhlohx5& be uode.-
Tao Tublio ?el!sre .Lot cf 1939" woo a.eended and
~10 nuw Artlole 4950. Peotlcn 5 of sol4 Artlole provldoo:
*Thsre shll 86 orseta4 in the Ztato Duportmmt
or pub110 rdrrrc the rollfhln~ Clvlo:oco: a CI~lolo~
of Child "oltsra, a ~t7?3:33 2r A~d1t.s au4 accou~to,
a Clvisl~n cf i)elrearoh and ~tatlrtlos and &UC& cthar
i;fu'clcnr nv the '*~.cautl~s iUrrot(rr may flud neas*omry
ror tdrr80tl.vr *G~lnlstrstZc *. Th 2icroJtIvo. inrsotor
ohs1.Ihnv~ c,hnprsrevto alluoatc al.4ruolloo*tc
tunotlnno wwnf the :Hvli.lunow?tt.lr.the Deportment
and have the powur nn4 outhurlty. oubjuot tfi'olanslrl-
oution, to sd.act, cppoll\s, nod dieoherga euoh anslmt-
ant*, alctka , rtcnc+mz;‘r:ers, s.uAltcrv.buukkatpers,
ana clorloel aeslntonto bll nny be noooonrry lu the
~a4nlolotr~tlo~ or t?.cAtitleslmpooad upon Me :t8tO
hepsrtment oi Public .+slrbreulthln the llnlta of the
approprlotlono thee rry be ?edu rm the work of ~14
Lbpertslont ."
4’79
Roi-.. John il. Mntsr8. peg0 I
A onretul raadlng or t&4 4bOr4 4tntutss r4rasl8
that the Dirlslon of Child Welfar4 of the %ate tWmrtm4nt.
of Pub110 30 Par4 non has thr power to lloense 44~ nura4r-
--+-To
‘i-, 0Yldzan a ardlnfihoms, ahlld plrolm 4~4nol.a and
qthor plao,osfor tha 0.m and OU8tOdJ of ohildra. Tlao
oestlon that we nut. now Peoids is whetha ,thc Mt?slon
of
2 hild Ualfus or the aate 04QubmLIt ab FubZlo w4lrar4 &or
the exolu8lr4 authority to 1104nae sold hom4a for ohlldrai.
It haa been atnted In Texan Jurirprudsnoe. Vol.
30. pm&48 up, 120 rml 1211
"The pollloopowsr f# a grnnt or authority rrcm
th4 people to tholr ~orornaent41 agents 'for the
proteotlon of the health, 8arety. ocoifort aad rel-
rere OS the pualio. &oadly ateted, the polloe power
ot a olty 1s th& power to goV4rn. exeraloed 4lthar
by lW8triOtiCUl OT OCUQU~SiOn in QW.Zi!Ot~A~ th4 wU41
good or She pooplo. T&o oxuoiae or this QOWU by
the rmalofpellty is but a m&lo of oxertfn& trhe power
of Ch4 gorermetnt of the mabe within th4 llatte or
Ch4 munlofpe~lty."
7a4 ox4roltse 0r polio0 power 14 not aa lah4r4at
ri&t qf munlolp41 oarporatloas; suoh p&~aes Ot it 80
may bo axuelsed must oouo fxm le~slablr~ grant. The
Laglslrture.nay ~qant gearral .pollos po*srs and the
moona of ~sniorol~.g rospeot 8nd oboorvanoe. The mot
oi thla porrrzto hoem-rule oitles is found in the
proylslon of the enablla~:eat authorixSag thm ttc
lnr o r r e
llk ordtnanoo8.noeowruy So pro~o4t health.
kiro rud proputJ, and to proven* ana smouulIy
rboto end rw#ta lu naffutnoe8and to QrOOutO aad
lufo r o fo h iaood pvernmat, ardor and soourity of
the olty ead lta iahabltant8.
*OOllOrclllJ 6DWlkblUr lWXl~OiD8k 4WQOT@tiOa8
ham tiie rl&t. under t&14~olio4 Dower. to safomard
lha hralth. oomtort. end R4norslwlZara oZ~th4ir
altlzena by such roaaombls lwgulatlona a8 are
aoooemuy for,-$ht pumoae.
*The polio4 power In not aa wbttrary bne; it
ha4 its lleltatloaa. Thw it 1s subjoot to the
upon s‘rery
:lmltatlona lmpoasd by the Canstltutlrr~n
T.. ‘.’
4723
Hoi..John U. "ilotors, ~4~4 5
gowar of governaumt, and will not bo permitted
to lnrada or impair thrrfund4nwutsl UberClea
of the oltlten. Alao it is rounded in pub110
neceseity and only publio neooaolty 0Sn Justify
10s exwrelao. Xt In ocsaonsurate hl th, but does
MB 4x444d. the, duty,t# provide Ior the real
aaeds of the people in their health,.aatoty,
ocdart and ooaronfonoo as oonalotoatlyas may
be with prlvat4 property rlghta. the lntuoota
of the pUbl.io gbnuailp, 8~c dlfstin~rhad rrQ
Moar of 4 partlaulor olaua, mat require the
lnt4rfsren4e. . . .m
Ylth refmrenoo to the o r dlnuno ea
larotob by oltieo
,rnOu their pol%oe pwua, it la stetod ia Cmpua furis, Vol.
37, pqo 187, I36, rhloh'nmda in pert aa rolloust
-8 the 8beanoe of poaltlro wld*noe to the
oontruy, .hwever, suo h leta-or ordlaano*a lr 4
presumedto be re8aonmbler and the owrts riU.
not interfuo tml4aa U4lr uarorraonsbleueaa and
opp~alt+neaa it olshrly.uppsr~at, tha bukdaa of
proving their uam4acumblur4cia of lnralldll*yking
on the 444 who leuortriit, aaually the 1104~444.'
Ot as w&d by Zddottiufu on kfWiOiQ41 kU'$CXdio~~s,
(2d l0l.j Vol. 3, QW3' 693:
"Ordlaawe8 l.ranyosl~ Iloenae tax08 Mdar
the powor to rqwlate u4 prke hoI4 tdid,ana
the uareaaonableaaaa of the saaotlona mast
_ _k _ -
made olearly to sgpaar, and they nuat.bb,oo~rrgay
Mdlar64ly beyond what ‘raaeedod for th4 purpose.
intended, b&ore auoh leglrl'atlonwill be deolmrod
*Old. Th4 r’Lot th4t the ~es4otlon twy r*aulf l&
Dr o dua ia ( r l remmum ln u~oaa of that requlra4 for
regulation. dowa not la ltaelr JeaCroy th rrgul4-
tory ohnraoter 0r a pollee &eaaure . . . .-
.Y
.
+a(:SC.dxbhuntive-ijnLso~~eaod
before ti;inct.urt~
m 60 not doc.?iit neosessry t-2d3 so ture, ,Cut
mrely olts xv::8or tbd eeolniork3.wheraln it
is expressly held tint l rl6.M of tka city eu-
thrities t0 adopt 3uah re&ulfItioae, 80 1Ong
es they ere reesoneble mre upheld, and wherein
It IS he:6 thst. lr suoh tirdinunoesdo not
amount to vktuel pr&lbltio;i. Mty m-o not in
oonfliot with the laws of tke "tete l~oe~~s~cg
euch ocoupatlo~:. . . .”
In via* of the foregoing buthorlties, it is the
opinion OT this
dspartmnt tha t e aunlolpallty may lloense
day 5ur8erlas, ohilartbn*u boarding home15, dma plaulng
egonoles or otha plaoes fm the oere end ouatody of
oblldren, end you sre turthw ldvlr ud that the ofty laef
ohargo s reaaonsble rae ror sr~ld,l~oense.
%i are herewith retundng to you the aopLe8 of
she rules atidroguletlone aovuring the aGild relfere progmm.
Very truly yours,