Honorable Weaver 8. Baker, Chdxmm
State Board of Control
Austin, Texas
Dear Mr. Baker: opialonNo. o-5417
Rt: Availabilityof appropriation
to G8tesvllle School for Boys
for "dischargeand trausporta-
tion.I'
Your letter of June 21, 1943, requeetsthe opinionof this
Departmentupon the questionwhether the appropriationfor "discharge
and transportation" made to the GatesvilleSchool for Boys in the cur-
rent eleemoeyuaryappropriation bill irmailable for expenditure,
in view of the fact that no pre-existinglaw can be found authorizing
the payment of dischargemoney and transportationof boys dischar&ed
from such cchool.
Section9 of the Act of March 29, 1887, establishingthe
EatesPilleSchool, reaa as follows:
i
"Sectiony. Upon the dischargeof any person 80
committedto 8aid house of correctionand reformatory,
the Superintendentehall providethem with a mlt of
rultableclothingand45.C-O in money, and procuretrans-
portationfor them to their homes, if residentof this
State, or to the county in which they may have been con-
victed, at his option."
In lm the 21st Lsgislatw'passed the Act of April 2,
lW, "to providefor the more efficientgovernmentand mainteunnce
of the house of correctionand the reformatoryat Gatesvilla."
Section13 of this Act read a8 followe:
"Section13. Upon the dirchargeof any persons so
committedto said house of correctionand reformtory,
the Superintendentshall providethem with a suit of
suitableclothingpad $5.00 in money, and procuretrims-
portatlonfor them to their home, If residentof this
lonorabltWuvwr P. hbr, ~01 2 (O-917)
&ate, or to Vhe county in vhich they my have been con-
victed, or to Nch other place in thin State at vhich
rid dircbmgmd inmate ny have procured engloymnt, at
hlr oytioq prodded, that tranqortation rhdl not ex-
ceed that to the point from vhich said convictvas con-
vict&a.*
The codificationof the statutu in I.835carriedArticle
2952, which red u f03.30~r:
“Article~952~ upon the dbcharge of any permns
10 cdtted to nld houe of correctionand reform-
tory, the Superintendent rM.l providethem tith a suit
of Nltable clothingand $5.00 in money, and procure
transportationfor them to their home, If residentof
this litate,or to the county ln which they may have
been convicted,or to euch other place in thie State
at which aald dircharpd Inmatemay have procuredme-
ploynent, at his optionjprovided, that ruch trane-
portationshallnot exceed that to the point from
vhich said convictvan convicted.”
Article 2952 of tbs l&5 revision1186carriedforwardin
the 1911 revirlonae Article 523j of the Revised Civil Statutes,which
read as foLlow6:
“Article 5233. All lnmatosof said institution
rbll be p-i&a with shelter,wholesomefood and
suitablecloth-, books and othr material necell-
mry for their training, at the expenseof the date,
except as othemiee provided by law.”
It la to be noted that in thlr rwviaionthe codifieradid
not carry foruardthe provbicn for providing lamstar, upon dimcharge,
with a Nit of suitableclothingend 45.30 in moneyand trumportation.
Article 5i?jj of the Ravired Civil Strtutes of lpll vas car-
ried fonnrd tt Articlt 51.29 of the Rtristd Civil Matutu of TCPI,
1925, which nad as fou0us:
"Articlt 5l29. The Superintendent~h8J.l
divide
the inutu into Nch CluMS u&d abaLl horw, feed
and train tbm in much mnaer aa he dmm beat for
the develo~teadadvaacemntoftke child. All
lnmttr &all be prorMtd tith &alter, vholeroa
hod and clothing,books, manr of healthfulrecrea-
t9.a anatothermaterialneeemsaayior their tnining,
at the expum of tb State,except 81 otherwisepro-
vided by lev.”
EosorsbleWearer H. Bsker, psge 3 (O-5417)
Tba m~isi011 or 1925 -18 not 6 mm conpihtim 0f ~WV~OUS~~
ui6ting hr6, but COMtitUteS the Statutoryb3V8 of the Ststt rsrpect-
ing the rubjectto vhlch it relster,supersedingpreviouslylxlrtlng
la ws wh ic h a m o nlttsd thsrsfro6. l *l.” --39 Tax. Jur. 10. Tbers-
fore, the failure to carry forvsrdthe provl6lon6of Article 295.2
of the 1895 revisioninto the 1925 revisionoperates 66 6 repealtbsmof.
There la, therefore,no provisionof the gsnersllaw authorlsing
the furnishingof clothingand the myment of 6 sum of money to, md
the pr~curlng of trensportstlon ror lnm6t66of the JuvsnFleSch001
upon their discbsrgefrom the Institution.The paver to do this csn
not be Npplled by the generalsppropristion bill for the tleeaosynary
lnstltutloxuof the State. Aev laws nosynot be ?assed or old one6
repealed or amendedthroughthe aedlumof a gsnerslspproprlstion
bill; the purposeof such bills Is to eupplythe tbnds for the current
oparstiansof governmnt under existinglaws, and, by Article 3, Sec-
tlon 35, of the Constitutionof Texas, such bills 66~~contaluonly
"the vnrlour eubjectssnd accounts,for and on accountof vhich money
is sp$ropriated."To allow the yesing of 3ew laws or t,Lerepealor
-&sent of old ones In the generalappropriationbills would utterly
&fast the purposeof the constitutional requirementthat "30 bill
-
* + * hall containmore than one sub3ect. . vhlcb 6hsllbe txmerwd
in Its title." -- State v. Field, 57 Tex. 20:; v. Fb, $2
Tex. 454; Conley v.Bughters of the Re blic of TE, 151 S. Y.
883; Opinionsof the Attome ---su--r
General;1$1.1-l.@,p. 119; l&&ljjS,
Book 60, p.
p. 209; Letter-----+ ~1934-1936, p. 46, p. 7i; OpinionIts.
0-25’73.
Since there's no law authorizingsuch expendituresfor
the benefit of inmatte upon discharge,snd the appropriation bUl
csn not rupply euch authorityfor the resmns statedabove, the ox-
psnditurmof the item for such purposewouldvlolatcArticle3, Sec-
tion 44, of the Contiitut*, 9s s. grant of nwneyout of the treaewy
to sn lnditidualon a clain not providedfor by pro-existinglsv.
The appropriationitem le void for snotherreason. A# above
noted, there 1s no longersny law prescribingthe purpssr for which
sppropristlonrfor "dischargesnd trsnsportstlon" csn be txptnded.
In the sbsenceof such lav, the item "dischargesndtransportatl~"
is vlthoti ascertainable meming. The sppropristlondoes not set
up any standardsto governthe %penditure of such item. The amount
of money to k psid the inmsteupon diecharge16 not prescribed,nor
ie the nsture of the trsnsportstlonto be furnished. Belther la thers
any provisionby which the smount to be paid the inmate,or the cbarscter
of transportationto be fumished is in my wise limited or z-agitated.
In Nch use, the appropriation16 not "specific"se to its purpose,
sndtherefore doss not meet the requlremant.8of Constitution, Article
8, section 6.
RWF-m-U4 Vary truly yours
ATl!aRREY~oF~
- ~~z%?243 By /s/ R. W. Fslrcblld
QQ[ERAf. OF TEXAS R. w. Fsfrchm
_ APPRm, OPnmm cmz, h861stant
BI I*/ =B, -
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Combined Opinion