Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

it306 i OFFICE OF THE J\‘I70RNEY QZNERAL OF TEXAS ., . . . AUSTIN . .:- oR*LD&UII(I( ‘. _~ ’ -o- . .. of your inquiry asking above capttone,d quea- l “ ,, r Ssselon of the d direct3ng the At- nvsotif~~tioI4 fad to l.rl- P0C8’&&3S or auita or take 8’~ to protect the lntemst 0 vaters of the P%COORiver, -NeXiCO to cOrnply iilth the terms eam.lt tshemln set oLTt. f the act makes an appropriation in the a hem&y applpoprtitsd. aut of ang ~fwxds Tma5urg not 0tbcm:ne nPFro~rlut& the bum of Thirty Thow.3ltri Ziollara ($~O,OCO), tar the purpose of carryl.q ou$ the provisions of this act, Said nonep shall be pati out on worn ocoo\mts spprcwoU by the Attorney (ie~~rd and shall be. pR?-d o?it or t&3 State Trerrsuq~ on v3;11-ants or tire coiap- troilor as uridw Ck~neralGxa." . .’ . ., .!&a Aat p&seed the House Map 26, 1943-- yeas 93, i- and passtid the ‘xnate, June 18, X941-- yqas 21, : T&t Aot dontaInod the usual emergemoy clause but as shorn by the above voto Lt lacked the necessary two-this& mjority in the Bouae anu ther6fore did not bsoom immdlate- ly 0ffeOtlve by mason of the emtiry;ency clause,.FOIL at all, unless Pm .Act is a &emral approprlatlon bLl1 within the. manly@ of the Constftution. (Seatim 39, Article ZII) Iit an opblicm by this deparbsmt, written by the late Chief ~Jufitlce C. M. Cur&ox&while he wa(rFirst Raolstant Attorney General it w’aa.aside. - ... aWevf.ll first determine, the ~meanlng of the $m=e, ‘4.3g,cnaral appropriation act. t &I appro- priation of tho State funds is a settlnZ; apart .,f%m the pub110 revenue of. a tortsin RUXof money Sor a speoirleU objsot in auoh a menner~ that the ersoutlve officers are authorired.to use that *on- : ey; and no mom, for that qxxifio objeot. . ;a. . . c .;’ . . ‘: %he Aption of this Act, ~Lsveil as ihe firat paragraph of the first section, expressly declares -:that or.@ of ita j3lX~OSC!a is to approprlste funda ‘. for UIQ psymsnt of daflialencler’ which hab been Se .,ga~a~~adyinietedng the affairs of the State “I hnot;htm doalared pwpo5e is to provhle funds for metin& amorgenaiea during the fiscal y6ar end- Atsgakat -31, l915.6 Frcac this wo nuat aa- susae that on6 of the evila to be romedlod Q.the otetute uaa a llqtaidatlon of debts cmatod under the law by IWSOII of the. f’allum of the last pre- ced%nS npproprQtlon bill to carry such funda for admlnleterinC; the affairs of the GovernmentI An- other evil to bo renodiad was to avoid cssatiqq further deflcisncies in o&or that the Sta,te night operate upon a cssh~basiui When the various ltcms of ths bi21. ace exm~l.~.cdIt will bs found that they corroopnd with thne doclumd purpose of l&a imamre, aa contained i.n the onption and ln the f%rst seo- tir?n . ?I : - 4. @mor&le.A; li. Dunlap, Coimissiqner,,Pago 3 - . I& vi11 tln;s ba .eeen follbwl.ng the reasona by ~'&3$ ttiritton tIm.t~tho'presont bill is nbt a .$:eneral,appro- prlatlon act but on t;lo contrary i s ono authorir@; certain fnvestlptions, suits or proccedtig%, touchir~ a deSlnlto subject mttor pnb wG~ln!qan approprfoticm for th8 a-#oiSLo POrpO&W of carrJi.@ Gllt the provisl,ono of the act ---aa in- cident merely to the act. .,. :. &la being trui the bet did n& go Into effect uxw til niaety dajrs&f&or the adjoument OS the U@sZatar0.- d.noty days sfttir the adjou&ant menns nino%y fit11 dam -intsrvenY.&g botvek the day of adjounaent and the ef- foativo day vhlch vould be in thfg Instance act&bar 1, 1343, ir$Lch day begins, of aourtie, mid-night October L$ axi the ap- propplatlon vi33 lapse tvo rears from that date. ., YOtlrs veiy 'truly~ .. !