OFFICE OF THi ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Uonaablo V. J. ku~boll
Coanty Attornsy
lberslrr .
roaefvedand
e quote iram your
ooaaul58loneria Oourt
4 oomanl6sioraers had
malntaliw and ,tkblp
lag s4rlmal.y wounw, wh.lla
udenae, vol. 45, P. 455 aa. 69-0
on-dtates, Counties nnd dtise, reads
a6 followst ~
*The omqxmsatfon las was obviously intor?c¶sd.
to a;:ply to iUdul3tTial 4Elj$OpKSItr It 6068 not
apply to 'states, oountlers or oitiea in their per-
formanae of gorerna6nta.l Iun~tdaaa . . . Ry a
Honorable V. Y. Campbbll, Pago 2
oonstitutlonal anmdmmt adopted November 3, 1936,
(Art. 3, S40. 59) the LogIulaturo I4 girar pou4r
to pass 'suoh law4 a4 IMY be neoes4ary to prwld4
ror ':+orlunen*aCompensation Ineuranoe for wah
etato 4mploy444, 88 In its juQm4nt la mo4444ry
or required; and to provide iOT the payment or
all ooats, oh4rgo4, an6 prarnirvns on suoh polloi44
OZ InStvanOe; protldlng th4 atat.4 shall never be
roquirod to purohasr4 insuranoe for any 4mploy4e*.*
Artiole 3, Scotion 59, Conatlktion of Texas,
witis aa roll0w9:
T&4 Lsgialatura shall hate paer to pa8s
suoh lam as may be n404e4aary to provide for pork-
fneuaa Compeneatlon Infiuranoe for meh state w-
ploywee, am in ite Wgment 1s neooasary or rb
wired) and to provide for th4 payment of all
008t8~ ohargo and premiuma on auoh polioies ai
inrumr104~ prorl6lng that the state 4JMl n4Ver
bo required to purahame lnnur~o4 tar any anployee.”
Pursuant to the Oonatltatiotml authority oi Artl-
o;L4 3, 59, Tema Conatltutlon,
s4otion the LegiJatun on
June 11, 1937, eluotod Art1014 667k4, whl4h prortde8 for
mrkaen*s Corapsnimtlon Im3ureaoafor empioyeerr of the Texna
mats BlghwayDep4wtmmt. Under thk eet the Ri&ra~ Depart-
mont is eel?-lt?mring and oarrles it8 own lnauraaoe a8 set
out in tho 4t6tute. The l&h L4&rlatun of Toxma by Senate
Bll3 135 extended the benoilts OS *orkm4n'6 Compuumtion in-
euranoe to tho Texaa Refenee Ward. Tho lrglsleturo ha4 not
sxtond4d the benefit4 of ~oxkm~'6 Oomp@n4e&%onInaaran44 to
cay other bodies or departments of the st4to gov4rrmnt than
the Texas State Highway Repartmont an8 tb4 Tom44 Dofanae Guard,
It has long boon the law In Tox4e that a oounty Is
not liable in damages for injuries suetalnrd in oonsequenoo
or tit4 tortious or nogllgont aot4 0r it4 4gonta or 4mploy444,
unloas liability therefor be oreatsd by etatuts. 204 the
followinfg autborltiee:
Eeigel Nohit
v. County, 19 S. '!:..,562$
Ifloria r.~Oaltsrton Oouaty 55 S. +. 540;
Nusabaua 7. Ball Gowty, 7& 3. !T. 6301
Bryan v. Lib4rty County, 299 3. X. 903;
Jones souaty v. xoore, 4 2. H. (2) 289;
hgelina County t. Bond, 16 3. tq. (2) 338.
Honorable V. J. Campbell, Page 3
“4 quote tmn11 Texae Jurleprudanae, Countlee,
pages 563-4-5, as rollover
n Counties,
being ooraponont caxts of
t&4 ati&, *bite no pmerr
or dutie4 exoept t&o44
whloh are olearly sot forth en8 defined in the
oonstttution and rrtatutoe. The statutus hav4
olearly deflwd the powers, pmmrlbed the dutI48,
and imposed the liabllitio8 Of the @0h%ki88lonm~
oourta, the medium through whioh the ditiemnt
oountles aot, and from thoee et&utea mu8P 00m4
all the aut&orit;l vested in the oountia4. . . ,
0 Commlse10n8r5’ oourto ar4 oourts op
1Imitei ju~I4dIotIon In that their authority ex-
tennds only to natterer pertefnlng to the genor(ll
r4lrare ar their respootiv’e ~O~tloi, aml that
thdt pawors ars only thas4 sxpreealy or lnplI4dly
00~ferred upon them by law -that $8, by th4 eon-
stltutfon fina statutsa of ho atate~. . . .O
There no Islw authorislng
la oountias to sxp4n4
runty iunds to pay
pr4nluzs4 on *orkmer~~s oompamaatloa in-
marfanoe on county 4mplope4a. our 4tet4 40n4t1tut10n 4l80
Inhibit4 tlonatione end fgatUItI48 by countieo from pub110
fbd8. Art1014 3, seation52, Texas Coastltutlon, r44b ia
prrt ae follorrat
“The Legislature shall have xw potter to au-
thoriso any oounty. . . $0 land its credit or to
grant pub110 moqey or thing, ar value In aid af,
0~ ta nnp Individual, a44oeIatIon or oorporation
whatsoever. . . .*
~4 answer your queetlon In tha ns@M.vo.
Very truly your4
xilk. 3. hnnllag
ATTORNEY
GBKERAL
OB TEXAS Awlstent