.
OFFICE OF THE A’TTORNEYGENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Teaohor R~tlreinent Syetam ot Taxar
Austin, Tyar,
Dear 3.trr:
Teaoher icstlreoPsnt
tidepbadont 9ohool
Dittriot a oath iSti beak rop-
nrsatl~(l: the d the Teaohrr
Rotfrezbnt syat h 0r my in the
ok rao drposft.6 with
t of a dogceit varront
eipt to the dlstrlot
rwtlttanoe ln the
wlodged mabjeat to tha
TW iwJ6edfat*ly
You informbd
di&rlot wrote that the bask would iesur a buplloata
oheok upon ysur ramfrhlng an fndomnlty bond. You aalc
our oplalon ae to tha etatur an6 liability of the Tea&or
R6tlrmeat Syatsa in thin z?attOz.
Xe are OS tke oplnlca t&it the statur or the
Teacher Betiraaent Eiyatev iu tha aam aa it w~lld ha?e
Teeaher Retirement System of Te~rar, Page 9
been if it had reoeivsd no oheok at all, even eslde from the
raot thet th.4 reoelpt airen waa conditIonal. A reading or
the Teacher Retlrer.ect Aot Itfelf (Acta 1937, 4fit.k. leg.,, .~
R.S., :‘.I%. 47 ae axended by Aate 1941, 47th Le&. , I%..~. ., ,
B.B. 1016) oonvlnoes us, that paynente or deduotlons to the
T;~e;;;dRetframent Syateza nre not 0oepleted’~uutli oeah &a
If the money Ia not received, then no payment
has been*mede.
.c,ectIona 7 (1) en& E (7) (1) (b) of tko orlglnal
Rot read in part fla follows:
“(1) The ftate Boar4 of Trustees. ehell
be the tmstsee of the ssvernl funds ac
herein created by tbIe Act, and eball have
full powsr to lnveet such flunmdseubjeat to
the follorln~ lfalfetione .?nc! rastrictlom:
All retframmt ruhde, ae em racelveC by
the Treasury oF;fho:ftatc of ‘ICeus frcx
aonttibutiocs of teacbm; oud orr,-roge13 83
her&n provided, may be Invested * l **
(Zmghaals suPplIed)
v(b) The treasurer or prcper clls-
burefng ofrloer or eeoh employer oneu-
thorlty rrom the employer rhall make
deduotiona tram salaries or. teachers aa
prorlded In thl e Act, and shall tranamlt
monthly, or at such tlae ae the JXate
,Board of Trusteer; shall Ceeigaate,, a,
oertlfled copy or the payroll, and, the
amount specified tc be deSuot,ed shall be
oald to the rxeo..tlve Qearaterr cf the State
ioard of Trusteee, ant artsr &kIng a
record of all reoelpte. ,t.he said Boor4
shall peg them to the Yreaeurer of th
:;tate of Texas + + v.* (,Rmpkaais tur,&eb)
The wording oi the above qtlcted provisions war
unan~~ed by the amendmenta to the Act by tke 47th lagla-
. 60 are of the opinion that theae provisions, ae
well ae the rest of tha r,ot, oleerly evldcnce the legis-
letlve intent t&t 8 payment of contributions -rvoulJ not
be made until and unler:e the aotual money 1s recafved.
Arttcle 10, Kevlsed Civil Xatutes; 39 53x. Jur. 19a.
6~~pcae the situ-tlon where e oheok wee reoeived by the
Teaoher i?etirei:!ent System and depoeited with the Stete
Treasurer, but upon its preeentetloa to the beak upon
. ”
nhlah it wes drawn it wtis not honored bscauc4 cl lneufti4nay
of funds. f;ould this constitute a payment? Fe think not.
The lnterpretatlsn which t>4 Teacher 54tlmxcent
System her plaord upon the provisions OP the Act is ahown
by the r4o4ipt, whioh r.bds 88 follows; "Receipt of r4-
aittano4 in ths wnount:rhown below is hereby acknowledgsd
rabjrct to th4 oonditlon thst unless the cash Frooesds
thsreof ars hcelved in axe aoume of busj.ness, this
receipt ahalA become null and void." Th4 raot t&t thr
T4acher Retimmnt Systsc: hae ocnstmed the .?ct to mean
that thsr4 would be no pamnsnt Wnl4bs ths oash procesds
thareof 4r4 r4c41v4dW lo entitled to oonelderable w4ight.
39 T41. nar. 235.
In view of th foregoing, it 13 ths oonsldordd
opinion of this desartxent t&t under the fscts sub7ftt4d
to ua the Tsaohor htire-eat ayetea Is in no::my llabl4
b'eoaue4 or tha loss of th4 .caeh14rqs check rnd th$?. ths
stat.:8 of'the Systar: is the sam au lf no oheok had been
recaivsa.
Very truly yxrs,
ClSnn It. Lewis
Atatatant
GYS :eaw