Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN 0 avail him- execute an ~Comptr0ller, and warrat t hu0e by the ComptrellrT alwe 8oElpeny. we deslro 00 724 EonorabloJullau Lieatgomwy,Page 2 Faauranoe? The Department,of oourse, oould not pay eny portion of the premium. 92) cprr my potil0n 0r ti ~i0pdt3 rages or salary,when aasigmant hem beea &on. be p a l6to lOIDI)OIU elm? “(3) AzmAmlBg that your answer to the aeoond inquiry 18 *yea*, and, that mom43plan 0r group ineuraaoo *aa seoounded to the employees or the Dopwtandthat several th0gaand or OUT cslppiope~ b0uat the aorerage and aade asslg0amnts authorircm payroll deduotlon; thle uould repulra a pat deal 0r extr.a work on.the part or oar aooountantsin making up addltioa- al payrellr,, eto. Would it.bo lo& to aa0 our aooountfats ror thirrpurpo~.P" We are unable to find any reason rby amployaam or the Hi&hway Department8hould net be allowed to .awd.l thammltes or group iasaraaoa. This woald be paralp a private uudertaking,and there lo nothing in tbair CM- ployaant by the State oi Tsxae whioh wbuld.,problblt.iiuah an enterpriseon their part. In armor to your quostionu mabared (8) and ( 3).w6 p a y s p a r tlo ula ra ttentio nto y o ur ltstesa nt that the adoption or the plan proposedwald req@re a @peat deal or extra nork on tha part or tha aooountantsof tba x@hway Department. Th6rs is no need or disouqifiag the fafmlbilltyor lagality of any plan whioh would raqtairs the usa or atate amployoosfor a private putpo~a. nrtiolo xv1, hotion 6, coostitution 0r Texas, provide8 : 90 appropriationfor private or irrdivldual~ purposes &all bo aads. A ra&.ar etatemant, under oath, and by ammxit of Cha rsoeipts and expendituresof all pu&lie amnay shall be pub- lished annually, in eooh matmet as &al.1 be Eonorable Juliau IWitgomery, Page ;5 presorlbed by law." Brom the above quoted provision it may bs aseu that the Legislaturedoss net hara the authority to ap- propriate money to ba used for a private or Individual P-P-.* It thereforeto&lous beyond questfon that money rhioh the Legislature has appropriatednay not ba used ror suoh a purpose. To use state eaployess as aa- oouutants ror a group or esiployws taking out group ln- suranae, would be,to usa suoh anployeaufor a private purpose, and weuld be tha orpenditure of state money ror a private purpose. imy plan 0r group lnsuranae nhieh ukas this rsquireaaut is unauthorized and my not be approved. Yours very truly