Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE AnOIiNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Honorable Homer Garrison, Jr. Director, Department of Public Safety Austin, Texas Dear Sir: sport -ion "\) We are in receipt Of August 31, 1939, wherein you request our opin er or not the grant- ing of passes or fra y transportation agency to members of 1 would be a viola- tion of the anti-pass propriationbill passe& by the 46th Legislat ou have reference to the anti-passprov 7, 46th Legislature. nion No. O-445 of this General.James P.Hart tatlon Division of the opinion Is es provisions of Senate Bill force and effect, due to of the bill to give reason- tains provisions relating to the eubJect ee passes to State employees. Such anti- Id the same cannot be violated. ion be misleading,however, we feel o you Article 4005, Revised Civil Sta- generally the granting of free passes an8 franking privileges by steam or eleotrlc railway companies, street railway companies, interurban railway companies,other chartered transportationcompanies, express oompanles, sleeping oar companies,telegram companies, telephone companies and other persons or aseoclatlonsof persona operating the Bame to any person, firm or associationof persons except a8 thereafter provided In the same title. Article 4006, Revised Civil Statutes, sets forth a long list of persons to whom free passes may be granted. 745 Hon. Homer Garrison, Jr. #2 A large number of these are public officer8 and a8 to moat of them no specific requirementis made that they shall be engaged in the discharge of official duties at the time of making u88 of the free pa88 or franking privilege. A8 to others, however, there are restrictions. Among the exaeptlonelisted under said Article 4006 are the following: * United States Marshals and no more than two of the'dip;tleeof each such marshal; State rangers; the AdJutant General and A8eietant Adjutant General of this State; member8 of the State militia in uniform and when called into the service of the State; sheriffs and no more than two of their deputies; constables and no more than two of their deputiee;chiM?sofpolice or city marshals, whether elected or appointed; members of the Livestock Sanitary Commieeionof Texas and their inepectorsnot to exceed twenty-fivein number for any one year; and any other.bonafide peace officer when hi8 duty Is tomexecute criminal process; bona fide policemen or firemen in the eervioe of any city or town in Texas when such policemen or firemen are in the discharge of their public duty, but thle provision shall.not be conetrued 80 as to apply to persona holding comml8eloneas special policemen or firemen." Members of the Texas Highway Patrol are not epeclfically named amongst the exceptionsprovided in Article 4006. A highway patrolman being a peace officer, however, we think he could properly receive a pace and make uee of the same while engaged in the execu- tion of criminal process. .Yourevery truly ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS GRL:N By (Signed:GLENN R. LEWIS Glenn R. Lewis Aee%etant Approved Opinion Committee BY WC Chairman