Ia. ”3031
H2ALTH CERTIFICAT2OF MAN J'ROCURIXG
YARRIAOB LICENSE
oplnlon oonstrulngArtfcla 464oc. 8. c. s.;
'and holdlngr
1.. Legislaturedid not apacifymethod by
whloh "reputablellaenaedphysician*ahould
determinefindin&
2.. Comty Clerk not authorizedor required
to look beyond oertlflbateot physlolanas to
freedom from~venerealdisease of man seeking
marriage llosnse.
OFFICE OF TEE ATl!ORM2Y GEXEfAL
January 24, 1939
-. Hon. A. J. Bryan, Jr.
CricllnalDletriot Attorney
HQlsboro, Texas
DeatiSlrr
- Should a doctor
make a blood test before certl-
fylng a man to be tree from
venereal disease for a marriage
llcenae.
This will aOknOwledgcreceipt Of your letter Of
January 4th. 1939, addressedto the Attorney Oenaral,whioh
has been referred to the writer for considerationand reply.
You rcqueat an opinion of this departmentin rc-
aponse to the followingquestion:
T?hare a party 1s seeking a~healthcertl-
ficate in order to get his marriage llcenaa, la
a doctor requlrad to make a blood test?*
Your attention is direotad to Artlola 46490, Be-
vised Civil Statutes oi.Texae,whfoh provides as follows:
Weiore the 'oocntyolerk shall issue any
marriage lioenee, the man shell produce a cer-
tificate from a reputablelicensedphyslclsnto
show that he 1s free from all venerealdlseaaes."
There having been no court declslons construingthe above ar-
ticle, se ara confined to the coqstructionand the meanin Of
its nprda.
Hon. A. Ji Bpn; Jr.; Jannery 84, 1939. Pago 2
It..wll$
be noted the loglslaturedid not &eolfy
or partloularlreany oertalnmeans or method by whloh the
"reputablelloenoed phyeloian"should dotormlnehis flnd-
.lqa. There la no definite teat preacrlbed. The physlofan
moklng the oertifloatemust, under tha terms of the anaot-
ment, be lrefutable"and *lIoensedW. When the oounty olerk
is cognizantof thsas two things, it 1s our o9fnIop.hla
lnqulry 1s ended. Howhere doe8 the Ieggislature
authorize,
or requlra, the clerk to 30 beyond the certlfioateftaelf.
Aooordlngly,lf.the aertlfloatebe lesoed'bya "reputable
licensedphyslclan"and if It certlfleethe applicantror
license to be Yrekfrom all venerealdiseases",If the
other statutoryrequlrementabe met, it Is the duty of the
clerk to fcrthwlth'lssuotha lloonee.
Letter oplnlon 30. O-35, written January 13, 1939,
la withdrawn end thle one substitutedtherefor.
,Very'trulyyours
ATTO~GEl?&.OFTEX&, _
This oplnlon has been oonslderedIn conference,
approved,and ordered recorded.
wEIG.?-- .
ATTORNEY GL~RAL OF T2XAS
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Combined Opinion