Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Bonorable 0. P, Lo&hart, Chairman Baud of Iaaar8noe Comuia3ionora hutin, Ten8 Dear 3.w opinion AO. o-5 Ret Tko ram Ye ha-*yourlstkr parta of whioh are ret out b4 *A oaoo ha8 beea b one of our Bxamlnerr wh aosoolatioa 8n whleh were erg ~TOri4~0~8 Of otm ot one Mm- : and raoh ot h 1:eOWl186 Md opmatod by 8w IUI who operate the asrooietioar The looal autual aid n, han 4l8o lent lmo eia tio and nonoy to th4 burial aesoooletion and aabrequentl~ released the latter fmr llabSl%tr for ngayment of all smh itm8, =,* . . . tfonorabl l 0. P. LooLbart, Chairmen, Page 2 “Pleere advine wksthor the raot8 above r48ltod any rlolatlon of Seotlon 4 of Artlole U75a. quoted.* 9.OtfOn 4 Oi Arti&@ 48758, VOZW38'8 hll%OtatOd Civil St8tote8 (ht8 Of 1929, &%8t L~8latUS8, pI@@ ,963, SoItioa b) 8et Out ta your 18tter read8 88 -Art. 467sa-& Iadwendent Aaroqiatioq.-- There r&all bo no oommotlon botnem any kwo 4S80- olatioR8 opsratlng under thi8 la and no oa* 488001 Oiation 8bau Ooatriht8 uythfng br War Of 8-q 0~ 00mpui86ti0a t0 w 0xOoutlr4 0rrieer r0r th0 purpoaer OS 8ueh other atmooiatlon.~ Seotlon 23 of Artlole SO6iL1 Vonroa~r Annotated aiw Statute8 (ilot of 1939, 46th blgf8hltUW, ahpt0r 6) &WOtide8 a8 fO11OW81 "SbO. 23. Burial A88oolatloq. day lndltldual, lndl+lduals, rlSfM @O-~BTt~OSahip8, OOrpOmtiOnB or aaaoolationr t&g th4 buelnoss of protldlng burial or fuaoral boneflts, whioh under any ol- ouamtanoos may bo myublo partly or dolly ia mm- o!mndlre or arrvioer, not In exood8 of One hmlred 8&l Plftp ($150.@3) DoUarr, or the value thonof, are hereby declared to be burial o~mp~irr, arm- Oi8tlm8 or Doolotlo8, and 8hall orpnitr under provldons of Chapter 27s. Aotu of the Foftptirst Legi8latlIra 1929, Baa Mlenbaents ';hOroto) and ahall opde under end bo governed. b? Chapter 274, tI,t8 of the Forty4lnt te&BbtUEe 1929 and liW&Mlt8 thei%tO, Md thl8 kt. h 8h& bo WkbW- f&l for ant inblridual lndlrfduule, tirnm, 001 prtnerahipr, oorpo~6~oa8 or 88SOOiatiW8 Oth8P thm thO84 deriaed abovr, $ engtxge it the buainass of pro~;bbg ktrlal or twmral baaefits, uhloh un- der any olroumrt4a0eO ruy be pai& whollf or partly in nerehanbiU ar 0.~10~8." It i8 Ouf O&dkiOO aoh you are 80 8dri68d that the faOt8 8et out in 70oUr l@tkP ti0 OOll8titllte 8 aWR8Ot~OR b+ treeo the arm4lation# .lnvol~ed and theroforr, do 8how a vlolatlon oi seotlon 4 of Art&. 4663S8 BbOVe qwtod. lionorable 0. P. too&hart, Ohnlrman, Page 3 Tour 8u~p14a4ate41 lettsr sots out t&o 8aao of a burial arsoelatloa and a looal mutual aid arroaiatloa that bare 0t1lt on0 OfflOOr in QORIUO~,t&Or0 behtg Ot&XWi80 110 aonneatlon beke0a them. The statutory ohlbltlon qalqzst oonoootlonr Be- tween such aamolatloar r 8 wt o(ll in broad language. It r4oognlxrr 00 degree8 of aoameotlon. It 1s further our opinion and you 8x-a 80 aWlmd that the latter set of hot8 also show 15 vlolaatsoa of 3eotion 4 c2r .ArtlOlo 4375a.. Trusting th abort aufiloleatly anewer mur ln- qulry,we tire