OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
0-C.HAlW
Ronw~ble J'&EE R. Johnson
Gzeoutlre nlnetor
Btats Deportwmt ai Public Y;sliam
m6tIn, Tecar
near sir1 Opinion No. 04!5W
RW iu-e inmates of publla
or private inBt1tuti0n8
for Inuum l ltglble to
mbcclte 0ia age asslrt-
MM.
We ham ytymlotter ot Zulp 9, 1940 whenin you
requ4st4 our oplni as to the diglblllty for 014 aga as-
slatanoe OS oer persons who ere ixunate~ OS RD
iaStitUtiOn dyh~bd 4 YOUX httQ? as fOll0~8:
*TheGb01 inf$&roribsd 6ituetion now aoti-
fronts ti3Q ~~~nqhtmntr ana it is n8OaI6aary the&% We
sar~~,dsoieion~ A OeT8ain oo~z18p in Taxad,
0 OW&X! isiiQ8 Of a le*rgQ fragS dwUlli.iIIj
afa lea&d thlii builaLa(l to prlvato Laoivi-
n a,csah rental basfa. In this InetItutlan
QrrBogis &w eonfIned. TwenbpWo of this nureber
real$Y.entr of Old &a Asslstacce;86 are pd.0
p.ll o? the88 lnmatas here been dul;
8. N. an4 are un4ar @mdirnehlp. 'The
'hen 5 ol-6QFlbS, Or guSSal, 5 &al* and
When the inmate@ bsocme nax'uly or uu-
they are plaood In irons, aheind, OP
hwwuftea~ orten ML% plaasd In strait-faekets.
h llaensaa praatioing phyoio~an is kept on oall.
The Oounty Health Officer nnd Uounty FSyOhiddSt
make ocoaslonal viaits to this Instltutlon far the
purpose or QXRBdCi~ the'inmntes and sdvIeIu& with
the management labto tha dare and oontrol of the
iIU4RtQfh xang of tbQE4, Inmate* were removed rmxt
the County Psyohopatfa x&?irdto the in8tltutloa...*
579
It osnnot ba Ooubted but th6t thr above tlrsoribod
Iastitution 16 Qcf a oustodial oheraotQr.W
Esoh of the Q4lUOtE4QZitO,Of the l~Q&IEl&tUXs 8QttIng
up thQ QWlitiOatiOXlE fOX XclOi~iOIlt8Of Old a&V a66iEtame
hava oontalmd tlizc
followln~ mgulreaent la Che8e ram words
fcouna in Vernon*6 Annotated Civil Gtatuthr (PO &t. e643-1
Ia), 6345-5 (a) and Iu the 1999 tsmendment by 5. B. #Q, 5~0.
1 (al8
TIO ri3t fit t!l6tinlQ Of 1%00iVi~~ such 6Ib ED.
lmcctt of any public or private ham for th:e aged,
OT 6Xly PUbliO al"CXiVatO iLl6titUtiOtlOf a WOtO%i&l,
OorrsotIcnal, or oW=tivQ aharaatsr, prOVIde6, how-
ever, that 6I.dmy be grantad to persona temporarily
ooufIaQ4 in privat4 Inatltutlonr for n6iTloal or sur-
&?a1 Ocire."
RS believe Che Sonf$Oin$ pTOVi6IOn unegufvooably ax-
01U468 pereon oth6rWIaQ QlisIbl6 to rQ66iVQ old abe aeuiotanoe,
who ar8 Inmetes at suoh an Iu8tl8utloa as desorlbod in your let-
ter, whmther ruoh Instltutlon be pub110 or prlvste. The state
ha8 66~3s other provl8lon for the rupport ana maI6teuance~ of It8
Ihdlgent lnesne and by the forsgolng deol6ratIon th6Le lalsturs
has exprsasly 66niZsEtQd its IntrntIon that ~14 ego asof 8taaoQ
money8 rheuld not be used fcr ruoh purpo8ei This lntsntion
n8 rerf?lrmxl by the Irglrleture la Saotlon 45 cl the Publlo
Wd.faz-8 Aat or 1939 mi. 69550, VQroon~s knuotatsd st:ltute8 Of
Toxe6, which reads in pert,
*X0 prbtlrlon of thlr ALct i8 lntanded tO rb-
lra8e the 00UilbiQ8 and IBUDioipQlitiQE in thlr etrt8
?rom the spsoltic rQ8pouEfbility whfoh 18 oUrrQnt-
ly borne by there ooUntlQ6 ah4 mnlaIpalItI6s In
support of publ.10 welfsre. . . ."
You are thsrefora, advlncd that thQ tmmtg-two InmatQr
Of thQ in6titUtfCn E6KdOU6d in YOUr letter Who htkv8 hQXQfiOfOXW
naelved old ass a86i6taUCQ bahaflt ~@ent6 6rc1 InQlI$lbl~ to
rwelve ruoh peywnta, ~ml tbair IWSM should be rQsotQd from
th6 roll6 Of yOUl’ dE&&rtZ!6Zlt.
Yours very truly
Walt*