**’ OFFICE**  **OF THE**  **ATTORNEY GENERAL**  **OF TEXAS**  **AUSTIN =Ro** **” ER**  **SELLERS**
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**.** #onorableJohn II. Winters, Executive alreator Stste'Depar~mentof Pub110 Welfare Austin3, Texus . A

Yo& request, aaIr1 25Q,**Acts** of the **48th** tcglsl **fOWS:** rue Senate Bill No. . Se6slons is a6 foldestroy ~cerrecords for its possession and **nd** furt.her

use, **anb** of records no longer

**e ao~~od**  **for** d.isposlngof
**ember** 1, 1944.,the**.Department of**  **had an**  active case load of lF!f3,138 this **number, 170,PW**  **were** old **Age** Assistance: 4,011 were reclpjents of Aid to She Seedy Blind, **and** 10,677 were recipients of Aid to Dependent **Children.** *In **o ’** **ccordance** with the state plan approved **by the**  **Social Security**  **noara, the**  **department Is**  required to ralnventlpto each rcclpient on **the** rolls **at -Yeast**  **once annualfy**  **rind.**more frequently as **the** clrcumstnnoee of the recipient chnn8es justlfylng It. After **each reinvestigation,**  **A form**  **is** .

,I,aorible Jobn Il.'Winters- page 2

made %y tbe worker **In** triplicate Indicating the sation taken as a result of the relnvestlgatlon. &me aopy of this form is sent to the State Offiae of the Department of Public-selfare. Any ahangeeIn the amount of grant are reoorded in theofficial records of the Division of Audltg andAacountsb **‘ The**  form le.of no **fur~ther use**  to thedepartment?however, thle form is kept ln theDivleSon of Audits and Aacounts for a period of sixmonths, as they are auditedby the Federal Auditorsof the Social Securitynoara on a six monthbasis. After slxmonths have elapsed, thayare stored in the warehouse. The State Auditorsare likewisemaking an audit of the department,and **when the**  audit lo completed, the forms ai'll

be of no fbrtber benefit to the department. One copy of **this** form %s sent to -1: therecipient at the time the change Is made, and one copy is filed **in** the reolplent's case foYder In **the** county **where** be lives and is. kept as a permanent reoord. Thera~ls an fiaanmulationof nlmost a half a mllllon'of these forms. In addition to **the** ,forms mentioned above, **we**ase **a fotm**  for **the prpose**  **of chang**  ing the address of the reoipient. The change ot address Is reaoraea In **the** Division of Audits anddacounts 1mmediatel.y upon receipt of this form **in** the State Oiflae, one oopy of which has been retai.ned

In the recipient's case folder. As soon as **the,** address is chanced, the form is af **no** furthervalue to tbe department. Thousands **of these**  forms **are** received **and prooessed**  In the StateOffice monthly. 'The department has ln,terpreted **this** Senate Bill 250 t.o

mean that tho department is authorized to destroy certain Texas Relief Commlselon Records,certain duplicate Old Age Assistance Recordsaccumulated during 1930 through 1938 and. toalso dlnpose of all reCOrda in its **possession** snd cuatoay, **which have**  no value **and** furt.her use t0 the department aftor certain requirements containedin the aat have been complied with. -1s the Department.of Pub110 Uelf%re authori8edby Senate Dill No. 2R0, Aots of the 48th Legislature, to dispose of the recordu described *bore,**ma** may **the** department dispose of future sWumulatlons of these **records** as theybecome obsolete?m **‘ 1** 

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**,3n~~able John**  **A. Winters**  **- page**  **3 1** 

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1 **Your** inquiry **should be**  answered 2n **the nspathe.**  **:The** ,&ority is not an ‘broad 08 **JOUF** Indicated .interpretationof it6ppeare **to be..**  In other words, the wneral purpose of the A3t16 to authorize **the** destruation -- not of all rceorda **in** thedepartmental CU6tOdy **which** have no value and are of **no mrthcr**  U6e t0 the department **-- but**  **rather,** the **power** of de- ,tnlotionextends no ,furtherth6n to certain **records** of the fcx@eRelief Colmni66iOnl foF the Year6 1932 t0 September 1, 1~39,* Q 6 nnd all.duplicate Old Ace Ansi6t4nOe reoords acc6601atingfor the Year 1933 **r.hronp% October,**  **lCQS.*** **In the**  prnt of authority tEer0 **ia** an **eXpFo6R ljmltat.ion**  **of that**  power.' rhoImpage, l* * * and tomake a list of all records in ita co#FnS6~on **and** custody which h4Ve no value and further u6e, and to6ubmit such **lint** t.horeaf of Fecordu no **lonter** needed and Yorthless',**are not**  words **of enlargement**  but the lanfl~ageembraces**only t.he**  ‘certain records" as to which **the pewor**  **to de**  **stroy 16**  given, as nhote **shown.**

To en'lsrgetho vower of **the** Board **0~ neceeeiteto**  **rei** ssit **appear-e** your interpretntion is,would render **the** Act void, rrenthough 6UCh extension ~6 clearly exrreased **5n the**  **body of**  the bill, Bince to do so would put the **Act la**  **violatlnn** of Seotlon55 of Article III of **the** Constitution, uhioh declares: :

6??0 btZlr (except general appropriation bills wbicb map *brace the varjous subjects and accounts, for and on account.oC rhich moneys are appropriated) 6hall COntdn more than one 6UbjeCt,which 6ha11 he erpreesed in Its .tltle. i?Utff cny 6UbjeOt 6ha11be c=braeed'In **on** act **ahloh shall**  not be expressed in **the title,**  **such** act shallbe void Only a6 to 6o 6XICh theroof as shall **not** be so expFe66ed.' ?h6 title to Senatehi11 No. 250 ia: sA3 ACT direatin6 **the** &ate'DCl‘artaent of l%bljC **Welfare** to prepam a **list** of Certain FeCOFd6 of the fax46 Reliaf Comml66~on for the Years 1932 to Sentember 1, 1939, **nnd all**  duylicato @ld **bee Assistance**  record6 accmlated for **the** yeare 1930 through Ootober, 1939, to be submItted to the Texas LlbrarY and Ilistorical Coml6Rion foF exazvjnation: diroctln6 such Co:naisslon to 6cquire such Fccorda ac are wanted bY them qithln fire daya al'ter dcliterg of **6ueh Ii**  **6t; direct**  **jnr** Stato norartmont of Public Welfare to transfer 6ald uSole6s **rcoordn** not Wanted by t,he Texas ribrary 6nd I:l6torlcalCor~jsoinn t0 the ?tntC Board of Control for sale and destruction; and dcolering an emor**pencp. ’**  **t**

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. .morable **John** H;,,?interu- pngb 4

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‘. l%he bill itself, therefore,is limited as **cat,ter &**  ;,,(whateverthe **1aoguuage** of thebi13) to the **one** mibjoofmen- (ianed in the title. , ,’ tinting tbot this is IIak’ficisntanewer to your in- (OlW~ we m-0

Vary trulyyours

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