### 882

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN



### &onorable U. A. Davis Btats Registrar Tour State Board of Health Au&in, Texas

You have ro of this department ou a:ix 

### questions r tion of llle$itlmate

rsoordsd or aevti-

“(2)L..iIkthat provision retroaatlve, and doer It apply to a birth rcgfstsred prior to the paarage of H. is. 1977

“(3) Shouid the CountyJudge, In aoaslderlng a certificate ftled under the prorisrons of Sea. 15, as amended, (1943), asoertaln whether the ohlld was or wa8not legitfmate prior to the approval of the cortificete?

### 885

Bonorable Y. A. Darla, paBe 2

‘(4) Wouldthe provlalona of this Amendment be tiolated it the item of legltimaoy be marked out on the present form and used for the reglstration of an illegitimate birth. '(5) Slnoe more than 95%of the blrths that are reglatared are legitimate, would a birth oertlfloat4 uponvhioh no atatemeat 0r the legitimaoy appeared 5.ndloate that the birth waslllegltieete?" (6) "Should a birth reoord rhiah does not makerry l

tateaent aa to the leg~timaey of the ohlld, andno nameor other item8 IdentlSylng the rather, be accepted by the County Court, and ii aooepted by the Court and forvarded to the State Bureau, should a oertlfied 00~9 of that reoord be iaaued uhen ordered b9 a Distriot Court?* Webelieve that that ortlon of Xouse Bill Bo. 197 at the Regular Seaalon of the 48th Iagialature, quoted by you, la so olearly unaonatftutlonal aa to render uaeleaa sag anaver to four queatlons relating to it8 appliaation.

Prior to the paaaago of thla Aot, the only proviaion of the Vital Statiatlos frv of Texas aontalnlng an9reatriotlon oimparable to the one quoted by you Yea aa follovar

%elther the State Registrar nor any looal registrar ehell issue a certified copy of an9birth or death ‘eertlfloate wherein a ohlld or en adult la atated to be illegitimate, unleaa such aertlffed 00~9 la ordered b ladlotion.' (Artiole 1 a oourt of oompe&entjur477, Rule 47a (25), 

### V,A,C.S.) But this newprovfafo5 goea moh farther, audeven prohibita an9indication of lllegitiraaay ln the reoord itself.

Seatlon 35 of &tlole III of the Constitution of Texas provider ;

"Hobill

. . . shall aontain more than one 

### l ubjeot, vhioh ahall be expreaaed ln it8 title. But ir an9 aubjeot &tell be embraoed in an 

### l ot, vhlch ahall not be expreaaed 1n the title, euah aot ahall be void only ar to 80 muahthereof aa shall not be 80 expreaaed."Y -


### 884

Xonorable Y. A, Davis, page 3

The title of raid blouse8111 197 la aa fOllOQ81

“AHACTto amendSection 18, Chapter 41, &a of the First Called 3easion of the Fortieth Legislature, aa amended~by Seatloa 2, Bou8e Bill Ao. 614, Aots of the Regular Seaalon of the Portyalath Legislature, as amended by Seotlon 1, Rouse Bill Ho. 974, Chapter 564, Aotr of the Regular Saraion OSthe Forty-seventh Le ? tl.dcre, as emtided by SeutLon 1, Eouae Bil- Ho, 624, Chapter 525, Aata of the Reguler 3esaioa of ’ the Bortyseventh Leglalature, lo as .toprovlda for unliora fees to be oharged for the laausuae of delaytd birth anddeath ~ertifluatea by the Probato Court, Clerk thereof, arrd the State Reglatrar~ aml to provide ‘Wet my cltixen of’ Taxer wishing to file the record of any birth or death ooourring inside the State of Taxaa nob previously reglatered, mayaubmlt auoh record to the Probate Court in the county where.such blcth or death occurredi to provide 4~19 aftisen of the State of Texoa wishing to file the reoord of any birth or death ooourring outside the State of Texas not previously registered may submit such reaord to the Probate Court in the county where he realder; and deolarlng an emergenoy.’ It will be noted that, vhile this title goes beyond
a mere statement OSa purpose to amnd the previous acts of the Legislature namedtherein, andattempts to specify the things for wbioh it provldea, yet it la not ao uritten aa to put a le~iafator on aotlce that one of the speoliia provisions of t&e Act (and one newto the 1aUof Texas) prchlbita the use of a form for reaordln$ births whiahmeyindicate thet any such birth was lllegttimate.

In our Opinion 80.0-25, Yeheld uneonatitutlonal en act vhloh provided for the payncnt oi half-fees to “off+ care andvltnessea” in eertain mfsdemetior aaaea, because the title o? the Act stated only tbet it related to rcea paid ~conatablrs. ” That opinion, end the authorities thereinoltad, are, so applicable to the instant ceae, that ue take the llbertq of quotintog from it St lengtht

# ass

Honorable **N. A.**  JBvl8, **pago 4** 

"

. . . . "It ha8been aon818tently held by all of our appellate oourts that a tit10 or oaptlon exprersiq 8 purpore to 8mend**a** rtatute in a certain 98rtioulu 1s deoeptioe andIsi8leadlng in 80 tar a8 the **body** Of the aOt purport8 to amend the prior &V in other partlaularr. 39 **Tax.** Jur. 104. While it I8 true, as stated tn paragraph 48, p. 102 or 39 Ter. Jur.2 Wm title or an aaendatory l ot 18 ordinarily 8urriant to allow an 8ubjeot 0r the originaI naendment geman to the rtatute, ir it pro9erlr rpeallleo the ahapter and 8eatlOa. or the revl8lon and srtiale, to be 8awutod;~ the 88maauthorit further 8tater the lavt **speoirloatioq 0r rmd 0r atmndrPsnt.-

“‘In addition to~h?i?it%iiient Of 8 pwp08e to amenda given lnu or provlrion, a title m8 agp OifJ the nature of the amendment nna vheFi doe. 80thfi?itE m murt oonfo='-- - - -- --

‘Amongthe manyoaror alted in rupport of the text 18 to be roundthe ease or Katl: V8rstate, 54 SW(2nd) 130, In that 0186, the aaptlon read8 as r0ii0w8t “Anaat to amendSe&ion 14, Artiolo 7047, or the Revlred Civil Statute8 or 1925, relatln to -----Id-- bnd imposing an ooaupation tax on money n era and darinlng wuw and providing for Qartain erasptloru, and declaring an emerge:.oy.’

“The body of the bill propoasd to plme a tax on Boner lender8, but the 8eotlon ot th8 rtatute to be amendedvaa one taxing ‘loan brokerr’

. Thecourt held the amendatory aat void. In tho oourao of the oplnlon othe oourt 8ald;

*‘In rtatlng the prlnolpler from vhiGh ft my be detormlned whether thr tltlo to a bill meet8 tho requirement 0r neation 35, drtiala 3, 0r th0 con8tltutlon, YO6re not to be underrtood a8holding that the titlo or an aot amendatory or an srtlolo in a oode, such a8 our Revired Statuter, 18 inrufridea ii it doe.9no more than rarer to the oodo.

Bonorablo U. A. ~vir, p6go 5

and the nuab~r of tho brtiQl0 themin. ThaOOUPtS or thin Stat0 have hold that a r8forenoo to a number ot an artlok in a Code, Such88 OurRevlssd StatUteS, I8 SUrrlOiO5t ~JIth8 title Ora%i4Ot aamndatory thOrooi, to allow auy aemndwnt ger~mbn0 to tho 8ubjOOt troatodin the art1010 rorerrod to. English &Boottlah-Annrioan **MOrt.** &Inv. CO.v, Rardy, 93 Tex. 289, 55 SN 169; Statov. #oCrscicsn, 42 Tex.334. Thoreason ror th0 holding appears to bo that th0 nAmingOrthe artfalo to tn rprSiIded dlreota attention to all Orth0 ~l’OVi8iOn8 therein, aa the rubjoat of the amending

### l ot, and that suoh provl8lon aan b0 aroertalned by readlng the artlolo to bc amended. However, whenthe bgirlaturo rortrlotr th0 title 0r an ammdator act by reiorenae to tho number in the oode ot t Srtlole a?86UOd.and anuounoo8Its Durpo80to deal with th0 o~k.inalbill in re8Doot to Dartlaular matters therein it 18 bound to gwern itself oordlnnly. andkoeo within what itself dOalar$ - would be tho liIIlit8 Oi LtSD,rODOSOd a0tiOIi. gutherd Statutory Conrtructlon (2d Ed J

. V01. 1. Sea, 553, 3tate v8~hmrioan bkigar~Rer93& Co., 106 La. 31 so. 181, 106.'

. . . . l “The trU8 rUh in ruoh OaSOS a8 Y8havehere pre8OatOdis ruaoinctly stated in Texar JurlrprudOnae, as rOliOvS$

‘Wwther a tit10 18 oompr8hen8ivr or rortrl.ated, OXprOSSOd

in gcnoral +aPS Or 111thpartiaularlty, it must be in agroomont and oonforralty,and not at V’Wi5~Nrs,with the SUbjoCt Or th8 hgiSl8- tion.

. . i h tit-l, 18 dOOeptiv0, ial oPPLiSleading

### ii lt dirguiser the tru0 purpose or the not and ilnpOPt8 l SUbJOOt dirrOr0nt rroa that to whioh the aut rOlatm. anduhether or not a title StOtSSthe gOIiOPa1 9UP908. Ortho aOt, It 18Piaidbg ir it 8t8bIB8SptOiriO pUrpOOO8 in Such lMIllk8r

88 to dOnOOal Othbl’9lW908OS not Stated.’ “(39 Tox. Jur. 100, citing Bitter v. Bcxrr County, 11 BY (la)163, andOthaPCaSeS.) 

### 886goaorable U. A. Davis, page 6

"The original 0 inloo in the ease 0r ltrparts E$ut8111, 38 SH(2d? 803, held the attempted amondstory SOt invalid, and on SUbSOqWotmotlOM for fzpv~8ing 811 tWbO~8 Orth0 00-t OXp4JSSOdthem-

. Said tho oourt through Judge I&timorol "'hll -VA JMSSOdby the k@ShtWe Ort.hiS State orLglnat8 la blllr, Uponl aoh oi whloh

### must appear a aaptionor title, and Seotlon 35, hrt.3 of out Coastitutlon iorblds that anybill, vith oortah oxaoptlona ohall ooatala aoro tbm on4 SUbjO%t, vhioh Sh8i1 b o~orood ia it8 tith. It has beoa held br the court8 **that** whoathe ex- ~e88 vorbiaga Or such tit10 linrit8 onb r~Stl“iQt.8 tho 9W9080 Orthe bill, q StteIII9tto lOglSklt0 OtherWi8~ Fn8Uchbfllmriant rrofa the pW'pO80 prerorlbad, i8 in exae44 0r the 1egl41at1v0 paver, and that A 18P SUbjQUtt0 this OOm9lalntiS UAconrtltutlonal.~ 'The aaptlonof tho ammdatorg act hero under conrlderatioa lndtoatsd the 9~r9080 or tho bill related to ona Si.4510thing, l.o., to the feO8 9aid oon8tabler. Thetramore 0r the bill thus inrormed the publla andtheLr rellou l4gi8lator8 that the pUr908e 0r the bill war to arreot the feO8 of aonrtabler only. In the body or the bill substantial change8 vero made arrwm.0g all roe orflcers. All of them would be oatltlsd to hali their costs in all their mi8deme8nor oa868, excopt thoao di8lal88od, and mamavould bo 9ald by ~8varlou8 0ountlO8, unla8a paid by tho dofond-

."The Suprome Court in the ease or **Yard** Cattlo &Parturo 00. v. Carpenter. 200 Sli 521, Wherein an aot Ofthe Thirty-Third fsgl8latkWe (1913) 188 lnvolvod, reiured to ranatlon an amaadaentto Artlale 7235, R. C. S., exoludlng Xatagorda County rrom a list or l

aumratrd oountict8 entitled **to** lavoke tho 8tOGkhV. Such l otomittsdnstagorda County under a aaptlon lnaludlng othernamedcountiea. Chief Justloo Pht11ipS uaadthe rOllOWg languageiBoaorablo li. A. DaVl8, pago 7 888

"'lhr purpO80Or the OOMtitUtiOMi PrOViSlCn la r48peot to tho~titlo or logi8lat1v4 aotr 18well und4rstood. It 18that by mans of the title tho lOBiSht0~ lEaY

bo rOS8OMblYaDpr184dOfthe SQODe I the bill SOthat SWDri84 and fraud in lOBiSlU- &on mayb wevont4d. True, aooordlng to provlour a40i810n8 zr thf8 OOUTt,ir th0 tit10 had O&p dooluod that th4 ptlrpO84Of theaOt Van to 8m4nd artlolo 7235 or the R4vl8ed Statutes,it would bov0 

### l upportod

an Sot amending the artlOlo 80 as to omit Hatagorda County. But with thirr tit14 anaounoing, as it dobe, that the art1010 Wasto bo anendod In a partioulu Yay, no lsgislator uould rrasonably havr aonoolved that it ma@ to bo amended in another vay 

### l x8Otly contrary to that stated. This la a oaso illustrating the vlddom and Justla8 of th4 oonatitutlonal prov1- 81On.' 'For addltlonal 08898 andauthorltler on this propo8ltLoa, a001 "guthorland on Statutory Construotion (1st Rd.) Sea. 90, pa 99. '39 Trx. Jur., sea. 48, 9. 102, et 84Q. 'H0h8an v* Widen & Sutherland (Clv. App.) 158sU 571 (vrlt 0r error roiured "Bwxusbtt

v. Stato, 42 SU (26 Rlia<on v. Rallvap Go,, 283 SU 'Arnold v. L8owd, 273 BU 799 75 (Tex. Coma.App.) "Bitter v. B4x8r Cbunty 11 SW(ad) 163 Vulr Roduot1on co. v. App.) 24 SU (26) 389. Garrett (Tel. Comm. 1) . . . l
mTho Q,gtls 0r 8 statute haa no 

### l nawzq roroo. Vhsn tho body andthr tltlo are in aonfliot, th4 latter lW8t yi4ld.

. . 

### l I In view 0r the abovo rules, therefOre, it 18 our oplnlon that that part OfsaidHOuee Bill NO, 197vhioh provider that 'no pr48orlbed form for reaordlng birth cartilloates

### 889’

Bonorable it. A. ikwlr, page 8

shall indicate that anybirth reoorded or oertifhd wan lllegitimate’ 18 invalid h4vlng been pawed in oontraventlon

or %GtLOli 35 or hrtioie III of the Texas CoIl8titution. Very truly yourr ATTaflrn o- w mxA3

u. RI hllen b88i8tWlt