OFFICE OF THE A7TORNEY GENERAL OF TAUSTIN

Honorable John 8. Rudd, Jr., Acting Dlreotor Toaoher Ratiremant Syatam of Texas Austin, Toxaa

ear Sir:

: opinion NO. O-Q03

Be: validity or resolution passed by Teaohrr Ratlrement Board

IOU ham submitted for our oonsldrratlon the validity Of the fOll.Onlng regulation pasard by thr Board of Tru@tars of the Tasoher Retlrament Syateiu8

wQeoause of the laok ofgeneral information possessedby the members in this firat year in .whIohretlremsnt ,may. be afiaotire, any membsr between- the agea o? alxty and 8rrentywho is ot~ias uallriad ror ratiremmt may hate his rclt f, rembnt allowanos rf?sotIraas“ctAugugt~31, 1941, upon making
a wrlttein

ap liaation to the Ratirsmant Syafi tern byNovaa or 10, 1941.tn
The pertinent statutor .thrTsaehrr Ratirament Aot, whio3: provlalon is.Saotion 5 o? ~sadr,Inpart as followrr

“1. Ser?ioo Ratlrsmsnt Benefits. Any membar say ‘retiretigon written applloation to tha Statr 3oard ot~Trustass. BstIrempnt ehall be otfsotlrras of the end oft the rrohool yaar then ourrsnt,~proridsdthat the said member at the time 80 epealflrd for. his retirement ahall hats attained the age of elxt (60) yearn and shallhave oomplatad twrnty (20 T or more yeare o? oraditebla sarvloa, and provided rurthar thatno retirement &hall be,eifsotlvaprior to Auguati31, 194l. Any member in asrvloe who has attained the ags of 

### asventp (70)’ 

### year6 ehallbe

.Honorable John 8. Road, Jr., Pago 2

ratlr4d forthwith,provided thatwith tha approval of hi4 amployarha may ramain in 44rvlo4,~
Undar the atatuta, no ratlrament couldhata bran arfaotlrauntil August 31, 1941, and the statute raeme to raqulrs a written applloatlonprior to tha data of ratlramant. Ii this 16 a mandatory raquiramant, thrn the regulation would ba lnaffaotiva. On theother hand, if it lamerely dlraotary, than wa ballara that the Board was authorized to pa48 tha ragulatlon.

In the 'care

### or City ofUvalda Y. Rurnay, 145 S.W. 311, tha atatutaunder oonaldaratlonraqulrad the city oounoll to maat on or barora tha firatday or Sanuary and fix tha salary of thamayor. Iiowarar,tha ralarywas not **firad** until the aaoond day OS May. In parsing on whathar auoh salarywaa lagally fixrd, tha oourt raid tha iollowlngt

"(I) It ia tha rule that a daparturrfrom atatutoryprovlalonr a4 to tha tin4 or modr or doing a thing raqulrad or parmlttad by lawwill not usually lnvalldata tha prooaadfnga tharaundar, although thara la no unlvaraal, $nfalllblarula by whloh dlraotoryprorlslonam4y, undar all alroumatano44,be dlstlngulshad from thoaa whloh ara mandatory.

“(2) Again, It la 8tatsd by a t&t-writar, and 4upportad by authority, that, -her4 thr prorl4lon 14 In arrlrme<awords, and It ralataa to tha tlma or 4uMkner of doing the sot8whloh eonatltuts the chief urpoaa of tha law, or thora indldantel or auba !diary tharato,by an oiilolal p3rsan, tha provisionhar bran urually treated a8 dlr40toryi" Tha aama wrltar aay6t wWhar4a atqtuta Is afflrmat1ra, it do44 not n4o44aarlly Imply that tha mods or tlmamantlonad in It ara axo1u41~4,. and that tha sot provided for, it dons at a 

### dlrrerant tlma, or In 4 differentmanner, will not hava 4fr4ct.n Suth. Stat. Cons. 1 447. Tha mm8 author cltaa a numbar of authorltlar to nuetaln the proposition that prorlelona regulating tha duties of public otfloare and epaolfylng tha time for thalr perforwnoa are, in that ragard, ganarslly dlreotory. Ssotlon 448." See al.60 Olbaon VI, Davis, 236 S.W. 202.
The Vaaoher Ratlramant Systam is et111 ralatitalyEonorabla John 8, Rudd, Jr., Page 3

**new** In Texas, and the teachermember6 ara not yet familiar with the tarn8 of the Ratlramant Aot. HO doubt there **vmnra** a number of teacherswho wars allglbla forratlramant aa of August 31, 1941, and who failed to apply for ratirrmantbaoauaa they did not know the tern&v of the statute. It la **for** thisraanon that the Board passed tha ragulatlon.

**we** 8x-a

of the opinion that the authorltias oltad abate govern tha statutory prorlalon under oonildaratlon, and that it lamerely a dlraotorg provision. ft roilon, tharafore, that the Board had the authority to paea the regulation.
Vary truly **yours**
ATTORNEY OENERAL OF =S

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