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OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

or Pttblio Ini3truotion 

Honorable T. M; Trimble, 

Firat A8818tMt State Superlaitendept 

Austin, Texas 

Dear Slrr 

ne hive ix9 

In whioh you 88k:the 

oeptlomd question. 

to eny particular ph 

thererore, determine 

and whether the sub) 

that on whloh the Le 

'-ales.' ':' ". : 

“as%o. 2. That &tiOh 39% Title 63 'Of 

the Redlsed aivil.statutes or Tekas or 192!i, be 

tended so 8s to ht3rearter read a8 roiiows: 

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p, 

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2 

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Honorable T. M. Trimble, Page 2 

“‘Artiole 3959. 

W*Eaah’ building rrhi?h.is or map be oonstruoted 

within this State at three ,or~nwre stories In height, '. 

or in oase ,or.a aohoolhouae twdor more stories in 

hei&t,, which ls~,o,rmed by this Statei.,. or by:any ofty, 

county, or school, distriot, and in ,whloJi building 

publlo asaembllea~ are permitted or .intanded to ba 

permitted; :‘or in, whioh aoho9Xg !of--any, kind, are oonduotea, :,or in *iah sleeplng.:apar+menta ara i petit- 

:. .~’ 

‘~., 

ted or intei@e& ;t.@‘be permItted; on stir. floor. above 

the first;. shall. .bi3 provided aiid~:squlpped .#ith at 

least one;‘adequate.,:flrt, aeoapr ii: tha lot urea or 

such building ,shall not exoaed fiva thousend (5,000) 

square teats; Andy one additional adequate.t$re eeoape 

:j 

‘; :,. ; .,;, 2.. -.. : ;( 

ror aaoh: five thoutiand (5,000) square teat, or fiaotion thereor, ii,‘suoh rraotion exoeads two.thousand Z’.Lb~ ..:.

(2,000) a uare : feet. .in. exoess 02 the &at rive 

thousand’ ? 

supplfed)~. 

5.,000) a~~ua.va”raet of’ l.ot~ area.“, -(Emphaals 

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The’ .oniy ahangas made in AFtlolee 3955 ana 3959 :..:..

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by House B1l.X 716 were -the add%tion oi the. underaoored parts; 

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other than these addJtlons the statutes are exaqtly as they I 

were berore tha.~axteqdmept. ~. 

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The ~apti&~+$:Hou.9~ ‘hill 716 reads*& &.lowmr- 

~ 

*Ao-Aot &en&g Article 3955 and’.Artfo;e’ 3959 

Title .63$ .or ~the Revised Clvll: Stat&it66 M Texas of’ 

1925, 80 .a13 ,ta.proVide. for fire, ea~oapea ror sohoolhousas or. two ‘or moxe storise in ,height; and deolaring an emergemy.?. 1 ‘~ 

The 6apti& P&t8 &at the artioles ihioh are to 

be amended and speoiriae how they are to. be amended, and the 

amendment in the’ body or the bill oaniorms therewith. We are 

or the oplnionthat the oaption ot then bill la stitiolent under Artlole III, Seotlon 35 or the C&nst$tutlon or Texas. 

See Guli Produotion Co. v. Garrett (Coin. ,App.);24 S. W. (26) 

389; Rutledge ‘v., Atkinson, 101 8. W;rr ~(26)’ 376t Lendrum to 

Centennial Rural ‘sigh Sahool Dlat. No. 2’ (W. 6. dlam’d.), 

134 S. W.’ (26) 353., 

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Xe shell~now turn to a ooaslderatlon ot the subjeot 

matter or the legislation. 

“Then 3idi68 power inherent in the state has 

been llkonad unto the law of self-deransa that Is 
Bonorable ,T. M. Trimble, Page 3 

said to-be 

vldual haa 

born In eaoh individual. Asthe indlthe right to protect hle life or hod; 

from serious bodily injury, and hlaproperty whioh 

he has lawfully acquired iromdeetruotlon, so the 

state has the inherent right, under the police 

power, to proteot the pub110 welrare from thoee 

things which would produoe death or seriously arieot the health of the publio'or its,gener$,mo;$ 

welfare. . . .* Lonpire v. %ute, 171 . .*. "J. ., 

It-is mani&t~that~ steps tomard &teotioa or. 

the oltlzena or a state rrom iIre hazard8 Wnild be far the 

publio welrare'ot the state, and it,haa been ~held that atatutee may validly be enaoted requiring reasonable fire es- 

! 

oapes ana other 

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recautions. See State v:Heldenhaln (Sup. 

Ct. La.), 7 ~Sor 21; Louisv$lle Publio Lfbrary Co. v. City 

oi Loulatllle~fCt..~App.~Ky.) -80 S.:W. 11691 Ai.L. Roumfort 

Co. v. Delaney (.Sup. Ct. Pa;!, 79 A.6531~ 16 Cr:J. S. 553; 

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12 c. J. 916. ~ : 

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You ask that we pass on the oonetitutlonallty of 

House Dill 716 hit arrests the publio sohoole. The pro- : 

teotlon of the aohool ohildren of th.is State Ss oertainly 

of prime importance., 'and experlenoe baa taught that danger'~ 

arising rrom,tlre hazards is one of the greatest. It Is 

our opinion, therefore,~,that House Bill ,716'la a velld and 

commendable law. 

Some question may arise as to whyfire esoapee ~~'~~'.

are required on aohool buildinga two etoriss~ in height, and 

not on the other deeorgbed buildings unless-they are.at least 

three storlea in height. (See Artiole 3955,~'%tseq., V.A.C.S.) 

iYe are of the opinion that thle is a.validolassitication for 

several reasons.. -First, there ,le usually a greater, oonoentration of individuals in e sohool house than in other types 

or buildinga; seoondly, school ohlldren Of tender years oan' 

not be expeoted to exercise as wise a dlsoretion.in times of 

panic as persons or mature years. We believe that there is 

ample reason to make the dlstinotJ.on which the Legislature 

has made between school bulldings and the other described 

buildings. 

In view or the foregoing dlsousalon and authorities cited, it is the opinion of th2s department that the 
Honorable 4. Y. Trlmble, Page 4 

requfrrment~l& House Bill: 716, Aate 27th Legislature, Regular Eession, of fire esoapas on aohoolhouses uncIer the oonditions set out therein is R valid exerolse or the pollee 

power of this State. 

very +mlulY Pow5 

GVSrmp 

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ATTORNEY G-AL OF !BXAS 

BP 

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AsiRistant " 

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