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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: : :,(:

il p,

‘., ;. : 2

‘

.. HonorableT. M. Trimble,Page 2

“‘Artiole3959. W*Eaah’ buildingrrhi?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 arai 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 additionaladequate.t$re eeoape :j

‘; :,. ;.,;, 2.. -.. : ; (

ror aaoh:

five thoutiand

(5,000) square teat, or fiaotion thereor,ii,‘suoh rraotion exoeads two.thousand Z’.Lb~ ..:.:A)~ (2,000) a uare:

feet. .in. exoess 02 the &at rive ? thousand’ supplfed)~.

5.,000) a~~ua.va”raet

of’ l.ot~ area.“, -(Emphaals ~I ,~: ,.,:;.:;..JzY,‘I

, ! ~.. (, ‘~, .;: I * The’ .oniy ahangasmade in AFtlolee 3955 ana 3959 I :..:...,,A by House B1l.X

716 were -theadd%tion oi the. underaoored parts; : ,; ,;.\. ‘:y: i other than these addJtlons the statutesare exaqtly as they I were berore tha.~axteqdmept. ~. .,)’,.~! i

,. The ~apti&~+$:Hou.9~ ‘hill 716 reads*& &.lowmr- ~ *Ao-Aot&en&g Article 3955 and’.Artfo;e’ 3959 Title .63$.or

~theRevised 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 speoiriaehow they are to. be amended,and the amendmentin the’

body or the bill oaniorms therewith. We are or the oplnionthat the oaption ot then bill la stitiolentunder Artlole III, Seotlon 35 or the C&nst$tutlonor Texas. See Guli ProduotionCo. 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., ! II

: :

Xe shell~nowturn to a ooaslderatlon ot the subjeot matter or the legislation.

“Then

3idi68 power inherent in the state has been llkonadunto the law of self-deransathat IsBonorable ,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 lawfullyacquired iromdeetruotlon, so the state has the inherentright, under the police power, to proteot the pub110 welrare from thoee things which would produoe death or seriouslyarieot 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 and it,haa been ~held that atatpublio welrare'otthe state, utee may validly be enaotedrequiringreasonable fire es- ! oapes ana other 1

recautions. See State v:Heldenhaln (Sup. Ct. La.), 7 ~Sor 21; Louisv$llePublio 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; ..' '/ 12 c. J. 916. ~ : I ..:

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., 'andexperlenoe baa taught that danger'~ arisingrrom,tlrehazards is one of the greatest. It Is our opinion, therefore,~,that House Bill ,716'la a velld and commendable

law. Some questionmay arise as to whyfire esoapee ~~'~~'.i are required on aohool buildingatwo etoriss~ in height, and not on the other deeorgbedbuildingsunless-theyare.at least three storlea in height. (See Artiole 3955,~'%tseq., V.A.C.S.) iYe are of the opinion that thle is a.validolassiticationfor severalreasons..

-First,there ,le

usually a greater,oonoentration of individualsin e sohool house than in other types or buildinga;seoondly, school ohlldren Of tender years oan' not be expeoted to exerciseas wise a dlsoretion.intimes 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 bulldingsand the other described buildings.

In view or the foregoingdlsousalon and authorities cited, it is the opinion of th2s departmentthat theHonorable 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

I ATTORNEYG-AL OF !BXAS

BP /,

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