Railroad Commission of Texas 

Austin, Texas 

Gentlemen: Attention of Mr. C. F. Petet 

Opinion No. O-1951 

Re: (1) Does the law governing the 

State Rangers in effect October, 

1936, and still in effect, permit 

State Rangers located at a point where 

s legal strike ia in effect to accept 

payment of money from an officer of a 

railroad as salary or money to cover their 

expenses 1

(2) If not, what is the penalty snd 

to whom should charges be filed to correct 

such conditions? 

We are in receipt of your letter of recent date, requesting the opinion 

of this depsrtment, touching the above stated questions‘. We were subaequently informed by you that the State'Rangers involved were special 

rangers pertaining to whom,~ only, you requested our opinion. 

%,ection 5 of Article 4413 (ll), Vernon's Annotated Civil Statutes (Acts 

1935, 44th Leg., p. 444, ch. 181, Ill), provides: 

"(5). SpeciaL ?,,' ;ers: The'Commiss:~x (Public Safety Commission) 

( :xreiithesis ours) shall have authority to appoint such number of 

special rangers as may be deemed advisable, not to exceed Three 

B-mdred (300) in number; such rangers shall not have any connection 

with any Ranger Company or Hi&way Motor Patrol; but~'they‘sh&ll at 

ally times be subject to the orders of the Commission and the 

Governor for special duty to the same extent as the other law 

enforcing' officers provided for in this Act; such special rangers, 

however, shall not have the authority to enforce any lawa except 

those designed to protect life and property, and such rangers are 

es-?ecially denied the authority to enforce any laws regulating the 

use of the State highways by motor truck and motor buses and other 

motor vehicles. Such rangers shsll not receive any compensation 

from the State for their services, ond before the issuance of the 

commission each such ranger shall enter into a good and sufficent 

bond executed by a Surety Company authorized to do business in Texas 

in the sum of Twenty-five Hundred ($S,>OO.OO) ,Dollars,~ approved by 
Railroad Commission of Texas, Page #2 (O-1951) 

the Director, indemnifying all persons against damages accruing as 

th; :.r::ult ofany illegal or unlawful acts on the pert of such 

special ranger. All special ranger commissiona shall expire on 

January .lst of the odd year after appointment, and the Director can 

revoke any special ranger commission at any time for cause, and 

su?h officer shall be designated in the commission as Special 

Rabd;er . 

"Provided further that the Commission shall not issue more then 

ten commissiona to special rangers for employment by any one person, 

firm or corporation at any one time, except during an emergency, 

when in the opinion of the Commission it is necessary in.the 

interest oP the public justice to permit the employment 'ar more than 

ten." 

It ia observed that this statute, specifically contemplates the emproyment 

of special rangers by persons, firms or corporations. The right to such 

private employment, in the absence of any enactment to the contrary, 

would authorlee such special rangers to accept payment of money as a 

salary or for expenses, by a railroad corporation. The statute also 

provides, as will be observed from a reading thereof, that suoh special 

rangers shell not receive any compensation from the State for their services. 

You are, therefore, respectfully advised that Special Rangers may accept 

payment of money, as salary or to cover expenses, from a railroad corporation. This, of course, applies only to Special Rangers, and not to the 

regular Texas Ranger Force, the members of which are compensated by the 

State. Accordingly, it becomes unnecessary to answer your second question. 

Yours very truly, 

zcs : arr/ldw 

APPROVED FEB. 

s/W. F. RMRR 

21, 1940 

FSR3T Acl&U.Trn . 

ATTORNEY CEXERAL 

APPROVEDO?l3ION COMMITTEE 

BY B. W. B. 

CHAIRMAN 

s/ Zollie C. Steakley 

.By Zollie C. Steakley 

Assistant