### :i 1: ,i .c .! I :i**i OFFICE**  **OF THE**  **ATTORNEY GENERAL**  **OF TEXAS** 

**J AUSTIN** 

**GROVER**

**SELLERS ArrORNE** **”**

**GENERAL**

Honomble John II.Winters, **Executlw** Director Departmnt of Public weiram **Austin,** Taxaa **D8ar Blrr**  **Opinloa So.**  **O-7178 RO:**  **Oan the** 

### Lbpartnmt 0r **Publio Wel**  ior.8OF **stat0** TW~SWF rkmmh

**numeroue r**  0 tlmo reeeowd 0r inr0mPti0h wd sewral bplllto qmolrio qfme**O-2432, O-3136,** 

**110**warw~ **Aat provl.deu**  

### r **rr618tenae grrnts**  **to the** 

pForidar io part ë. l . vhen ahaw beon drava, thay shall **utiw I)irmtor**  0r **the Slate**  raw rho Y.nturn @hall **mper wry**  0r mate4 to the persona entitled there

### I( l--e ooarpllanaeuith the provision of the law the @aa 8 ante 

### varrants are dellwred by the **Exeoutlw Dir**  ector to the poet 0rrm in**Austin** for deliwry to the reolpieuta, ICeohmonth more than tvo hundred thouaand or thora wrrant 6 8~ mailed. **Out**0r **this** 

### number,there
are many ahaoka whleh are not delivered to the recipients. **Some of**  th&Precheaka **are lost**  due to **urromtoua** addreaaeaHooorabfe J&R B. **Winters** - Pa85 2

while **others** are not delivered teceuw **they** how bean latercapted by **sonm p%rsoa**  **not** legally **eatltled to**  **them,** the latter **Cl885**being t!m aubjeot 0r this opinion.

“To Illustrate thla, a fav months ago eewral mall p0ucih85WM takea out 0r th5 5mii5. uh5n th5 15511 powhsr wore recowred approxiautelpthre8 **lafwdxwd old**  **a&p**l**88letance wrrantm,**  **8016~1 or**  vhlah **had beea** opewd, mere retwued by the Postal AuthoritiA5 to the brpartment 0r Publla **Welfam** 

### ror re-mailing. mm5rou5 others **had be8n** opowd **and**cashed. IO ardor to obtaia al-5 vhioh mlEpltl8a4 to the appreheaaloa or tha 

### suspect, tb~ Po8tal **Authoritloo** reqwstod lnf0m8tlo5 f'roath55 Deportvat **about** aback8 rblah VON reported to **tb** Ik**partmeat**by the reclpi40t5 a8 not being ~oaeiw4. **A** number of ths aheokm wro **endornb** au4 oashed.
"EaubmOt&h a CLUI&WOof indlNdu*l reaLpl5nt8 re**port** thet theyhaw llotrrcelwd their **ehsokr.** Upoa lvLlcLglmuir7, it 15 r0tlu4 **by th**  D5parta5rkt **that** arruyor thew aheeka wn paid **b7** the State **Treasurer** 5Xlegodly on **a** 

### forgedeador5oaeut. uben 

### those tbrt8 **era reported**  to tb8 P05Ul AuthoritLo8, they mqu8ot thb mp8m5nt to r~~rh **phat0.5tatie** 00pi85 or **tb5 woraut**  8 lorolved. Ordluily t’b pmrclolr r*p"**rting** 

### the theft i8 the nolpieat 

### or 8owow direct y lotem1IEed in tb realpierrt. TINIPortal Authoritirr UI

### UBI~~h8~ tb full 

### it85btb or tm 

### wapiee, tb **a8t3upt** 

### of ths cheek, the 

### addr~oe OS6ho realpleat, 

### the approxlmBt0 date 0r irrw or th5 abecrk,alad u55511y th5 0555 **ata4 wamant**  **mmtber5.** The iufomtlon t&o P05tal Authorit3.e~•~ seeking 18 the iuromtiaa oocatalwd ou the **rowrw** rldo oft& uheok, 1ruuly,th8 5igmtura 

### arid the plaas ohor8 the &oak 

### vaa endormd 

### or p5%d. This lnformatioa 18 rought for the urpo5a of **making**mh:lnw5tlgat10n relatiw to ttx+al% gsa **thsst** from ths nmi.18 an4 for pro5eouting the ratin. Somal.Iy the oaly purporn that the photostatle **copy**Would 

### wrw 15 a5 mutiowd above) 

### haww~, if it 8boold beem tmae5tury to uw the warrant or to **subpew& the**  **r4wiptent iato**  Court, the PostalAuthoritie5 al50 va5t to ttrethe inromaatlo5 **ror** thaw purpOl~8.

"In reaent months ths Fontal Ittapectorrhaw reqmatsd **m5wrou5**pboto5tstic oopzm 0r &woks. lm5d up00 the opinions from your office rhish are Ushe& abow, tha IIsptu+meRt ha5 4eCllW4 to furnlrh the #XOtO5t8tie BOpi55

.***tin th5**  raolpieat **h55**reaeiwd the **benefit5 horn**  **hie** check. **We hrrc**  been **iwQu58tea** by the Poetal Author**itlea to**  8ub5lt um55 fact5 and to **mqwmt** your oplaion relative to the disclosure of mf’orwtion Prom OUT records either by this apartmeat 

### or the State Treaeurrar for ths purpowa llatsd hereia, and they have **agreed** to 1lmlt or nstr~ot hb u55 of tha rotmrds, ii 55&5 Wallable, to tba uses or purposes whioh you aonsider ulthin th5 **pur~imt** 0r th5 5tmd55.

'Inyour optnlon, would it be ulthln tbs purvlev or tb 8tAtute8 ror ths DspArtwat or Public Wsliare or 

### the State **Treasurer** to turai5h the Postal In statto eopios of varraatr wherein it 15 th5 w*rraats were nc& d5lIvamd to tha right ul ~OlpApO5D&tO15at upon being plmed ia thu maflat

Vr, in your **opiaioa,** u-40nspartmsnt 

### or Public wslfers mar **wleass** SW& plroto5t4tle 00ple8, 8hould the Departims~tfurnish t&o55 *oto5tat5 routlaely when re**quested to**  do **80 by**  **the** Port41 Inigctors, or should th5 Dspartwat **aoaslder** tba raqtmst on aa iadlvgdual basis lo tier o? the cir5ra5t4m058 under which ths 

### recipleat 

### fabled **to** 

### rsce2w his **abok?**
*If, la par opintoa, the photo5tats may be nbasott to th5 Postal fa5peotar5, 3.5this th5 extent of tb5 laforrmrtlonuhlch should be furnished, or should th5 -part5mt upon Tswipt 0r th5 individual ruauest fuvnish **cay** other ovallabl5 information **rrom** our reoorda **pertaiauag to**  the loss or tha **shock,** I.e., the 50pias of ths Affldavlt signed by the reoipioat to the 5fi5Ot that th5 oheok 

### vas not recolwd or 

### eadorwd by hlBI,or 5u5h Inrormstlon **as** the pmmaat address of th5 naipieat?
"Ii this Inrormtion mm be re&alled to t&s, **are there**  to **b5 say**  **reatriotloas, to**  **be pla5eU**  **on the**  **u5e** of the rsaord b the Postal Authorlti5s'l In other wards, art5r the Po8ta Authorities rraefw th5 ***oto5tatio ’** **oopy f**  of the ehmk 3r tba copy of the affMa?lt or AaT otBbr infomtloa from the Department relatiw to the check, aan the mformetion be ueed in a Court proaesding for ths pro**5WUtkXi Of**  **th5 5U5pCt?** 
%~ur coo5idwa~tloa and optaion of thrr*timrs aoaCaLned Ln this reqwst will be apprmlated.~Moaorsble John H. **Wlatera -**  **Page 4** 

The soelal Security Act, &2 **U.S.C.A.** 559, aactioa 302, provJ.das**in partz** 

pavrawat themto, the Texan statute, &t!.cle 

### 6y5a. aeat1on 33, V.A.c:a. provitleain partr

atate mw!tlprnt .

### rot- **say peraaa**  **or pGnow**  **to** solicit, disolo&, **reaeik,** mrheUM of, OP to authorIm, luwviagljrpermit, prrttaip*te **la, or**  **mzquleaae I.0** **the uae** **at, aaj**  list of, or awwa of, **OP**say iaforaPatioacoacffraIa3,pwwan rpplyla3 for OP reosiolag such **aasl&aaee,** d%rootly **OP** iadirectly derived from the **raaordu,** gape~a, **fL.lae, or**  **aoawalaat~oae of**  **the state**  **Departmeat or**  

### l **ubQi*ieionr** **or amnaiea**  **them of,**  **or aoqulred**  **ia the**  **oouree of**  **the pimhrmcms**  **of of**  fiolal duties.” (ltmphaslrWed);
3ectiou 26 provide* ia part*
“Allosaia:ama

IJhx ym5ata provided for uader the terms of this Act 1 be paid by vouahere or varr8ata

. . . Whoa such **vouchers or**  uarraats **have beea** drawn

It ia settlrsdthat **a statuta**  will be construed with raference 

### to iza general purposesnd the 

### sac+ or ob,bjects**aought to**  **be at**  tained, 3~ !ikx.Juria, 217, Sectioa UC?.Honorable Joba & Waters - P8m 2

Certainly a paramouat aad prlmrg objective of the Federal aad State at8tuteo Is the payment of fuade to quallfled recipients of Old Age Asslstmce. Such paymeat me, vlthout **questloo,** dIractly coaaeated vith **the 8QmlnIstratIoa**  **of O~UI**  **Age** 

### Aesletance **1~s. Any**  **interferewe** vith delivery of 8uch pay**ments ia**  aecesacrlly an **Intsrferenae** uIth the rdnialatratloa of Old Age **Aaelstaaae** 18vr. We uoaolude, then, tb8t the Departmeritof Public Welfare or State Trwsurer my furolatithe Postal **Innpectors** vlth photostatlo **copier** of **varmats** allegedly aot delivered to the reclpleat, **or** vhiab rlleegpsdly have beea stolen or I’ve the recipient’s amm for&redthereon.

The Departmeut of Pub110 Welfare 

### aad State Treesurer shoald not releese 

### suchphotostatlo **oo** 

### %eamw **e astter**  **OS routlm,**  **for an**  **ve** aoid **la OUP** **Opiaioa Ho.**  O-63 0, s . thla depcrtmeat, **by** Its **opInloar,** has terloualy gumded the c&deatIal a8tara of thl8 Iaforutioa.” **It** I8 0uF oplaiea tht the Dspartswmt of ~ublio **Welfare** Sad **Btate** Tre8sarer should oonsider eaah reqaest oa 86 IadIoZdoal baais ,laview of tha olraumatanes **uwler**vhlah the reclplent fallad to reoelw hlo **varrmt.**

Slnae **the prowcutloa**  **of** those IaterSering with tha delivery of said paymeuta Is ,dIrectlycoaneated with the admIaIstratloa of Old Age Amiataaee lava, It fo1knr8 tht tb DspaPtmnt Of PubliO Welfare mad State ~88UE’Ol’r~ rurnllh, on the asrits of each ltdIrIdu81 reqaeat from the Pmrtel X&5 apeatore, aay other Iaform%tlon pertaialag to the lo8a of iald **werreat ia**  order that those Snterferlag vith suoh delivery may be **proseouted.**

The Poatal InT ctors are plaIaly restrioted by 42 **U.S.C.A.** 559, Seatloa 30 , to the uue of 8ald laformatlon for purpose8 dimatly coaaeoted vlth the admIalrtrrtIoa of Old A@ Asslstaaoe laws, which lnformatloa, Ia this 8psOIfia iastaaes, is given to sald Iaspeators to u8e rolely ror tha purpose 

### 0r Iaveatigtiag aad proseoutIa$ those vho slle3edly hve stolea said varraats or hew forefedthe reclplentta ~WW thereon.

Sinae t&s uw of this iaformtloa i8 given the Postal Inspectors for the purpo8e of lave8tigrtloa Sad prosecutloti,it mey certainly be used by them in Court proasediags against said v10lat0rs.thatI It 

### Is, therefare, 

### the opImIon of thin depwtwat

(1) The Dspartrmentof Pub110 Uvlfam 

### or 3tate Zrv~rur

### er my Zurn%ab photostat10 copier of vrrrarttaaad 

### otbr direotly pert:aMt inforavtloa to tlM Perta 

### Iwpeotorr vwa ttn nolplerrt hea 

## l l&@vdly net reaelvod raid vbrmnt u&es ulroQ&mieo8 In**di6Wirrg** 

### theft,for&ety or 

### fraud. Ba6h wqualt

fox- l uoh afo r- motion mwt 

### be ooneldend~oa OEl~lrldu81 brai* and dwuld bu glwa onlyunder proper

olrOtmntowe8, leindlo&tod rltpn.