x-3 

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

. 

1 

Bonorabls Lon Alsup 

~~aoutive Smretary-Dirsotor 

state Oowal~sion for ths Dlind 

Jand Offlor wlildiag 

Austin, Texsa 

mar Sir: Opinion No. O-7203 

Bar Whothr 

opinion fr 

thlr lrttar, the 

here raqu*etod en 

above subjaot. RDB 

I \\ ogni%os \> that the the stat4 ~Eeion 

n one-third or his 

ation Dfvfeion of 

and ia antitled to 

or hia earviao. The LegielAtho dapmtmntal appropriation 

n for the Blind 

Ha balion 

n applio~ble to the salary or the 

ry-.Dfreator of th.i.8 agamy. 

"Cn April 1, 1946, in rsgulsr fmating the State 

C~mlssion ror Ghe Blind outhorlmd the salary of the 

3xeautloe ::*cmtary-Diractor or the State Commiesion 

for the Blind to ba ploaad at %&,200.00 per mnur~, 
Honorable Lon Alsup, Fags 2 

$2,400.00 to ba l’rom Stoto funds and tha rriuaindar 

to be paid by lW6ral funda. The Xxroutlrs Seoratary-DIrector was authorlzstl to submit an amendment 

on this subject to the Texas State Flan for Vooatlonal Rehabllltatlon to the Fudsral olfiar for 

approval. It was thought that brrorcl the amendment 

to tha Texas State Plan for Vooatlonal RshabIlltatIon 

was submitted to the Nashlngton ofrice that a ruling 

should be had from your department as to whether or 

not the supplementation of the salary of the Xxroutlw SIoratary-Mreotcr ma legal.” 

In the appropriations mada for the State Oomnlaslon 

for the Blind (&mats Bill 317 , Aots 49th Legislature, 1945, 

p. 826)‘ Itrm 1 thereof approprlsttos @!,400.00 per annum to be 

paid from tha General Revenue Fund of the State on the salary 

0r the Exsoutite saoratary-DIrector or the 0c0unIssion. In thia 

item, them la a parcrnthatioal dlreotion that the Exeoutin 

Saoretary-DIreotor is to .raoslrs “an anma1 salary or $3,6,00.00, 

$2&;.00 to be paid f’rom Stata funds and $1.200.00 from Badoral 

. 

In the Aot OwatIng the State ComIaaIon ior the Bllnd~, ” 

Andy providing for ita or&anlaation and tunotlon, authorization Is 

given to tha Comiialseion to “appoint and rIx, the oompensatlon or 

an Bxroutits Sooratary and s'uoh other workers a% may be naoreaary 

t;o~l~kdbrraotive the purposes or this Act withIr? the aDpropriatIon ’ 

P .I (Saotlon 3, Article 3207a, V.A.e.S.) 

Ylhlle the aalarlaa prodded In the appropriation bill 

ma9 not as a general rule be supplemented troa any other sourW, 

the State CoinmIssIon for the Blind In eproiiIa.slly uxamptsd froa 

such a rrstrlotlon (Seotion 2, submotion 14b, Sonata Bill 317, @t& 

Laglalature, 1945). The epplloetion for and aoarptanoa of funds fro5 

the Gorsrrqnt of the Unltrd State8 for tha State Comrnieslon tar 

the Blind is authorized and euch funds are appropriated %o ths 

apaolfio purposes authorized by the grantor”. (SsatIon 2, Sub8sO.tiOn 

9, senats Bill 317, 49th Lqlalature, 1945.) It apprara that run&s 

are advanoed by the Federal government to Dtatea that have 83 apprnvhd 

plan ror aid 80 the blind for purposes whiah am snulasrated in a 

:~ report to the Psdsral government filed by the State. il’it1s Q2, 

U.S.C.A., Sections 1201, 1202 and 1203.) If, therarora, finds 

are advemosd by the Federal government for tha purposs of aupplelnenting the salary or tha Eraautlve 2earstarpDirector of the Stata 
JL:ms 

And 

[ 

.., 15 

Iionorsblr Lon Alaup, Page 3 

Commission for the Blind, the paymsnt of an aiidltlonal sum from 

IJsUeral funcls would bs V’wltGln the approprletlona providadW. 

(Opinion or Attorney General, No. O-6735.) 

i:hethar the salary of the Rxaoutlve Saorrstary-Mreotor 

may be supplanented from Federal funds depend6 upon whsther the 

above noted dlreotlon in the appropriations bill upsrates to 

withdraw or restrict the authority glvsn to the Stats Cunvnlsslon 

for the Blind to fix the salary ot suoh oifloar *within tb 

appropriations provided”. V.hl1.s thsrs Is no qurstlon that the 

Legislature has tha authority to withdrew or repeal bhs authority 

orlglnally given to the Cummlsslon to fir ths salary of thir 

orrloer, it 15 not bd. lsved that suoh authority oan be cloamml to 

have been withdrawn by 8 parenthatlaal and purely dlnotory provlalon in the appropriation bill. Tha only posslbla reason that 

can be asorlbed for this dirootlon ia the l ppro rletion bill ia 

that the Laglslature intendad to avoid thle o,ff s 6or’B befag paid 

rmm Faderal funda ln an amount greater than that provltlrd to be 

paid from %nto fundr end it Is noted that the propomd ln~roae~ 

or $60~.00 per annum would not dsreet suoh a purpose. It rhouid 

also be noted thnt in 1945 the 29th Lsglsfaturr sabablishsd wlthiu 

the State C~mmleslrm ror the Blind a yooattinal Rehabllitatlan 

Dlvlslo~and lmpussd orrtaln addltlonal dutloa upon ths Exroctlva 

Saoretary-Dlrrctor or the Ccmmlselon. (li. 8. 347, Aote &9th Uglslatura, 1945, p. 374.) This Act also provldrd ror oooparation by 

this Dlvislon wlth the Faders1 Govarnment. 

The roregolng oonslderaa, yvu are advlasd that it la 

the oplnlon or thls orrioe that the Stats Quonmirsioa for ths Blind 

Is authorized to supplement f’rola run48 reocllved f’rom the Governmen 

or tha UnltsB States ths salary or the Exsoutlte Sooretary-Dirsotor 

to the extent proposed if granted by the Fedan], Authorltl8s for 

that purpose. 

Youra very truly 

A~~~OQD#I la, 1946 

s!!Q BY Robert G. Kooh 

,< .4salstant 

c 

,’ Assistant