Hon. John H. Winters 

Executive Dfreotor 

Department of Public Welfare 

Austin, Texas Opinion No, S-21 

Re: Legality of defraying the 

travel expenses of new employees while they are at- 

'tending an inservice orientation and indoctrination 

Dear Sir: training course. 

You have requested the opinion of this office concerningtravel expense reimbursement of ne?,,employees while 

they receive indoctrination and orientatioh on departmental 

policies, rules and regulations, and supervised training in 

actual welfare case investigations. You indicate that the 

new employee has a designated "station" immediately upon his 

appointment where he will perform his regular assigned duties) 

but that he receives training at one of several orientation 

centers, selected by the department, the location of which 

may or may not coincide with his permanent station, You further emphasize that under supervision the new employee carries out assignments of the same character as if he were working from his own station, 

The assignment of dutfes of employees is a decision 

whioh rests with the agency in its sound administrative discretion within the statutory limitations which may etist. Responsibility for the administration of the StateBs welfare 

program lfes,in the State Department of Public Welfare, In 

the discharge of this responsibility the Department has fnoorporated in its overall plan of operation an in-service training 

program whereby a portion of the normal business of investigation of welfare cases is accomplished and, incidental thereto, 

new employees can receive supervised experfeaae in the actual 

practices of their employment. The Federal Security Agency 

participates in the maintenance cost and has approved the operation of these training and orientation units, 

Since the State Department of Public Welfare has determined that it is reasonable that new employees discharge an 

**on-the-job" apprentfoeship whereby they may become acquainted 

with applicable laws, departmental rules; regulations, practic- 
Han, John H. Winters, page 2 (S-21) 

es, and policies under which they function, it is sufficient.. 

for our present inquiry if the employee is engaged in his assigned duties, if his assignment is State business, and if his 

assigned duties require his presence other than at his regular- 

-1y designated station, 

We are not unmindful of Section 2# (12)b,Art, III of 

the current general appropriation bill Ch. 499, Acts,52nd, Leg. 

1951,R.S,, which prohibits the Comptroller from issuing warrants to reimburse living expenses inourred.withfn the city or 

town where an officer or employee is stationed, We expressly 

adhere to prior opinions of this office which hold the station 

of a man is where he carries out his regular assigned duties 

and thet no.travel expense oan be paid a new man who is enroute 

initially to begin his first ~dutfes, 

In Attorney GeneralOs Opinion No, O-3008 addressed to 

the Comptroller of Public Acdbunts on January 13, 1941, it was 

stated: 

"The question of QstatiOningP employees is one 

which must address itself primarily to the discretion 

of the department heads. Of course, the provisions 

of the appropriation Bill above quoted may not be evaded by terming what is in truth an actual change 

of headquarters a Ptemporary assignment? but it can 

not be said that circumsta,nces may not exist which 

would justify a temporary assignment rather that? a 

change of station, though it had been decided by the 

department head that at a later date a permanent 

change of station would be effeetedQt' 

See also Attorney GeneralDs Opinion No, v-461 to 

the Comptroller of Public Accounts on December23, 1947, for 

a distinction between "temporary station" and "headquarters" 

of a state officer or employee as these terms are used in 

the appropriation bill riders, ., 

Because State business is carried out at the oriertatfon centers on the same basis as if the employee were working' 

in his own headquarters, it is our opinion that the Department 

of Public Welfare is authorized to pay travel expenses while 

the employee is executing this temporary assignment at an orfentation cen%er away from his regular station, 
Hon. John H. Winters, page 3 (S-21) 

S-Y 

Travel expenses of employees of the 

Department of Public Welfare while working. in 

orientation training units on-temporary assignments may be reimbursed under the provisions of the general appropriation bill. 

Yours very truly, 

APPROVED: JOHN EiENSKEPPERD 

Attorney General 

David B. Irons 

Administrative Division. * .' 

Willis E. Gresham 

Reviewer 

Robert S. Trottl 

First Assistant. 

John Ben Shepperd 

Attorney General 

.' 

.