**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN** 

Honorable M.a. nor&an, cha1rzlm **Approprlat ions**  **Coomtttee aouae**  **of** Reprerrentatlves **AIM**tin, **Texas**

**You have**  **eubmitt oaslderatfm**  **tlouse** ii111 30. 

### 157by C opriatioa of $1,057.7L3 to pay par diem a curred by the alar **neenbers 02**  the **la attending**  board meeting8 held 1 of July and hu&ust, tar that the regular approprlatiow
ion U88obtained by the board

ur requeat that **some doubt**  **exists** e, or some of the membersthareof, ure can legally u&e this approprlatio!b h&her there **is any**  **conrtltutlooal provl**  **approprlatloa.**
reads aa follows:

“The membersof the State **Board** OfEducatloa, created by this Act, aball **be paid**  **‘ Pea**  **Ml** lars per day vheo In actual attaadaace uponBoardIiOuOrable M.8. Morgan, page 2

tbeetlngs, aud shall be eatitled to actual traveling aud other necessary expenaee incurred f.u the **discharge** of their duties. Each member shall take ,the coastltutlonal oath of office.* Article III, seotloo 44, of t&eCoustitutloa of Texas, provides, la partr

*TheLeglalature

. . . 

### shallnot . . .graot 

### by l pproplatioua or otherwise, any ausouutof moaeJ**out** of the Treaaurp of the Ytate to cay lndlvldual, on aclelm, real or pretended, vheu the aame&all not have baea prorlded for by preexisting law.

. . .* The **Suprerae Cwwt**  **OS**TeXad, la Fort Worth Cavalry **Club v.**  Sheppard, 83 S. Y. (24) 660, said;

‘It, is asttled aa the lav of this 3tate that uuder the piovlslons of section 44 of article 3 of our State Couatltutlon, the Legislature la prohibited fromepproprlatlq state aoaey to my ~lrrdlvldual~ on any claim, unlees, at the very time the approprlatlon 1s made, there la already in Porte scam pre-exlatlng valid law couatitutlug the claim the appropriatlou 1s rrmdeto pay a legal andvalid obligation against the atate.

Pinally, It 1s settled that **br** legal **ob** i$a;loo ts meant such an obligation as vould form the bash of a Judgment against the lrtate iu a court of **competent** jurisdiction, lo the event the Leglrlature should permit it to be sued.” Auatlo Hational Bankv. Sheppard **(Tea.** Coa. App. oplaioa adopts@ by Suprsme court), l23 Tex. 272, 71 5. U. **(2d) 242;**  Austlu gatlonsl Bankv. SbepCorn.App. opimion adopted b 123Tex. 2b0, 71 **3. Y.**  **(2d) 24** **iI Supreme**  Cottou’bkills Y. 3heppard (Tex. Cola, **1 CorSiC8M**  App, 0,pialon ado ted by Supreae (2dp 247; llchols vCourt), 123Tex. 352, 71 3. Ii.

. Ytate 11 Tex. Civ; Ppp. 327, 32 Y. Y. 452 (urlt refusedjj State v. Alderman (Tex. clv. ~pp.) 1639. Y. 1020 (vrlt refused); Sate Y. Wlleon, 71 Tex. 291, 93. Y. 155.. ’

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BoQorable n. B. Morgan, page 3

Ia view of **the** foregolag authmltles, tt is **our** oplalon that Article 2675b-10 la a pre-existing law wlthln the meaning of Article III, Sectioo 44, of the Constitution, and that fiouse Bill No. 157does not contravene **said sectloa.** 

Wehave also considered **said** Bill in c.anectl.on vlth Article III, Section $9, of the Coostltutlon, vhlch lnhlblts **the** creatSoa of a debt, except for certain stated purposes, and it 18our oplnloa that the expeadltures herein lnrolved did not create a “debt” **agafnst** the State of Texas ulthln the meanlog of that term as used la the Constitution.

Youare further advised that weirnovof uo constltutloaal provlsloo uhlch would pevent the Legislature from lawfully making the **contenplated** approprlatlon provided for ia aouse Bill Ho. 157. Thefact. that uodeficiency authorlzatlon was obtained from the **Goveruor** as provided for la Article 4351, Veroon’s Annotated Civil **jtatutes, Is**  **lmmterlal,** alms Article 2675b-10 a~uthorlted the membersof ths Board to incur the expeasea aad obligates the State to pay the sam as well a8their per **diem.**

Ye are eaclosl.ng herewith aouse Bill Ho. 157 **and** Judge **k ‘** **atklns ’**  **letter.**

**‘ Prustfng**  that **ve** have satisfactorily ansrered your inquiry, ve are Yours very truly ATT~FWEI

GENEBAL

OFTE;XPS

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_...d JCD:db Enclo8ures BY

. C. Davis, Jr. Assisiant