._. 

ssa 

OFFICE OF.THE A-ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

, 

i ’ 

5 

Uoriorable 24. 01 Flawem 

saoratary of State 

Bustin, Texss ., 

Dear hfr. lf?.WQI’S, 

4., &&ion 14 of tha Con&ttall. wli retqw3a to the 

Gioverxior with his, objects, (..%sll&ays em9ptcd), art&r 

it g&~.+.um%een presented to him vbila the 

legislators f5 in session, becomes a lawr 

Wers ti bill is filed a-it& the Secretary Op 

9tat.e tier 8iich olrausiBbn0a8 (tiat is, Constituticn, krtiole 4, Ss@im 14) ad the bill 

contains an emargonc;r clauas a 

r!3y,izCri?3 2/s -rate aooa tha 

proved by the 

'oil f beam?8 OffoOt3.~0, (a) on the date it 1s Piled in~ths of?pice 

of the Liaoretary of St&a) or (b) on the expirstion of 10 days (Sun&ays excepted) after the 
lionorabla X. 0. Flowers - page 2 

bill is presented to the Wvernor? 

*As an cxanple, please 888 volume 1 of 

tho Act& of tlie 46th Legislature page QQ 

where Chapter t3, 11. 5. 604 contains au emergoncy clause and carries un page 102 t&e f’ol1owlng lnfomation: 

*Filed witheut the C0vernors* 

signature, ILay 3, 1931. Effective 

ImY 9, 1931.' 

*BrSefZy, how was it determined that this 

net beoam9 effootive hay 0, 1930 und0r tho oirrumstanoee?* 

That portion of Section 14, Article IV, of the 

Constitution pertinert to your inquiry is as followsg 

, 

'If any bill oball not be returned by 

the GoveHUm with-hi5 objection&i within 

ten days (Sunday5 OxCepted) after it shall 

have been presented to him, the sam 5h5ll 

be a law in lihe manner a5 if be had signud it, unSess the Legislatum, by its aifjourmeet, prevent Its return, in which 

case it 5hallbe a Saw, unZese he ahall 

file the eme vith his objections, In the 

offloe of the 3acretary of State and p;Lve 

notice thereof by pYbli0 pFoclamation within twenty days aftar suoh adjournment,5 

In th0 nnttor 0f esorcising the veto power, the 

Oovernor is excroising a legislative function, and not an 

otecativo~ funotion. Fulmora Y. Lane, MO S. \i'. 405, loR2. 

From this it follows the approval of the Governor, or his 

failure to disapprove in the manner prorLrh& by the Constitutlon -- hia official action -- is an e55ential part 

of the lsL;islct~ve function to enact a law. 

Section 39, hrtlclo III, of tlla Constitution dsc1arcet 

"No lau lassed by the Lqislature, 

cxcoitt the general approlfiiation Aot, 
aonorabla L;. 0. Flowers - page 3 

ihan Ann l ;rjrgency aclt wet hais the approval 

or ihll tioverncr, or t&w3 must be shown the Cailure of 

tLl2 L-;;VertOr to r.?turn tr. ,e same within the t&me required 

$3; th Constitution with hfe objectlone thereto before 

t113 snm3 becom0s effootivs aa finichd legi.&?latfon. 

Xlon an enorgancy sot has boon ayprovod by the 

;overnor, or VilCll ho h&8 net aoted fn Guch a :rrJ xlth 

rOSi9Ct GO t,ha bill in hio ban&~ a~ tC ;trOVT!Et it6 ‘&COTSin,; effective, the 0merSonoy wt does become e?footive, 

$ut of course its eff,xt*vo date is k?rorn and after fts 

~XLssafip . $g &vz sef?n ",ilxr; 2 wrt r2 the essential pasxi;;0 of an net in the action of the tiwmnor fn the way 

proscribed by the Constituticn. 

In the case you put f.t folloae from uhat wo have 

k&ii that tkc es2rge~nc.y act becow effeative on the expira- ) 

tiou of ten ctc;l's (Sunt%y& exct?Ftec?) after the bill had been 

prrescctad to the tiovorncr. I 

mrth2r rcIJlyPnl; tc your midemil Inquiry as 

to *how it cus c:ctormine& that thio Act (mZ, 6, II. Be BoBI 

Bcte 46th Log. reg. ser-s.) ;t.cca;;lo cffectlve bay 9, 1939, 

.Wnlcr the clrcumstencns,~ wd cannot unswor, exoept upon 

tIia fam,Lliarrule of presl,uhptfonf oPfJ.cial rsgularity. 

3. is, Bo. 8oQ yas pws& by the I:nuee April 13, $939, by 

f vote of 119 yeas, no naya: by tR3 Senate April 24, 1930, 

e * 

Sy a vote of 29 yeas, no nays. It bears the ondoroement 

5 Pileii~ without the tiovernor*a aiqnature bay 3, 1939, effeotLv3 my 9, 103s. The r&ate upon abiob the bill wae present3cI to the liovernor i.6 not s&own. Lresu.m‘,tl.aely, the ten 

iays (c~clucling Sundays) nllo~eci. by the oovernor under the 

Constitution to Ilo& and cnnsiaor the ti2?.CUPC, ex@rc%i on 

by E, 1930, in which wont tbc act would become ePfoctivs 
aC;rOEI ard. after its paseap,ev, vbich would buve 

9, 1939. 

'5 ,_ 

vary truly yours 

been Jlny 

J 

Ocio Speer 

Assistnnt