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

lIonarable R. Byrne Brttsyfleld, Ccraaissioner, \ Cir6mtm'm Pension Cemmisbion Au8tin, Tarsa Dear

ment**Blr. 8atterTielUt**  Opinidn **80*** O-7444 Ret Clsrifio8tion of A. 0. Opiniw **Ilo. O-81183** 

**and othsra** 

**an opinion**  **on**

**tamnt** should be killed moo ot tho portormance b emant or if he should die es not In aensequence 0P fr duty aa a tireman; may

paymontr on the date **he** roulc: hare reaohed the bgs of fifty-firs years? l **2.** If a flromnn sbo **has** retired after having soyred 20 **yearo** on a iire department but before he had reaohed the ago of' 55years should be killed or die from any oau8e not in eonsequen6e of his duty **aa** a rirement**Bonorbble** Hollyrue satterfield - page 8

dtoald his Board be&in **paying** his depaadats **their** benefits promptly after hia death or would It be oompelled to withhold payntmt o? suoh benefits until the 

### fireman rould have **reacPbed,,the age**  **,of 66**  **jeara? s,** 

“In giving 

### your opinion on the above -- Opinion O-8831 -- you say as fo1100sr *'We call partiaular **attention** to the l fatement 

### ia tbeabovertatuts whlob **reads** 'or abrll die fror any aauae whatsoever 8iter **ho** baa beoome entitled to art l lloranoe or pemeion aertiflthfen l inoe th8t phrase will perhaps, **bed**TOthink does, oontrol the proper **disposition** and **ansuer** to Joar questions. **wtUnder**the prorisfonn of the quoted statutes above **when**a fireman **haa** 

### mened 80 **yettrtt,** regardless **of** his **then agel**  **he** ***may** apply to the Board of Trnr tees for, **and** it **shalY** he the Boerd’s duty to issue, a oertifioate shoring **the** completion **O?** such se~rvl0e.s #'Reading the quoted sentenoe 

### fromBeation 13 and **the** Yast-quoted section 

### from the amended seation **6** as **we eon** **tttrue same** a fireman **who has**  served trmty **years** is then entitled to **and** the Board must glre him a pension Oertifloate. 

### l t6eotlm 12 provider that if a 

### fiream dies iron any oause after he has beooae entitled to his penaicn oertifioate him widow is **entitled** to **payments** as protided **in** said aeotlon. atIt is omr opinion, therefore, **that** regardless of rhetber **the** firernan is aotlre or retired at tho time of his **death** If he has served 8atirelj for the 80 year period he is entitled to his pension certifloate and if ho thereafter **dies** his sldou **and** children, It any, are entitled to **receive** Oompeneation 

### rrom **the date**  of his death in **the** respective mcnaas prorlded isr in maid Aot. t

***Then on**  **May** 11, 1945 we asked Por the Sollosing opinion:

“If a fireman resigned iron his tire departmmt OnApril 18th, lQ44, roufd he be entitled to a 80lbnar8bls ii. Byrne SItterfield - page 3

**year** omM?ioak as protided ht the 8mendmemt wbioh 

### was**e??eotfte on**  **LIaroh S3rQl**  **1946 ’** 

**. (row**  **4ortoetod** tha l **ffeotirs date**  **ia** 

### roar **opinion).** .Ia giving your oplnion - Opinl NOQ8W3 - you mled as ?d.lou~r %

. "lfe think it plain ?roa tbs npseitio 

### tamgttage **of the** newly rdded mbtter to Seotion 6 that the Legis**lature** intended **that** 8117

### l llglble **and**qualified iire

### man,whoshall hare ampleted 

### ttteaty ymrs o? mrrioe 

### befare**reaching** 

### theageotflity-flroyearat **would be**  mttitl8d to tlte 

### eeetiiieatea?mdng amohnwleer **whether** meh esmpletlm is **befew** or **biter** ths eiieotIre dmte of **Senate** Dill 89, prerided it 1s cmor after the first **dby**o? **April** A* D. 1939~’ 

### l Thsn on **Wdmtary** 6, 194b IO mubnltted **this quas**  tiont

**s ‘** **We hbre**  **an lnstanee**  **whore a**  **firssmn bad**  **servsd for**  **24** ye8rs 

### and **three umths**  **in a**  **Tssss fire**  departareat 

### andon **Alar** e0, 1918 ho dies e? a he8rt **aftaak.** Be was fifty-four years of r&e rt the time o? **his death.**  **Asswming** 

### thathisbeart **8ttaok** ttan not 

### in conBequeneeofthep#rfOt5anOe Ofbls duty as a ?%I%- **man**and In view of t?m ?aOt that **he** had serted more than **20**

### years **bat** had not **rerohsd the**  ags **a? 66**  **years** bnd **the fsrthsr**  **frot that**  **b@** 

### diedpriortotheem&fmttmt**o? the**  amendmeat **to** seation **(I of**  **the Aat**  and **in** the 

### llgbtotyour opinions O-M%81**and** O-kM8~,‘1s hfs ridor entitled to **her** beaefits from the **Aot** and should the benefits be tetruautfre to **the** Urts of her hash8nd's deathtt ,In your **Opinion O-T&@**  **you** ruled es ?ollo~sr "In OUT**Opinion Nor**  **O-8878 sd&esssd**  **to** fowt **ap** proved Waroh8, 1944, it was pointed out that the third olass o? meahars lsbntioned in seotion 18 l b o?e 

### re?erreUtoto 

### required**death** ***aStar ’**  **the ?ireman**  bau beoome antitled to an allormoe **or psnsion**  **eerti?laate.** Under **,the iaote**  **berefn presented,**  **hore?er# the**  **fireman** died **Ma7 20,**  **1@42, at**  **the ags**  **of 84**  **yerrs** and **apparent** ly without laaklng nny appllOatim to 

### theBoard 

### ofTrustees for any retirement osrtifieats- **B ’** **twthermore, to**  bs qualified under the Aot, suoh a fi~paan met havelIqnor8ble MOByme 88tteriield - page 4

**puo&o& the**  **868 of**  **86 Je8C8$**  in rdditfon **to** baring 

### mewed l otirely

ior 8 period of 90 JUMPS,to **besome** entitled to **bs** retired horn l uoh sorvioe or ontitled to 8 **6brtlifOato. ’**  **+b. 8md&mmt**  **of seatim**  **6 of**  **t%e** stmtwte, eonaidqrod **in our**  **Opiahn8 Hoe.**  O-6531 8nd O-8883, l d to rbiab you rr?erl **bwwme**e??OOfiTe Soptombor 4, 1946, 8nd suab **maendment** doss not bate 8 **ratro gotire**  **otteat 80**  **to** dsse8eeA nmsbers **who** iailod ta posaera the rtatutery **qu8litiO8tdoam 8t**  the **tine of**  **tbelr de8tb.**  **’** l'You **SPO** respeotiully 

### advised**that** under **the t8atr**  **mbmitfsd** your **qussfbur 8~0**  **ms*ered** in **the** segatirb. **’** "Onepoint **th8t bmtrrbos**  **us ia**  th8f in ynr **Opin** ion No. O-6883 you 8pp8rently mle that *MELolQlble 8nd qn8litled **ilrem8nt** rho shall b8re aarploted 20 ye8ri of serrico **botore** reaohing th0 8ge o? 68yomrs, would be antitlod to tbo oorfiflaate abowlnr mob aerviao, wbother snob oomplotlon is %o?ore OPS&r the gffesfire date of Sen8te Bill $9, brorided it is ol, 

### pr tter the 1st. d Y

### ofApril 1939' %bea In your O&an lo. O-7088 km bold that Iani suoh mendment **dbem**not bare 8 **ret~oratire** o??eot 8s to **deoecrmid** mombera rho tailed to posroms the 8tatutorJ qualltl**08tions 8t**  **the time**  O?their deatb'. l Vob8ro tried to interpret JOUPOpinion lo. O-7082 as **ruling** tbrt the amendment would be 8ntl 1s **rbtro8etiro lnbot8r**  **80 firemen**  rho **wore** partlslpatin6 ia the systea ou and after the **e??bOtiTb dtBt0** **of tbo**  amendmeat **-** Senats Bill 89 a? tbo Rogu18r se8sIon of l@lb, -,but **I# not**  **rotroaotiro lnsotbr**  **88** those firemen *ho died or left **the** tlro **department prior**  to the **stteotite** date of sell8to Bill 89 8s montianod above. **But When**  **Wt) 60**  brok to **your** Opinion Ilo. O-6888 which apparently Puloa that a tiroeran who loft tbe **tire doprrtment**  **prior** to tbo eiteotir. **date** o? senate Ii*11 89 9 entitled ta tbo **oortitiO8te,** then webooame oon?used* Ve fail to see any ditter**on00 ln8eirr**  **8s** the **ratro8otirenoss is**  **oonaernou be**  tween a **firom8n** whodied **prior** to the etteotlre data of **the** amendment **and** on0 who left the **fir0** depertmeut betoro the **etieotlvs** date of the **8wndmout,** provided **ot oourme**  **that it**  applies to the fireman **who** left the tire department and **has not**  re-entered the **tire** sowieo.m‘F=;s 

## Il.32

. ., ’ Bmorable It. Byrne EPttePtis~d - page fi

IOUoOrro0tly quote Ourruling in Opinion Ho. O-bM3, wbioh for **oonrsnienoo we**  **ropredaoe here,**  **8s** tollow~t

**. ‘** ***e think**  **it** pl8in from the 8peOitiO lS?l**gumgo** of the nqwly added m8tter to Re **that tho**  Logisl&tu~o 

### intendedthat 

### anysliglblo opn 6 and qualified fireman, wbo Sb811 bmwosmplstod twenty years of rsnioe 

### bstororsaohin6tbe 

### age of fifty-fiwo **~OPPS~** 

### wouldb.eontltlsdto 

### tho osrtitiomfs Showing SUO~Sopvise, whether **suoh SempletiOn**  **i8** 

### before**or Sfts?**  

### tbs**e?fsOtiTs** date **et SonSto**  **Bill 89,**  **provided** it **is On**  **OP Site?**  tbs 1st day of April, A. Do 

### 1999+* There is no sentlist botwsen tbmt bolding 

### md Opinion NO*0-7088, S8yilIgl

'The **SmCUdIMYUt Of**  **SsOi 6**  **~nf tho**  **stStUt9 Oon**  Sidered **in** our **Opinions** HOSO 0-6531 and O-01)83, and to **whiob you**  **refer, booune**  **ef?oOtirs Septem**  ber **6,** 1846, and such 8mOndmsnt doss not bate 8 retro8otits etieot 8s to daoeassd memboP#who tailed t0 pOsS+sS **the** StStUtOpy qUS~i?iOSti~S **at** the tiPjo of **their death.** **”**
**As** weUndepStSnd JOUPIOtter, your Om?USiOn in probsbly brought Sbeut by **the** use o? the **phrase** 

### l etteotire date* of the Act., and **we can**  readily understand JOUPpositions ASws pointed out to you **in** Opinion Nob04883, the body of 8. B. go. 89 oarried **the** emergsnoy clause to bsoome efieotire on Its paaMOB, tbe rote bowsrsr wmS**insu??iOisnt** to make it stteotiVs fPOmits **pass8go. so**  **that** it beSame le@lj, Ot'fsOtiwO nfnety days after the adjournment of tbo LegiSlature. That means the Bill and Aot beouao operative -- in toroe aS law -- ninety dajm *?tOP SdjeUPlllIIC'llt. **But** whsn It did **fbur** booomeeffeotlto, the Aet beoame ottootirs ior all puPpOsss SOOOPdingto its pPOVision*, ms **of** Which **was #On**  and **after thb**  **1st day**  **of** April, **AeD. 1038,**  **Buy psrsotPr**  **oto.** This Aot was not rstrosotirs **in the**  **le** iT81, OonStitutionml SsnSe, and spoke 8s 18WOnly tram and after its e??sotlro **date ninety**  days miter adjoupnmsnt. But **when it**  did **spomk** It oleerly shows that iatter the 18t dry of April, A. D. 1839, firemm whobsd at that time or thereafter might hate twenty year.' Sspvios, PStherein stated, 

### areentitled to Septain rights. The irot that the twenty years 

### serrioewould date baok beyond the et’feotire d8te of **the Bill**  **is of**  **no im**  Poptanoe in **the** oonsldsrrtlon. It 1~ permissible for a Yawto **OQntain** that feature. Thus, a law may, under the Constitution, haas a proviSion upon a Status or duration, **reeohing** into **the flOnOFSbl6**  8. Byrne Ratterfiofd - pegs 6

p88t **SW7** numberOf **YSSPS.**

It is t?UO th8t OUPOpiniCWtNO*d-70@ **dsO~8Pss** thnt: *Snob amsnhaent doe6 not bare 8 A POSOtiTO

**e??SSt 88**  to dsoeessd UIOmbePS m ?Siled &j :' PQs8.a~ t& $tStUtOq m~i?iOStiOU# St tbo m g their &e&&e Empha**Si**a snpplsd-;-

that **.t8i~6Ut** %a 8OCUP8t6. It merely m68?1s **tblb 8**  tiremnnwhe died prior to the **etiestirb date**  **of tbb**  **1946 list**  

### deemnot

‘eeme **rithia** tbe prorl~ime of said AotI 8IthOnk;h during him li?s time be h8d sewed **mere** than tWOnt7 **ycnra 80**  **8 ?iPem8la~** 
VSP~tru17 **yours**

**COMMllTCL**