HonorableRobert S. Calvert Opinion NO. c-761

Comptroller of PublicAccounts Austin, Texas Re: Payment of registration fees on facts su'bmitted
Dear Mr. Calvert:

Your request for an opinion on the above subject matter requestswhether a registration fee appearing on the face of a travel expense vouchermay be paid, under the following facts outlined in a letter toyou, in response to your inquiry requestingadditional information concerning this item of expense. We quote from the letter to you as follows:

"I attended thismeeting at the direction of the Board. The Board specificallywanted me to go down to thismeeting to discuss and be on hand to answer questions concerning the recent amendment to the Texas EngineeringPracticeAct. While all themembers of this Board are members of the Texas Society of ProfessionalEngineers, I went to thismeeting as an official representative of thisBoard and represented the Board at all the meetings. The thirteendollarsand fifty cents ($13.50)registration fee is a fee thatwas charged to all in attendance. In other words, itmight be consideredas an admission fee to themeetings of the organizationand in our opinion, is justifiable as a charge against the TravelAppropriation allocated by the Legislature to this Board."
In Attorney General's Opinion c-671 (1966), it was held that appraisers employed by theVeterans' Land Board may attend an appraisal school at TexasA&M University and have their registration fees paid by the State. In that opinion, it was stated Section 18 ofArticle V of the GeneralAppropriationAct of the 59th Legislature,pertaining to expenditure ofmoney for dues or registration in joining or ,a,ttending any type of organization,has no application so long as the State employeedoes not join the organization. Likewise, it was held inAttorney General'sOpinion c-692 (1966), registration fees necessary to attend courses of instructiondeemed necessary to the furtheranceof governmentalduties, imposed -3663-. .

Honorable Robert S. Calvert, page 2 (C-761)

upon a State agency,may be paid by such State agency. It was stated in C-692, supra:

you are advised that the registration fees to attend the conference sponsored by the Urban TransportationCommittee of the Greater Chamber of Commerce of Pit&burg, and the registration fee to attend the Uniform Commercial Code Institutemay be paid."
In your request for an opinion,you state that the purpose of the trip was not questioned, but only the payment of the registration fee. Under the facts submitted, the registration fee was charged to all in attendance at themeeting, and was not a charge for joining the organization.

Registration fees necessary to attend the Texas Society of ProfessionalEngineers, for thepurpose of discussing questions concerning the recent amendment to the Texas Engineering Act, constitutes, in our opinion,a necessary expense of the member of the Texas State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers, who was assigned by the Board to attend suchmeeting in the furtherance of the governmental duties imposed on the Board, may be paid.

You are, therefore,advised that under the facts submitted, the registration fees were necessary to carry out the governmentalduties and functions of the State agency, and as such,may be paid by the State agency. Therefore, it is our opinion that the item of expense stated in your request is due and payable.
SUMMARY _---_-- Registration fees necessary to attend the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, for the purpose of discussing questions concerning the recent amendment to the Texas Engineering PracticeAct, constitutesa necessary expense of themember of the Texas State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers,who was assigned by the Board to attend suchmeeting in the furtherance of the governmental duties imposed on the Board,may be paid. Very trulyyours, WAGGONER CARR Attorney General of Texas -3664-. I

HonorableRobert S. Calvert, page 3 (C-761)

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APPROVED: OPINION COMMITTEE
W. V. Geppert, Chaiman John Banks Wade Anderson Roy Johnson
APPROVED FOR THEATTORNZY GENERAL By; T. B. Wright

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