OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Honorable Claude A. Williams 

Chairman and Executive Director 

Texas Unemployment Compensation 

Austin, Texas 

Dear Slr: 

Your letter requesting 

Mona is self-explanatory and re 

"1. Under Subssct 

iole 5221b-4 (b) Vernon 

Texae; 1925) the inltia 

ner results in an 

benefit periods. 

decision of then 

reveraee the A 

At the time 

The Commission 

ws~no benefits. 

the deolsion 

no bensilts. 

asue the iour remaining 

y the examiner and the 

nt having previously filed 

"2. Under the same facts stated above, assume‘ 

that there was no appeal to the court from the COmmlselon decision of .'no benefits.' Would the same 

answer which you have given to the previous qUSStiOU 

apply to this situation? 
Honr Claude A. Williams, page 9 

'5. Doer the language 0r the laet sentence 0r 

SMion 0 (b) mean that the Cotiarlon (titting 

ae an appeal body in a benefit oaae) or the court, 

In an appeal to it In a benefit ease, hae jurisdlotlon, after the granting of benefits both by the oxaminer, or deputy, and the Appeal Tribunal, only to 

doone that no emplo;ler*aaooount ahall be oharged 

wit&the 'benefit8 80 paid, or dose that jurisdiotlon 

go to the whole ease? 

*4. 3n a situation wherein the examiner hae 

allowed benerits and hia deoialon has been arl'lrmed 

by the Appeal Tribunal, appeal having been perrooted 

through the Co~iaslon and to. the courts, does the 

denial oi benefits by the aourt dlapo8e of all right . 

to benefit&i on the part of the olafmant during h.ie 

benefit year aa eet up by the examiner and as defined in the Aot ar Subsection 19 (b) [Z)? 

"5. Dow your anaww to Question .Ao. 4 apply 

llkew$Sto ruoh~tinal deofelon of the Gommls~loa 

denying benefits, no appeal to the courts havfng 

been taken? 

~'0; In a benefit aaee pending rlthln the&mamia~ion the CorPliaaion approve, an,attorney~.afee 

or #l!& ior olaimant* 6’ attornpy, proridlm@ thiht 

u\oh~fae.atill~k )iXL&O ii appeal la taken.to'tho 

OOUrt& Trial is had.on appeal to the County: Boa&. 

bnetitr~ to the.plalnatt~ornoy*e feea,,& 

of~the reoonzy. 

Subseotloa'lS- 

(b) (Artlole SfSlb-18 (b Y. It. C.:b Tar. ,399S) 

limit the juriadiotlon oiethe oourt $the f&a 0: 

attornofr,? iark ti3 the iiring of an amount approved 

b;r the Commlsrlon, Or do’ they ‘op$rate only upoa the 

attorney wlth'riepect to'hle ohargin(l or reoeiting 

for hir eervioer more'than the amount approved by 

the Coni*don." 

Beotiona.(a) and (b) of Artiole 52Elb+, Vardon*e 

Annotat&fairll statutes, read as rollowe: 

"(a) Iriling: alaims for benefit8 ohall be 

made In aooordanoe with suoh regulation8 as the Gemmieelon may presoribe. Eaoh employar shall poet md 

maintain printed statementa of suoh regulations In 

plaoee readily aooeseible to indirlduald in hlr eervice, and shall make available ta eaoh auuah In+ividual 

at the time he beoomes unemploye& a printed statement 
Hon. alaud? A. WIlliama, page 3 

of such regulations. Suoh printed statements shall 

be supplied by the Commission to each employer wlthou,t ooat to him. 

'(b) Initial De$ermlnatlon: A representative 

designated by the. Cotiission, and hereinafter referred to as a deputy, shall proaptly exsmlne the claim 

and on the basis of the iaota found by him shall 

el&r determine whettir or not suoh claim ia valid, 

aid If valid, the date on whioh benefits shall oommenoe the benefit amount payable and the maximum 

duration thereof, or shall refer suoh olalm or any 

question Involved therein to an appeal tribunal or 

to the Commlsalon, whloh shall make its determinations 

with reapsot thereto In aooordanoe with the prooedure 

desoribed lin subsection (0) of this section, exoept 

that in any oase in whloh the payment or denial of 

benefit. will be determined by the provision. of Ssotlon 5 (a) of this Aot the deputy shall promptly 

transmit his rull finding or faot~wlth respect to 

'that subaeotlon to the C0mmlsslon, whioh on the basis 

of the evldenoe submlttad and such additional evldenoe 

as it may require, ah&l1 affirm, modify, .or set aside 

swh $%ndlnga or faot and transmit to the deputy a 

;t;plon upon the lsaues involved under the subseol The deptttj shall prollptly notify the olafmant~ 

and any other lnterea%id party of the dsolsion and 

the reason8 therefor: Unless the olaimant or any 

suoh interested party; wIthIn tan (10) calendar day. 

after the delivery of auoh ntitliioatipn, or wlthln 

twelve (la) oalendar days attor l uoh-notliioatfon 

was mailed to his last known address, tiles and appeal ,fiam such deolalon, suoh deoision shall be final ' 

and bena~it. shall be paid or denied In aooordanoe 

therewith. If an appeal ia duly filed, benefit8 with 

respect to then period prior to the final determination or the %mmia.lon.~.hall be paid only after auoh 

detarmlnatlon rovided, that it in appeal tribunal 

affirm. a deo or a deputy, or the~Mmmiaslon sf- 

?I=. 8 deolsion or an appeal tribunal. allowing bene-' 

At.; 8uoh benefit. shall be paid regardless or any 

vpeal whioh may thereafter be taken. but if! su0h 6 

olslon 1. rinal1.y reversed, no employer's ao69unt .iil 

be oharged with benefits SO paid." (Undersootifng Our.) 
Ron. Claude A. aillfaas, page 4 

Tha above provision provides that when the Appeal 

Tribunal affirms the daoialon of the deputy which allow. benefits, that auoh benatlts shall be paid r.gardlaaa of any appaal 

whloh may theraatter be taken. This provision undoubtedly was 

plaoed In the Unemployment dot to insure th. paymen‘t of bsnafits to an ilrdlvldual with but a minlmum of delay. 

The Supram. aourt or ~allfornla Diaou.aa. a a;imllar 

provlalon of tha California Unamploymant Aot-in the oaae of 

,Aballaria et al vs. Dintriot Court of Appeal, lW! P. (24) 589, 

(109 P. (2d) 948) as follow.: 

*The fourth anaweg t. more fundamental; tha 

mandate oontravenea the &pr.a. provldon of &action 

67 that *if a refaree affirm. an Initial. detsnnlnatlon allowing benatlts, auoh benefit. shall be paid 

fe$~d+r.a of any appaal whloh may theraart?r be taken 

Thi. ls'one 0r the moat signirioant atatementa*in the sot. In aubatanoe it provides that when 

the Initial detonainatlon ha. been reviewed and apprivad by the intermadi+te appellate authority (the 

refere.), no furthor delay in payment shall b. permitted even though tha l.au.. may.bo. still rurther 

oonaidared in a l ubaaquant appaal. It w.. dealgned 

to oarry out the polioy deolared ln..ooti'on 1of alleviating the evil. f+unamployment, a. part of a 

national plan or alolal aaourity.in whloh~f'adaral 

and state legia&ation la oouplad. 980. le. The vary 

eaaeno. of th. l ot is its provision for.tho praa&pt 

payment of benefits t@ thobe unamployed. Se., 88 

Univ. Pa. L. Rev,' 157, 139. Any substantial delay 

would defeat this p&po.. and would brln baak tha 

very evil sought to be avoldad. Tha leg f l lature, 

recognizing tha lmportanoe on the one hand of avolding improvldant payment. without du. oonaldaration 

of th. rl ht thereto, and the danger on the othar 

hand or- wf thholding~~tha.paymeata ior long periods 

through the slow prooeaa.. of appeal to the ocomiaslon and perhaps eventually to the oeurta, took a 

middle oourae. It provided for a preliminary appeal 

or ravlaw of the first datarmlnatlon wham payment8 

were ordered. This appeal, ordlnarlly deoldad in a 

abort period or tima oarriaa with it a day. But 

whan this aeoond daoision has also been made in favor 

of the applicants, the~benafita begin, with proteo- 

. . tlon, a. already hoted, for $ha employer in the evant 

or later revereal.* 
Eon. Wmde A. Willlama,, page 5 

Seotiona (h) and (I) of Artiolo &?W,lb-4, Vernon’s 

Annotated clvll Statutes, pmvie08 *a r0ii0n8: 

suob ~~eo~aloh and m&y-be represented in any auoh ju- 

.#loial aotlon by &my q&allfled attorney who ie,a regular salaried amployee of the C.ommisaion and has bien 

designated and appointed for that purpose ~bp the Attorneyg t3enoral of Taxaa. 

“(I) aourt &vii;rr within ten (i0) dayr ‘aftar 

the eeoiaion of ‘tha ,Coknlaalon haa bebome ,rlnal any 

party’aggrlev~d, theMby rag aeoure jtidl?ial &ew 

thereof by ooprmen~i 

petant “‘p, 

an notion in anp- ooust 0f,,mmjrirf8diOtlo~ n the oounty of ela&nt*B seai1 

. . 

dmoe against the O.omiauion for the r?,mw’+ it8 

dooision, In which a6tioh. any qther p&&y t6~ the prooeedin 

ant. ii 

before‘-the’:.~Doaaiaaion ,&allbe Mae a ,drfimduoh trial sh&l.l be de noyo. In .auoh aotlon, 

a petition whldh neid .not Abe verlrled,~ but rhioh ahall 

atata the groqda ,upon whioh a revlaw .is~ sought, shall 

be-m&d. upon a member of the Comm~aaion or ~upon auoh 

parson a0 the CoPeiirtiioh may designate and such aervi 

ioe ahall ba deemed’ oompleted servioe on all partier, 

but there shall be Iett with the party ao served as 

many ooplea of the petition ae there are defendants 

and the Coaaiaalon @all forthwlth ~11 one euoh oopy 

to ,eaoh l uoh e8fsneant. Suoh action shall be given 

preoedenoe over all other 01~11 oases exoept oases 

arifling under the Worlrmen~a Compansation &IW of this 

&ate. An appeal may be taken from.the decision of 

the trial oourt, in the same manner, a8 is provided 

In other air11 oases, It shall not be neoeaaary, in, 

any judlolal prooeadlng,under ~thl& aaotlon, to enter 

exosptlona to the rulings of the ~onsnlaaion and no _ _ _ _-_ _ .- bona’ ahell be requlred for entering such appeal. E 

the final determination of iuoh judloial prooeeding 

%be Commlsalon shall enter an order in aooordanoe w 1 th 

suoh BetermlnatLon. A petition for jtidloial review 

ahell not act as- a superse4eas;R (Underscoring oura) 
Hon. Claude A. Williams, pago 6 

The provlrlon of &&ion (b), quoted above,, whiah 

provide8 that when the Appeal Tribunal ha8 affirmod,tho deputy'8 

declsld~'aIrarding beneflt8, they should be paid regardlo, of 

any appeal, oont8mplato8 that tha individual is elfgib&o and 

qualified to rocelro auoh bane&its. we find nothfng'inth8 

Act which lndlcata8 that the Appeal Tribunal** tiading 18 final 

on the llurltr of the olaim. To.the contrary, th4'v'hriou8 qt$oted provlrionr of Art1018 SSSlb4 indicate8 tjo ,u# that thr Appeal Trlbunal'a affirmanoo &the deputy*8 drolslon~o@.~ inmum8 the qlalmant rodoiring bmoilt8 pending a final deolrion 

on the que8tion by the Godraion or the court on the nerltr. 

3n anewer to your flrrrt and 8ooond quortlon8, we are 

pi the opinion that th? Commlsdoa la hot authorized to i88u0 

benefit oheoka ,rubrrquent to a dsolalon of the Cdrrion or 

the jud#a&i% of a ooa&t denying benefit.8, ihen said~dooidon 

or judgwnt i8 final ofi the .rerit6. 

In anawot t&your third~queatlon it'foUow8, Ra 

what we hare horetoto2m mald, that the dacfdon of the-O-18- 

8lon~or jud@nent Of *hi court goes to th8 merit& 02 the entire 

ca8e. 

In anawerlag your fourth and firth,quertiotie; we point 

out t@t sibtioa (i) .oi Irtlola SSSlb4, rnpra, preyldar, that 

wupon th6~iinal detmmlnation of 8~ch.judiolal proae$dlng, the 

Ccmmlsrion~ rhall enter.an~ ardor in aooordanoe with ,&aoh &&OrBlnation.* ( 

8qotion [@ of dztlole S%?Jb-S prorldom a? tollow~ 

&otatining tha numbor of boner it perwhiah any l,~dlvidual-I8 entitled to roin a,bmWit par the Comleaion *hail 

daduot any l rlod oi .dG uallfio~tlon a8 provided in 

~u@I&%o~ s a) (b) and ;P 0) of ,' thin Section from the 

tothl numbor of bonoiit period8 during whloh'h8.would 

othorwl8o be entitled to reoolvr benrfitr rxorpt.tor 

aaoh dlrquallfioatlon;~provldad, that fn:no &a!+ rhall 

the ‘arnbrr oi ~anef$t,$eriodr ro.deductgd oxoied 'the 

numbor ot~b8nefit porioda ola#zie& I8 

then l llgiblo to reoq%ye ror ~8uoh'dluquallflcatloa.* ,i 

seotlosi (bj(8j~ of ArUe Sl2lb-17 proride~r ae fallowa: 

. 

I- 

: 
Hon. Claude A. wi1118Dk8, P.&a 7 

"(2) 'B4naflt y4ar,* rith raepact to any fndiridtul, 

11.4118 th. fifty-two-O.Sm..utiV.-weak pariod b.(lianfa~ 

with the day an wbloh the firat velid alaim fer hen* 

flt8 i8 fihd and fharaaftar the iift~rtWCW06DB..bltlra-w44k period bo$lnaiag with tha day On whioh hla 

nest valid ala&i for banaritm ia filed after the termination of his lamt praaading benarlt year.* 

The Unamployment Act provides that en eligibla m(ll~ 

ployad tndivldual ia l ntitlad to banefit for a certain numbor 

Of benaiit pSriO48 Within a benefit year nlll.88 dt8qtraliii.d. 

By reamon ot.tb saotionr of the three above quoted ,atetuta. 

it maem clear that a dl8quallrfoation by tha Commlsaion or a 

oourt of an indlrldual to receive ~bq4fitB during.the banatit 

&34riOd8 Of hi8 banarit y48r diEpOE. Of all right8 Of th.~i.ndividnal to raoelva any baneiitm during that~beneflt year. 

Thea anawara your fourth and fifth quaatlons. 

In an8w.r to your 8ixth question, we quot. rroa S4etion (b) of Artlola S22lb-19, Vernon's Annotated civil Statut~am, 

6tB rOiiCW8: 

“(b) Lislitition of r4481 No individual oleirin6 banatitm 8h8ll ,ba @nwgad team ot,aay klnd ,in any 

pro.q.diaag,untj.r th%B,AOt by the l%3ml$88$On Or ,itB ; 

rapramantatlvem or;b .~~y oourt or anyoifiobr thereof. 

Auy lnaividuql cla & ban4fltm in aay,prooaadlng 

befew tha Coti~84ion or a coprt rhny ba prammtah 

'by a osun~al or,,t)taqr eIvy author1e.d .',,nt~ rd$ but 50 

mob OOiia84~ or. kg49t.B :Bh411 aithar, 0hfi~~O~o~~~4ceiT4 

ror muoh iirvlo48j,*dt4 than an amount approV4d by t&4 

1 ~O%Eii08iOll, ~& *tiEan Who riOl.xt48 CUiy pT4T18iOn 

ot this wb8.Oti.n 8h.ll iOr..Wh muoh .fiin#q; b4 

iin4d not 1.88 than Fii$y 

than fir4 Hundrifl'( 

ii 

,#$O.QO) ~01&8rB, no= m.rk 

iOr not 1er4 @Ul 8 

aQ..oo 1 DollaM, or impt18~lud 

l c4Fill$ 4UN, 

(6) u)athm, 0: b4t&r ~(wTh4 l bov. l $at8to,olaarly prorldes that'ao attorney 

OaR OhaL% Or WU.Ot, fOlc ~ti,F 84lTi4. .D .EOdUt lOr4. thsn th.t 

approv4d by th. ~srmi841OIl, Tti,B pXOV%Bio~,appli.8 ,in thorn. 

a~848 wh4r4 an in(uflUSl ii 84rkia(r banefit& Silia4 th4 X&- 

181titW. ha8 B~Oit1.811;~ehtir~ad 'the ~ORBiBBiOn~dth the p4w.r 

Sf r.~ati~ th0 f4QB Of.8 ttb~.yB, R. OaIU&Ot 84. any beEi 

iOr the -0OtWt BUbm%iftUt$ng it8 jud&int for that Of the 00r 

mi881011. 
Eon. Claude A. William, Page 5 

In order Bo give aiiaot to Section (b) of Article 

5221~1s l upra, wo anmwar your sixth question by maying that 

we are ,Oi th4 Opinion that tha OOtWt ha8 jUri8diOtion to alb&attOrnrJ f448 only iI the aPOUnt approve+ by the CdB- 

. 

YOU'8 V.4 tNly 

APPROVBJJ MARaH 5, 1942 ATTORNEY GEWBFUL OF TBXA2 

/a/ GrovarS4llars 

lT53sl! ASSISTABT 

ATTORIOEY GBWRRAL 

.