161 

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

GROVER SELLERS 

AT-rORHPI GLNCRAL 

. 

* ‘: 

Honorable n. E. oak.8 

county Attorney 

Walker County” 

[~j-,m 

lfuntsville, Tpxaa 

Dear Mr. bates: Opinion Ro. 

"wY-"1~ 

O-7241 

*AS County Attorney 

been requested by Dr. Joe 

678, Ret RllgiI iLow present to Tou is re8lly 813 

your statement that 'Speoi81 atrtutboee rhieh 8re mtrttly gener 

the spaOi81 PrOTisiOn Ot 

over tbe~ goner81 eliglbiYit~ 

ot Artiole 1, seotion 1, 8nQ espeai8lly 8s 

it rel8t8s to paragraph 4 Ot section 1. 

'The Runtsrille Independent Bohoo'l blatriot. doe8 

oonform to the county unit sph3m~of transportation 

and it reoeiren ao otber tms of aid, either tuition 

or sal8ry. and it does oompriae three or more oonsolldated districts and it OO?Itains tittJ squ8re miles Or 

more ot terrlt.orf, and it is applying tor transport8- 

I 1 
., . . 162 

Bonorable XI. E. lk8tes - pa& 2 

tibn 8'id'onlr on 8 transportation bPdgct wbioh 

shows a aeeQ therefor on tbe b8dr 8nQ 8t the 

r8te provided in this Aof- Wader these oircumnt8ncesr is the-Hantsvll1e IndepcnQent Sohool 

Distrlot ellgibje td reoeire such tr8nspert8- 

tion aid only, irrerpcotire ot my proridan 

Of 8cotiOu 1, with the apprOr81 at the Direotcr 

of Equrl'itatiou and the Legisl8tirc AOOountaut?' 

At ihc time your request dame iu thi8 Department W8s oouJ&ring tbe propriety O? a re-ooncidcr8tion O? Opinion No. O-23678, 

toaohiug the question involved, and the result ot our ooutercnoes 

i8 the b8eis tor thir reply. 

Tour question 0811s for 8 ooustruotion ot 8mrte Dill No. 

167, Chapter 361 of the RcgUl8r Ses8ibn ef the 48th Legislrture, 

particulrrl~ Artioles I aad V thereof. 

S&otioa 1 of Artiole 1 deils with the general subjcot of 

Eligibility tor AiQr 8nd is 8~ folloTsr 

l So h o l88tiPopul+tion o of the Dietriot. 

State 8id uuder the prcVicionc o? this Aat 

C?b811 be Qirtributed in such 8 MJ 8s t0 8Ssi8t 8'11 sOhO0~ districts *hioh h81e not terer 

th8a treaty (20) nor more th8a twelTe hundred 

fittr (1260) o r ig in8l exnmer8ted l OhOl8stioc 

within the gr8de8 olrrsificd to be taagbt remaining in the dletriot riter transier8 out, 

8ad aomcliQ8ted aaa/or rIar81 high cOhoo~ dlotriotr whlsb hare m 8VCr8gC Of act more thaa 

two htmdred (200) sohol88tiOe O? C8Cb Or:&81 

dietriot aoapccing the oontelid8ted. 8Qa/Or 

..~ 

. 

rumI high sohool dietriot unit; prorided th8t 

the MXimur littiktiOn8 88 t0 l OhOl8Ct~O popu18tiou for ellgibilit~ herein set forth rb811 

not 8pply for 8ny tp Of 8id t0 my school 

Qictriot rbioh ir nine (0) miles or more iu 

lcugtb or OCllt8ill8 fort*-ci@lt (48) squ8re' 

miles ot territory or more1 proriQeQ there is 

not looated in suob distriot 8n iuoorporrted 

oity or torn b8Tiag 8 PO 

v" 

18tiCn Ot POM thaa 

thirty-eix hundred (3600 iuh8bitants, l eoorQing to the Irst preoeding Feder81 Ccnsust provided further, tb8t the maximum limitations 8s 

to the sOhOl8stio pOpuL8tiou iOr eligibility, 

herein set forth, shsll not 8ppfy to any sohool 
163 

Roaor8ble W. l!, ater - p8gC 3 

QistriOt whioh h8s forty-tits pcroeat (46$) or more 

of itm we8 nuhmergcQ. DictriCtc lmintaining 8 

cohool 8t home uld h8rinC: lcsr than 8n’8vCr8gC at 

one CWis4r8tCd l ohol8stio per square ails 8rc cxeapt 

from said aiuinqm sOhol8stio rcquircmcnt 8nd 8rc cligiblc for 8id for i&y one teaoher un~css 8 gcogr8phi4al barrier ncoessit8te8 th4 opcrati0u o? two 8OhOOls 

Sor the mme r8oe in s8id Qistriot, suoh geogr8phio81 

bwricr to be determined by the 8trti Depsrtaent at 

EQnaaficn 8rQ eubjcot to the 8pprov81 ot the Legisl8- 

tire Aoocuuteat. If they aan sbor lmdgetary need 

therotor, 811 other distriOt8 hC7ing less than naid 

minimum 8Ohol8stiO rcquiremcnt shrll be eligible for 

onlr tuition aad transport8tioa aid to the nerrest 80- 

oredited 6OhOOl Oa cnnmer8ted sObOl8stiO8 who80 grades 

8rc not tbught in 8uOh distriot. 

*All 8OhOOl distriots in this state rbioh hire rcocired trrrncportrtiou 8iQ.Only on 8 transportatiou budget, during the bicnniunt ending 'August 31, 1946, notwithstanding 8nr of the prOTisiOns of any preoeding or 

6Ub6CqUCut proricion of this Aot, shhall be rnthorirred 

to reoei?e the s8me type ot 8iQ whioh It tormerly rcoeirod to the ertant Oi ho Dollir8 (M.00) per month 

per pupil on 

5" 

pi18 COtU81ly trausported rho Ii?6 two 

8fid one-hrlt 2 1/S? nil08 or more from the school to 

.rhioh they 8rc trrnsported~ pMIlded it 48n show transportation buQget8ry need tbcrcfor. 

*Provided th8t sohool distriOt8 in ooWIttO8 h8ving 

8 SOhOl8StiO pOpul8tiOn l quiV8lCut t0 one-h8lt Ot olIC 

pupil per squrrc mile or 1686 in the CCtirO CCtXuty m8y 

be exempt trOm the 87Cr8g4 daily 8ttCudanOC rCquiremCat 

8nd the te8oher?pupil quOt8 FCqUircmCnt of this Abt, i?...~ 

It is so reoommcndeQ by the State Supcrlntendeat of Pub110 Instruotion 8nd 8pprorcd bl the LC~C~8tivC Aooouat8tlt, iOr the pclrlMMC Of m8int8ining 8 hi@ sohO .O? sirteen 8ffili8t4d units, with SCVCn te8Oh4r8J but in no 

instanoe may the oost tC tbC CqU81.iC8tiO~ fund uoced 

Twenty-fire Dollars ($26.00) per pupil in suoh distrlot. 

*Do cohool distriot 8ill be c1igible ior any type 

ot aid, uoept tuition 8idr under the pro~idons at this 

Act, sbioh pays 8ny sal8ry 8bOtC tho~.speOifiCd in this 

Aot trom 8ay state, 10081) or. Fed&al :funds WhatsOeTer 

. croept Federal tunds, .useQ5 tc.sapplemcat e8l8rics at Vocations1 Agioulturer Boa14 Eo~nomio~~ and Trade and Indus- 

\ tries tcaohers, and funds irom the Feder81 b8nh8m Aot. 
164 

UouOr8blO Y. 8. G8tcs - page 4 

l Pm+ided th8t the sal8rics ot rthlctio 

direotors, b a nd dir4OtOr8 Or lunch room rupcnisors 

mry be supplcmuteQr tron! fund8 derived tram souroes~ 

other th8n taxes4 ritbout making the school iucligiblc under tbic &IOtiqnJ 8nd provided further, thrt 

tC8OhCrS who 81~0 sCt’V8 SS bus drivers, butrbo POP 

form n0 8dministr8tiTC duties, III8Y be paid au rddltlonil saJ8rT 88 bus drivers Out Of an7 f'unds Ot the 

Qlstriot 

t 

erired from 8 10081 m8intensnoe tax in cx00~s at t 6 10081 m8lntenanoe tar Ot ?itt Oeintr 

(aOf) on the Chw Hundred Dollars (@CO.00 T talnation 

rcquircd to be levied br Scotion 2 Of Artiolc I hareo?; proridcd tarther, that the rdditionrl 88lrry paid 

for serving as bU8 driver sh8ll OCntorm to the salaiy’ 

co8lc paid other bns drivers ot the distriot, 8nd am 

itemised list Ot 811 cuoh sUpplCnCnt8 Sh811 he turnishcd the 7t8te DcF4rtucnt Of 8duOPtiOh and the Legis18tirc Aooount8nt with the general budget Of the distriot*' 

Arti8lc V, dealing with the spc~itlo cubjeot ot Trmeportatioa A,id, is 8~ tollousr 

.The CoUnty Supcrintcudent and County Sohool 

Bo8rQs.Of tbc 8OV4r81 OOUntiC8 Of this State nubjeat to the rpproral of the State Snpcrlntendcnt 

of PubYiO .InstraOfionS 8re hereby 8uthorired to anny8llT S4t Up the R!OSt COOliOlEiO81 SJStCu Ot tX’8nr 

portatiou pOS8iblO for the purpOs0 Ot transporting ” 

both grade and high sOhO pupils from their dirtriotc, l aQ within their distriots~ The oo~nty 

sh8ll.bC mgar#ed 8s the unit 8nd the wrrrant made 

pry8bl4 tC.thc~ COUutJ Board %ranSport8ticn Pund, on 

the tot81 tmnspartation errnird Within the.cotmtq 

not to cxcccd the tot81 8pProtcd cost tbcrcotl 8nd 

the county Eoard,Of EdUO8tion sh811 distribute the 

funds cquit8bl~ to the dietriots opcratin(! l uob 

tr8n8pOrt8tioXl @CtCSl not t0 SSOCCQ the aOtU81 8pproved ocst Of 8ny one (1) bus 80 oper8ted. The 

expenses ot nuoh tranSpOrtrtio0 shall be paid on 

thc.b88is ot bodgOt8rJ need 88 indioated br 8p 

proved Bt8te Aid l pplio8tionl out ot the fuods 

herein 81iCOatcd and 8pprOpri8tCd tor transportation aid, not to cxoeed Thhwc Dollars (kl*OO) per 

month per pupil tor high cohool pu ils and Two Dol18rs and Scrcnty-five Cents (@.76 P per month per 

pupil for elementary sohool pupils for those attending the most oontcnlcnt aocreQiteQ school f provided 
:' 165 

BonOr8ble If. E* Geten - Page 2 

that it there be no ooarcnient aoorediteQ sohool 

that mob pupil may obtain like 8id under the prorlsions ot this Art1816 when 8ttcnding 8ny near 

sohool of higher 8lassifiO8tion thri the sending 

distriOtt when design8$Cd by the County Board on 

the basis of Three Dollars ($3.00) per month per 

pupil.tor high school pupils l d Two Doll8is and 

8cTcnty-tiTc gents ($2.76) per month per pupil tor 

oboe1 pupil8 rho reside tT0 Md onesilCs or more tram the ne8rest eohaol 

fu such distriotf proTided further, that 811 sohool 

distriofs oontainlng on4 hundred (100) square miles 

of territory or more or mhieh h8Te 1eSS than one 

(1) enumer8ted sOhOl88tiO PCr SqUarC mile may rcoeiT4 Three Doll8rs and l%mtpfive Cents ($3.28) 

per month per pupil; proTided turther, th8t 811 

oounties h8Ting less than thraS.'(S) ~UuiCr8t4d 

sobolact~os per SqU8rC nils ln the entire oounty 

nhal3 rcociT8 Three hllars 8nd Piit &mts (&-no) 

per month per pupil an transportation 8id when 

there is a need shorn theretor 8S provided herein. 

~TIn no ln8tanOc m87 8id be gr8nted tar pupils 

transportqd uho 8ttend 8 gr8de in another s4hoo1, 

which grade is taught in suoh pupil's home district. 

No transporkfian 8iQ shall be granted tor a pupil 

being tr8ncportcd out of his home 8OhOOl Qistriot 

if two or more reoeiring sohools 8rc 8pplying ior 

transport8tion aid from suoh pupil's home Qistriot 

unless the bU8 routes through suoh dlstriot h8T6 

been rpproted bp the 2t8tc Dc~rtmcnt of gduoaticu 

8nd ooniirmcd b7 the LCgi8~8tiTC Aooouatant. Aid 

8h811 not be granted under 8x17 proTicions ot thic.~ 

Artiole un1686 the pupil H) transported 84tu8llp .~. 

reside8 WCC thaa k0 8nd one-h8lf (8 l/2) milC8 

trcm the sohcol 8ttcnded and 18 transported in 8n 

8pproTed bus OTCC 911 8pprOTOd rOUt4. ProriQed that 

the Count7 2upcrintendcntc shall ~008te 8 point on 

CrOh btr8 rout0 ts0 and One-h8.lt (2 1/2) miles f’rOl6 

the re4ciTing sOhoo1, 8nQ 8ftCr suoh point is CP 

tablisbed hc chhrll p4rsoncl17 Qctwmine thethcr the 

8OhOOl 16 rCqUCsting transportation aid OU 

11 residing within the fro and one-h8lt (2 

limit. No tr8nsportatiOn 8id nh811 be-8llorcd on' 

v" 

pile firing within the 88id two 8nd one-hilf 

2 l/2) mile liavit l adn~~'distriot rcqucsf3nR aid 

ou such pupil shall beoome incliglbl4 for tranaport8tion aid on eeoh bus transporting such pupils; 
166 

Bonorablo Y. f3: Gates - page 6 

provided bowever, all sohool di atri eta oonforming 

to County IhIt Qatsm of Transport8tion and reoeiting no other type at aid, eftbor tuition oc 

aslary, and oopprieing three or more oonaolidated 

diatriota oontrin~ag fi?tJ (6C) square EilOa or 

more of territory,‘ may reoeire transportation aid 

only on a transportation budget ahorlng need therefor on c the baaie and 8t the ra to provided in this 

Aat. f 

‘County Boards of Trueteea are hereby authorired fo employ bus drivers for one yew, annb the 

aalery oi no baa driver may be paid out of the 

County Board Traneportatlon Fund areafed herein 

mleas suah bus driver le so emplaTed* Proridbd 

further, that enlr pupils or persona dlreatty oow 

aeeted ritb the uohool ayetern shall be transported 

en eohool buaev while in the prooeas of tranaporfiag pupil e to end Srcim the aahool, and any bua 

driver violating the foregoing protidona shall 

forfeit hia coatraot sad shall be immediatol~ diacharged by the County Board of Truateea~ Horeverr 

-bleat to the provi~iona berein* bus drivers rho 

own their own busee, 8nd are eo employed, mw be 

@iron a boatrabt for not to eroeed two (2) yesrar 

oondltioned that said bus dritbra agree t.0 make inprovemeats on their bu.aeab ao as to more adeqmfoly 

lneure ufor transportation for the aoholaatiaa, and 

the routa 6t euoh bus is not ahanged for tho sooOnd 

year of .tho aontmof~ 

The arux at your inquiry is rhether or net thors fs a 

ao&llat between Beetion 1 end Artidle V of the bet 9th reapeot 

~m;h;,tem at transportation aid, and if 80~ rbioh pro~ieion 

. The task, tbereiore, beaomea one purely of atetutory 

oonatmbtioa. 

The Intention of tbe Leg%alaturer as dlacOte~d from 

tho Aat, is the one untailin~ TWlb tor construing any sktd.orf' 

sat* That Intention is to be gathered from the four Ooruera of 

the instrument as a whole, when read in tho light of the purpoab 

as aontalned in the titlb, and in the light of eaah and over? 

part o? the Abt oonaiderod oolleotirbl~ and •eparatbl~r Oonatrulng tho parts, where possible , $a aala 8 -ray tbat eaoh sad every 

part may stand aa +aliU, and that no part thereof 88~ be afrlakeu 

Out or Ignored. 
167' 

Honorable I(. HO Oat08 - page 7 

When this Act is thus OOnaideredr ue reaah the aonolusion there is no oontliat between itr parta, and that all parts 

may atand and be given a moaning consistent with all the other 

parts. . 

S~eelfioall;~ we think there lm no oonflidt between 

tbe abovequoted portions, but on the OontrarJr Seefion 1 o? 

Artiele I oonatitutes the enacting olauae oorerlng the whole 

m&feat of aid, and Artiole T deals with the apealiio aubjeot 

of transportation aid. 

Lt Is a raamiar rulo of OOnatruCtiOn oi a l tatuto 

that the oifloa dr funotioa of a proviao~ exoeption, or saving 

olau~~e 16 to take out of tbe general bnaoting olanae something 

that okherriae would bo inoluded therein. It is not required 

that tbb @xaeption, proviso or saving olauae be in the same 

aeotion, artlalo or part of the Aot -- its mochanloal *lace in 

the oonatruotion bein~g of.no controlling im~rtanae. Sutherland 

on Statut'ory Conatruotlon thus epitoniaea the genera3 rules, se 

tollorsr 

.'It is the tiffice of the proviso to restrict 

the 'moral operation of the enaoting part‘of the 

iot f2eo; 4932) * * *. Although originally the 

proriao was to remtrlcf only the aeation to ahloh 

It was attached, the modem rule 8ppliba the proviso to all aeotiona of the aat, if it oan be determined that was the legialatire intention. Althouih thb ions and the leaation of the proviso may 

be some indication of tbe legisl8tiro intent, fOrI 

alone will not oontrol. No preawnption ahould arise 

frost the mere locatiom OS the proriao that it is applloable only to the sootion in rhiah it appearwor .~. 

to preoeding l eofiona. (800. 4931) l l l * Protlaoa 

and exoeptiwa both operate to rbstrfot thb generalit7 of leglalatlre language. Xormally 8 prorieo ooours within the body of the aeofim, while an axaeptlon is drafted aa an indiridual seation. 

*The older rule atriotly Interpreted both oxeeptions and provisos. Today exaeptiona and to some 

extent proriaoa are interpreted prinaipallJ in TieT 

of the leglalatti~e intent and no presumption arises 

boomute of the form of the Act that the interpretation muat be atriot. Generally an exoeptioa is oonsidered am a llmitatlon only upon the aaitter ahioh 

preaedes jt, but if It Is alear from the Yegialati~e 

intent t%at it 1s considered a peneral limitaticx~ Cm 
168 

Xonorable II. 2. Gates - Page 6 

the entire sot it will operate to restriot all pro- 

~idone or the sat*’ (Sea. 4938) 

Thle rule of aonatraation la akin to, If not identioal 

with ths further rule. (hat’an sot dealing with a apeoifio mbjeot rill control another sot dealing with a general subject that 

would otherrisb lnolude the l peoiti0 one. 

ipplfing theeb well-reoognlted rufaa oi WlImtNOtiOtI~ we 

fiad that Seation 1 at ArtiOlb I deals with the general aubjeot of 

ellglbllity for aid. Thfa wouldb of @oursed inalude transportation l idb should that meatton atand alone in the statute. It makes 

oertain apeoifle requirements in very strong and mpbatio terma, am 

8131 be readll~ seem from the moat oasua’l reading thereof. 

Article V deal8 with tho narrow b apeciti0 w%Jeat Of franc 

. portatiun aid. It l $eaka with reapeef to transportation not only to 

and from eohool a eligible iOr aid wder seation 1, but oontaina more. 

It oorerb fully the entirl ubjeot e of transportation, among other 

things aaylngt 

‘Provided further that all sohool diatriata Oontainlng one hundred (100) u&are mller of territory 

or maorob or whioh hare less than one. enumerated sobolaatio per aquaro nilo may reoelre throe dollara and 

twenty-five oents ($2.26) per month per pupil; provided further, that all oounfiem having leas tban 

three (3) enumerated aoholaaticeper aqaare tile~ln 

the entire oounty shall rbceire three dollars and 

fifty aents ($33r60) por month per ptipil as tranoporktion aid when tbero is a need shorn thbrefor as 

provided herein*’ 

The obvious ‘Purpose, 6s thinkb of the Legiilature tram to 

make prorlalon~ as it did In Arffalo Yb for fransportatlon aid, irrespeoti~re of thb qUb#tiOn O? general Oli(Cibility iOr aid, 88 required in Seatioa 1 of Artiole 1. 

Our Opjnlon Ilo. 0-2367s mentioned by you, after quoting 

Seation 10 of the Aotb 88 it thea existed, heldt 

l SpaoSa1 statutory provisions control those rhioh 

or0 merely general. In our opinionr the apeaial prori*lons of Seofion 10 relating to tranaportatlan aid, 

and with reapeat to d%atriota larger than one hundred 

aqclare mllos, oontrol and must be given effeot. H+oe, 

if the Graham QSrtrlot aontaina more than Onb hundred 
169 

Honorable X. IS. Oatem - page 9 

square miles, and need for transportation aid la 

shorn, it amy reoeire suc h l ldb If reoomended by 

the Direator of Equaliration and approved by the 

joint legislative aclvisorf committee.* 

lo think tbat~opinion annowoed a oorreat a~~olueion 

under sound priaoiplea of l tatutor~ OonatNOtioa~ aad we here 

nor t-e-attim itb the present statutes belnle; in all aubatantial 

reapeats the’ same as those exlstlnp when that opinion was written. Any and all subsequent opinions in oonfllot with thin opinion are hereby OTOrN~Od. 

It tollora, OS oouraeb that any diatriat entitled to 

transportation aid, under the terms of Artlole VI la entitled 

thbrOt0, whether suoh diatriot oomplles with any of the general 

requirements for eligibility, under geation 1 o? Artiole I or 

not. 

Jdkeriee any dietriot that oontorma to the Comfy &It 

System of transportationr and reco2res no other type of old, 

either tuition or aa’lary, and rhiah ootipriaea three or more indo’$endent dietHater and contains fifty (60) square miles of territory, and which la applying for transportation aid only on a 

tratiaporkflon budgetr and rhioh shows a need therefor On the 

basis and at the rate prorlded torn In the dot, as does Iiunta+ille 

Independent Sohool DletrlOtb la entitled to much transportation 

aid. 

Very truly yours 

ATTORRET GENERAL 09 TEXAS,/ 

&.L 

0020 

f-- 

8p e 

Asaista t