‘:M MAllOX 

ttornry General 

Iprm Cowl Bulldlna 

I-. 0. Box 125a 

AUUl% T% m11.2545 

‘2l4?52501 

lles s1cfs7413s7 

:.l.wplw 5lU475-0255 

4 Jukwn. Sull4 700 

UalllS, lx. 752a24505 

214fl42dou 

4524 Alberm Ave.. SIN. Is0 

El P440, lx. 7wo52792 

15f53534w 

la01 1*x**, SIllI* 700 

ourton. TX. 77002.3111 

13l225ww 

3s Broww~y. SUIN 312 

umock. l-x. rB4a.3479 

w&747.5235 

3W N. 1011th Sulb B 

ucAll4n. lx. 7Bw~le.s 

5lm524547 

The Attorney General of Texas 

Dl:c:embcr 21. 1984 

nr. ~0-n a; winfrlqr 

Director and LibrarAm 

“Opinion Ro. a-256 

Texas State Library 6 Archivea ” lte: Auihotity of the Texas 

Comirrion State Library and Archives 

P. 0. Box 12927 i Msrion to tramfcr federal 

Austin. Texar 707:.1. funds to other atate agcnejes 

for library remices 

Deer Hr. Winfrey: 

You ask whether the Teuo State Library Comisrioo has authority 

under article 5435, V.T.C.S., to grant federal funds to state cleemosyrury lnstitutiom to use in developing library services for their 

residents. 

. .; 

Your first querrtion is *s follow: 

Is it legal for the Library. end Archive8 

Comissiou to make l cash grant from federsl funds 

to enother l tete board or ‘comissfon to inprove 

library ‘wwices for resident. of that state 

in~titutitnl? i 

?. 

-.>’ . _. i- .,‘~_Z . ,.:7. *. 

The comissjon lus for uny years purebased library uterials for 

state inetitutionr fron federal funds. % V.T.C.S. art. 5436. It 

ha0 not made cash grants in the past nnd wishes to knov vhether it has 

such authority under: section 1 of article 5435, V.T.C.S. 

._ ( : . 

. 

You next wk 

vhether such grents vould be subject to the condl” 

.tionr and l$mit~tiom of an lnterasency cooperation coutract as provided for in the Interagency 

Cooperstiou Act, article 4413(32), or vh+ther the 

COIID~SS~OII may enter into grant agreement8 vlth 

other sgencies under article 5435 under its ova 

authority and vithout approval of the State 

Purehasiql and Cenersl Services Cmrsioa. 

Contracts entered into under the Interagency Cooperation Act are 

subject to spproval by the State purchasing and Genersl Servicer 

Cotmiesion. V.T.C, !1. art. 441302). i5. If the co~ission has 

l uthority to make such grant8 under article 5635, V.T.C.S.. you vlsh 
Hr. Dorm6n R. Yinfrey - Psgo :I (J?k256) 

to know vhether its dircretioll to formulate grant contract term vould 

be limlted by the requirementm of the Interagency Cooperation Act. 

You finally ask: 

Would such a federnl grant or interagenry contract 

to 6nother agency be prohibited by nrticle V. 

section 58 of the 1984-1985 Cenerel Approprlationr 

Act, Senate Bill No. 179. Sixty-eighth Legis16ture. Regular Session. 1983, unless l pecific6lly 

6uthorized in the Approprietioor Act? 

Sections 2 through 5 of article 5435. V.T.C.S. c set. out various 

pavers of the ,~0118s1on, such as certlfylni county librarians. 

appointing a director and state librarian as vell as other personnel 

for the State Library and Archives , and developing personnel policies 

and procedures. Section 1 of article 5435, V.T.C.S., provides 6s 

follov6: 

The Cotiselon 6h611 be responsible for the 

adoption of all po:.fleiee, rules 6nd regulationa so 

. a6 to ald and encourage the development of and 

cooper8tioo nmong: all types of lfbreriee, 

including but not limited to publlc. ecndeoic. 

special, and other types of libraries. collect 

materialr releting to the history of Texas and the 

adjoining 6tate6. preserve. classify and publish 

the unuscript archives and such other utters as 

it my deem proper. diffuse luwuledge in regerd to 

the history of Twas, encourage historical vork 

and research. url: historic sites 6nd houses and 

secure their preewvation, and aid those uho are 

studying the problems to be de6lt vith by 

legisletlon. 

&dminietrative l gencler have only those powers l xpreealy granted 

by statute or necessarily inplied from express powers. Stauffer Q. 

City of San Antonio, 344 !j.W.Zd 158 (Tex. 1961). Article 5435, 

V.T.C.S., does not l rprees:ly authorise the cmi8sion to mnke cash 

grants to other etntl e genc!ee for library purposes. Ue do not 

believe this pover is necec:sarlly implied from article 5435, section 

1. 

Prior opinion6 of this clffice have required express authorization 

for state agencies to institute cash grant programs. Sea Attorney 

General Opinions N-532 (191G!) (Agricultural Extension SeGe may not 

make grants for reforestation); H-1272 (1978) (Hobile Home Pcrfonnanca 

Certification Board may nof, make grants for consumer educetion); cf. 

R-120 (1973) (express statwory authority neceeenry to receive fade= 

grants). The legl6lature has in feet l xpraeely suthorlzed 6ome state 

agencies to make cash grants to other l ntitiee. See. e.g., V.T.C.S. 

p. 1140 
? 

Mr. Dorun Il. Winfrey - Page 3 (~~-256) 

art. 46d-12 (Texas Aeroneutjco Conm~ission); V.T.C.S. err. 4413(201), 

14 (Texar Department of Cotmmity Affairs). See also Attorney Cenerol 

Opinions W-423 (1982); H-XL6 (1974); a-l-0; C-673 (1966) 

(construing statures that upreaely authorize stare agencies to oake 

granrs). 

The coneritution vests :in the legislature authority to direct how 

public funds shall be used and ro allocare them among efate agencies. 

Tex. Consr. art. III. 135, !i44; art. VIII, 16. See Attorney General 

Opinion H-207 (1974); Letter Advisory lo. 2 (1973) (legislation 

authorizing governor Lo rraaefer funds betveen appropriaLlon items is 

unconstirutional). The legislature exercises this paver by enacting 

general laws defining the aglcncy’s powers and duties end by approprieting funds to the agency to carry out Its Legislative mandate. The 

General Appropriations Act lo recent years has included a provision 

appropriating federal funds to the agencies which receive them. See 

Acts 1983, 68th Leg., ch. lC95, art. V. 120. at 6216; Acts 1955, 54th 

kg.. ch. 519, l rf. VI, 124, at 1593; Attorney Caner.1 Opinion M-266 

(1968). Appropriations not expended or obligated by rhe end of the 

sppropriation ~perlod lapse .old return to the treasury. Tex , Const . 

art. VIII. 56; Attorney Gener.11 Opinions O-5266 (1943); O-2941 (1940). 

When the legislature a~~l:horizee an agency to grant appropriated 

funds to other state agencj,?:;, It has delegated avey come of its ovn 

authority to allocate public funds among state agencies. We cannot 

conclude that the legislature intended broad, general language such as 

that found in article 5435, section 1, to Include power ro grant funds 

to ocher agencies. The lq~ielature has expressly authorized some 

agencies, including the State Library Comiseion. ro make grants under 

statutory guidellnee. See V.T.C.S. arts. 5436. 5436e; 5446.. Federal 

.?rant programs are basrotl express euthorisacion by Congress. See 

Uaeon, Hi~hlighte. in Fede::al -Grant Lav, l-2 04. l&son -cd. 198x 

-- 

Madden, The Conetitucional 2nd Legal Foundations of Pederel Grants. 

& 10-11; Mason. Grant Rule Making. id. 45. Such statutes vould be 

eurplusage if states and ‘iiederal agencies could establish grant 

programs in reliance on implied powers. 

The Texas courts have not decided whether a state agency must 

have express statutory authority to make cash grants to other 

agencies. We cannot, horwver, reasonably adopt a doctrine of 

Htatutory construction vhich would automaticallv give agencies such 

paver unless the legislatwr6: expressly denied it. In our opinion, 

legislative silence on the riubject of cash grants to other agencies 

signifies legislative intent to withhold power EO make grants. The 

State Library and Archives Coaunission iacks authoritv to make cash 

grants to other state agencies under .secrion I of article 5435. 

V.T.C.S. 

Eecause the commission Idcks .lrlchority CP make a S~dal~ grant from 

federal lends to a stnte iwcitution to improve itbrarv services ior 

its residents, we need nnt address vour second ?rd third questinns 
hr. Uormar: Il. Winfray - I’tyu 0 (J&256) 

which concern whether utbcr ~wn’lsioor of law vould apply to such 

trannactions. If the lcglol~~ture vinhee to l uthorjze the cocaieeion 

to make such Srsnts, problms rained by these provisiuns ten be 

resolved in the legislative procero. See Attorney Cenerel Opinions 

R-170 (1973); H-601 (1970); W-1120 (t961) (alternative murce~ of 

euthor1t.y for perticular intcr.mRency contracts). 

Article 5435. V,T.C.S., doea not authorize the 

Texas State Libraty end Archives Comiesion to 

transfer federal funds to state l leemosyarry 

institutions for library services. _ - 

JIM l4ATTOX 

Attorney Ctnerd of T~XJS 

ToI+ GREEN 

Hrst Assistant Attorney Cemral 

DAVID R. RICHARDS 

Executive Assistant Attorney General 

RILX GILPIN 

Chairman. Opinion Comlttee 

Prepared by Susan L. Garrlsou 

Asulstant Attorney General 

APPuovNo : 

OPINION COl4HlTTEE 

Rick Cilpin. Chairman 

Colin Carl 

Susan Gsrriam 

Tony Cuillory 

Jfm Noellinger 

Jennifer Riggs 

Nancy Sutton 

p. 1142