OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

~ogmrablo Chaa. W. Cmttww, Chief 

~e.moaynarj Division 

state Board of Control 

Austin, %x88 

Dear Sirt oplniorl No. O-3883 

Rsr J&q an allen resldl.ng in 

Texas, vho beooms wntal1~ Ill, be aommitted by a 

Texan court of oompetent 

juFi8diotion to one or our 

State mental hompitalm, 

and it4 the ruperlntendent 

of raid State avmtnl hospltal VliUll hia Dight8~ 

to OF&F admitted, cared 

for and treated the. said 

alion, vn the mama bamis 

ElII that of a wsldent of 

the State vho ia a oltlsen 

o? the United States? 

Your retpest for mx opinion ipom th.l8 depmtamut ha8 

been reoelved and conaldered. Ye quote tmn pow requetitt 

"May an alien realding in Texas, vho beoomm 

mentally ill, be ooxmitted by a Texas aourt of 

oompetent jurisdiction to one of our State wntal 

hoapltals, and ir the auporlntendent of the said 

State mental horpltal vlthln hia rights to order 

admitted, cared for and treated the @aid alien, 

on the ant8 baaie 4a that of 8 resident of the 

State vho Is a ol.tlaen of the United 2itates?" 

Article 3193; Vermont8 Clvll Statutes of Taxae, providest 

“A person alleged to be lnmne, and vho 18 

not held on a c~lminal charge, mag be OaarmitWd 
-sable Chas. Y. Gwtner, Page 2 

to md oonii.md ln an Inmtl+sution top the 

owtody ttal trQatmnt of t&m IwanQ a& of 

other persam aUreAn8 fror mntal ill.nerrea 

upon an WdQP UtldQ by a Qowttp judge 0r the 

OOI?BMY ia vhiah the tilsged insane person 

naides or -7 be& djudglng auah pellson to 

beinam&e,**". 

Artiale 31936, Vernonta Civil StQtUtQQ of Term, provldea t 

%mediately after any perron 18 adjudged 

iW- the OoUnty jUd@Q Shy aaamn(CltQ Vith 

the superintendent of thy State EoQpif& 0~ 

PsychOPathie Rorpltal of the dlstriet in vhleh 

said permn reald%r op m?~y be at thy time, at& 

if notified by the latter that there 1~ a 

ra6aasy In the inetltutioB, he &la11 ieme a 

V-t t0 the UhWi.ff OP 8t%Q &h.P SUitablQ 

poison, dlreoting h.lm to oonvq the i.mane 

wrson to the hoepita vlthout delay. l l l ." 

Artiale 3193*, Vernontr Glvil 8tatutea of rullr, provldea far e temporary eo5ittmeat to an lnatitutI,an fop tba 

trQatmnt Of thQ InranQ for tampwPy eaFQ and tPQatmnt for 8 

pe?iod Of thirty-five dayo m the detel%lnatim Of said 

penws'a insanity. 

Otih%r seations of laid Artlale 3193, Vermn*n Clrll 

Statutea, prevldi instances In vhleh a pereon mty be omtted 

to a State lnatitution. All of the8e rtatutes hsve been emefully oonaidemd and vi11 not be copied ln thir opinion. 

In none of the rtatutQ@ dealing vlth mntally ill pQPmnt to an inetltutlon for the mentally ill. Xelther do W 

find any thing in any Of the tifrtUt%a pertaining t0 the rUnttily 111 which vould Indicate that a pereon nest be a altisen of 

the United 8tEtter before a aU&WZ’iati3l%dQllt Of a 8totQ iMtitUtiQt3 

for the mentally ill, can rccept atid PQPWA 88 4 Pep*- OQIImltted by a court of eoarpstent jurlrdiatian. You are, thenfQm, 

advised t-t 3.n OUP opinion the Btatute8 Of the state of pm 

de&ing vith the aare and treastasnt of the Een~llY 111 haw aQt 
P 

nouor4blQ ChsS. v. h48tWP, %@Q 3 

bQQn restricted to apply only to citise.us of the United States 

dlone but are Ukevise applle4ble to 4n illen vho may be in 

a~ St&Q ol' Texas 4nd vho s14y be mentally ill. It iollovII, 

&refor%, that 8 SuperintsndQnt Of 4 State institution for 

the mentally 111 is nuthorised sn4 should 40aQpt 4n alien vho 

hea been oosmitted to s&id iustitutioor for the aeutrlly ill 

by 4 Oowt of OoqpQteut jurlsdiotlon just the 84s~ as iS said 

prsan cmtted VW 4 Oititen of thQ United States. 

Ua trustthatinthis6stnwrvehava fullyursver~d 

your inquiries. 

Yours wry truly 

AEmlmY aEmRAL 

EmIts