OFFICE OF THi ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Uonaablo V. J. ku~boll 

Coanty Attornsy 

lberslrr . 

roaefved and 

e quote iram your 

ooaaul58loneria Oourt 

4 oomanl6sioraers had 

malntaliw and ,tkblp 

lag s4rlmal.y wounw, wh.lla 

a6 followst ~ 

udenae, vol. 45, P. 455 aa. 69-0 

on-dtates, Counties nnd dtise, reads 

*The omqxmsatfon las was obviously intor?c¶sd. 

to a;:ply to iUdul3tTial 4Elj$OpKSItr It 6068 not 

apply to 'states, oountlers or oitiea in their performanae of gorerna6nta.l Iun~tdaaa . . . Ry a 
Honorable V. Y. Campbbll, Pago 2 

oonstitutlonal anmdmmt adopted November 3, 1936, 

(Art. 3, S40. 59) the LogIulaturo I4 girar pou4r 

to pass 'suoh law4 a4 IMY be neoes4ary to prwld4 

ror ':+orlunen*a Compensation Ineuranoe for wah 

etato 4mploy444, 88 In its juQm4nt la mo4444ry 

or required; and to provide iOT the payment or 

all ooats, oh4rgo4, an6 prarnirvns on suoh polloi44 

OZ InStvanOe; protldlng th4 atat.4 shall never be 

roquirod to purohasr4 insuranoe for any 4mploy4e*.* 

Artiole 3, Scotion 59, Conatlktion of Texas, 

witis aa roll0w9: 

T&4 Lsgialatura shall hate paer to pa8s 

suoh lam as may be n404e4aary to provide for porkfneuaa Compeneatlon Infiuranoe for meh state wploywee, am in ite Wgment 1s neooasary or rb 

wired) and to provide for th4 payment of all 

008t8~ ohargo and premiuma on auoh polioies ai 

inrumr104~ prorl6lng that the state 4JMl n4Ver 

bo required to purahame lnnur~o4 tar any anployee.” 

Pursuant to the Oonatltatiotml authority oi Artlo;L4 3, s4otion 59, Tema Conatltutlon, the LegiJatun on 

June 11, 1937, eluotod Art1014 667k4, whl4h prortde8 for 

mrkaen*s Corapsnimtlon Im3ureaoa for empioyeerr of the Texna 

mats Blghway Dep4wtmmt. Under thk eet the Ri&ra~ Departmont is eel?-lt?mring and oarrles it8 own lnauraaoe a8 set 

out in tho 4t6tute. The l&h L4&rlatun of Toxma by Senate 

Bll3 135 extended the benoilts OS *orkm4n'6 Compuumtion ineuranoe to tho Texaa Refenee Ward. Tho lrglsleturo ha4 not 

sxtond4d the benefit4 of ~oxkm~'6 Oomp@n4e&%on Inaaran44 to 

cay other bodies or departments of the st4to gov4rrmnt than 

the Texas State Highway Repartmont an8 tb4 Tom44 Dofanae Guard, 

It has long boon the law In Tox4e that a oounty Is 

not liable in damages for injuries suetalnrd in oonsequenoo 

or tit4 tortious or nogllgont aot4 0r it4 4gonta or 4mploy444, 

unloas liability therefor be oreatsd by etatuts. 204 the 

followinfg autborltiee: 

Eeigel v. Nohit County, 19 S. '!:..,562$ 

Ifloria r.~Oaltsrton Oouaty 55 S. +. 540; 

Nusabaua 7. Ball Gowty, 7& 3. !T. 6301 

Bryan v. Lib4rty County, 299 3. X. 903; 

Jones souaty v. xoore, 4 2. H. (2) 289; 

hgelina County t. Bond, 16 3. tq. (2) 338. 
Honorable V. J. Campbell, Page 3 

“4 quote tmn 11 Texae Jurleprudanae, Countlee, 

pages 563-4-5, as rollover 

n Counties, being ooraponont caxts of 

t&4 ati&, *bite no pmerr or dutie4 exoept t&o44 

whloh are olearly sot forth en8 defined in the 

oonstttution and rrtatutoe. The statutus hav4 

olearly deflwd the powers, pmmrlbed the dutI48, 

and imposed the liabllitio8 Of the @0h%ki88lonm~ 

oourta, the medium through whioh the ditiemnt 

oountles aot, and from thoee et&utea mu8P 00m4 

all the aut&orit;l vested in the oountia4. . . , 

0 Commlse10n8r5’ oourto ar4 oourts op 

1Imitei ju~I4dIotIon In that their authority extennds only to natterer pertefnlng to the genor(ll 

r4lrare ar their respootiv’e ~O~tloi, aml that 

thdt pawors ars only thas4 sxpreealy or lnplI4dly 

00~ferred upon them by law -that $8, by th4 eonstltutfon fina statutsa of ho atate~. . . .O 

There la no Islw authorislng oountias to sxp4n4 

runty iunds to pay pr4nluzs4 on *orkmer~~s oompamaatloa inmarfanoe on county 4mplope4a. our 4tet4 40n4t1tut10n 4l80 

Inhibit4 tlonatione end fgatUItI48 by countieo from pub110 

fbd8. Art1014 3, seation 52, Texas Coastltutlon, r44b ia 

prrt ae follorrat 

“The Legislature shall have xw potter to authoriso any oounty. . . $0 land its credit or to 

grant pub110 moqey or thing, ar value In aid af, 

0~ ta nnp Individual, a44oeIatIon or oorporation 

whatsoever. . . . * 

~4 answer your queetlon In tha ns@M.vo. 

Very truly your4 

ATTORNEY GBKERAL OB TEXAS 

xilk. 3. hnnllag 

Awlstent