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.. k **OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF** **TEXAS 4**  **AUSTIN OROVER** 

**SELLERS ATTORNEY** 

**GENERAL**

honorable bumo Steuart, Vice-Resident 5taCe board for Vocational Edusation Gapit **samtment** A&Latin, lexaa
Dear &r. stewart:

pur request for an opinion rroe thi **Your request**  **is as**  **ore mabjeot**  **matter.**

ional Hehabiliard **far Voaation**  ng proathetia appliVoaatlonal Hebabtlltaoae and tent of **any** State bids are **not** 88ked by the trol upon a prosthetia appliance.

e ofbir.hrorn’a **reasoning ooncern**  e states &hat a**man**may **become**hard ne of the Pullowing raasunq
*it. Aman baoolveshard of **bearing** as a result of disease, such as catarrh, diptherta, mastoid trouble, 

### measles. "3. 

### A&anbecomes hard of hearhe, on

### aecount of his age. 94. Amanbecomes bard OPhearing on aeaount

of traumatio 

### injury. "6. Various people become hard ofhearing for

no apparent reason or cause.

## 675

honorable taco Stewart -page 2



## l Atmo rding

**LO** the WreetOr Of VOCiatiOnal Dehabllitation, oneman oah heaf better with 

### aninnerear oondustion, and another 

### sitb bone conduction on 

### the outside 

### OPthe 

### ear. Oneman **can**bear better with one hearing device than he da5 **with another,**  and only an otologist can tell the type of hearing device **best** Wited tor aperson. TherefOPe, it is hr. &rown*s contention that hearing **dwiaes** should **bo**purchased upon the recommmdstiOn of a reeogadssd 

### 0t010glst. .ln regard to the purchase oi artiiielsl limbs, it Ishr. mowh*s contention that every stump requiring an artillcial limb la different. On0 person oan best **be**fitted with a leather soakst, another with a plastio sooket, and moth- sitb perhaps awoeden socket that **one man**  **east**

### wear sbouldsr **straps** and support a limb 

### whereasanother **person** roquire8 apelvte belt attaohment. Eaoh psrssa wearing 

### a lirb rants a particular kind of limb and when 

### tboy~areforged to aoaept another kind of limb it does not 'prove satlsfactory. sin regard to the **purehsse** of glasses, it is dlfficult to order glasses for the sI.mple **reason** that nearly evm **pair** of glasses rsquirs so55 adjustment - lames have to be ground and fittings have tobe mads. 5The atate 

### Board for Vocational **Edueatlon** berew require5 

### anopinion relative towhether 

### ornot it is **necesfdsry** for the State hoard of Control to

### purchase prosthetia appllanoes through bids **for** sllents of tbe Vocational iWhabilitatio5 Dlvislon.5
IOU 

### are respectfully advised that it is tbe oplnfan of this department the purchase of prosthetic applisnces, wah as you mentiun, need **not** tobe through the State board of **Con** trol upon competitive bidding.

Xour question is ruled **br our**  **Opinion lo.**  **o-2771, ’**  **ad dressed**  **to Director**  **wown on** a**very** similar question, in which opinion we saidr

5Yros what you say in your letter ofrequest, -- and your statement comports rith common understanding, -- abrace 

### for a crippled

## 676

nonorable 

### Laoa St&mart -page 3

child **IS** not aUcb 5 thing a515 WtttS5Iplat~sdby our statutes calling for aempetitire **bids** in purchasin(r supplle5 for an institution. 

### Abrsee is not aoosumoditp 

### aarrled in steaks from wbleh a purohase way be 

### quleklymade, like 

### abat **or**

### apair of shoes, for the simple reason that abraao 

### for **a** crippled child is a specialt;l and must be precisely fitted to the par3ionlar **need** and oondition of the inlured or abnormal limb. It is of 

### akind with **the** fitting of glas8es sr the settiry of

### abroken liub in plaster. The purobase 

### of ’ such

### braoe 15 net in its nature aoousercial purohase from a **store or**  dealer8 it 

### isin the nature of a servioe in oen**nection** with the treatment of the brekeu, dO?inmod orololadJusted limb. 

### lit is as samh a sex-vise

### a8is the surgeon*5 operatlon~ ilrdeed, it is 

### a speoios ef 

### arechanioal operation. liverymush ease presents 

### aa i,ndAridual **situatiea** sud must **be**trsated aeoordlugly; sothat, in our **opiaiun,** the purshase of a **brsoe** does **not** fall witbin tha ssope of the statutes ce

### quiringuompetitive bids by the Board of Control. *if ve are mistakeu la this, se are further **of tbe**  **o.pin.ion that**  the **statutes** 

### thcprselves, when liberally **Or** even reasonably **oonStrued,** 

### oompolt&d am0 conoludon.
*House Bill Yo. 222, passed at the Regular Sewion of the **44th** tagislaturo (General Laus, 44th Leg., p. 222) 

### provides:

 At**  **the** 

### disawetion **of** the **State** Department **of Education,**  **trsnspsrtation,** 

### l **pplianaes,** brasss and material neoessary **in the**  proper haudling of crippled children may be **in psrt**  **or** entirely proviaed. -*The Wbsbilitation Mvidon **of** the State hepartueut of Eduoation 15 **direoted to**  **provide in**  **itules** and uegulations, the **neoesaary** details for the conduct of this sork, in

### roaordanae with the purposen of this Act, rhiah shall pormit as **far** as **possible,** the free choice UP patleuts in their selection ofphysioiaue and hospltnls, and shall arrauge with hospitals, braoe departments and other

## 677

llonurable &aco 

## atewart -page 4

mmrioee yrurUi.ng for crippled childrea*s Pork, aonipenootim for ouch seniaee, provided that such feee or charges &all not esoeed 

### the arerage iiiininiuni

cbargen for the name serrioe8 rendered tuwerage ward patient8 in thebonpitale approveii**for** purpose of thin Act -- rrucbRules and **&egulationn** w&all be approved by the state Department of Eauoation,**

tiOXl. What we there mid applies a8well to row quee-