OFFICE OF **THE** ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS **AUSTIN**

HonorableL. A. Woods State Su~srlntendent of Public Instmctlon Austin, Texa s

Dear Sir:

t of your let tar dated of this department requestreads as folas awmled by House Bill *The Rehebll.itation**Divi**

**d:** aittllent

of Eduoatlon is di**in Hulse**  **and** Regulations, the 1,s ror the oonduat ot this work, ln the purpoaeaof this Act, which t as far as possible,the rree choice of their aeleatlonof physlalaxis and hospltala,

. * .*Honorable L. A. Woods, Page 2

"1 rolrpeotfully request your opinion upon the rollowIng question: Do I have the authority. under the term8 of ths **Statute** a6 olted in the preo4dIng paragraph, to r48trIct patient4 in their seleotlon of -ho8pItal8 and dootor6 to the ho8pItalr and dOOtor8 found wlthln o4rtaln geographloal 8ubdlvl8l4na ot tha Stat4 whorain ths patl4ntr resld4, the bouadar14s of th4 eubdivieione k b4 defined by m47"

S4otlon 3 of Art1014 267Sj, V4rnon*4 Annotat44 Civil Statutes, a8 amsnd46 Aot8 1935, 44th Lagl8latuxw, p. 32S, Chapter 121, 440. 1; **dot8** 1937, 43th L4gIrrlatur4, p. 411, Chaptsr 2G7, 440. 1, provid48t

"Th4 Rehabilltatlon Dlvl81on of th4 Stats Deparfa4nt 0r EQuoatlon I4 4mpow4rsd to **tak4** 04n8U8, m4k4 8-4y8,,alld 4stabliah p4lman4nt **r4oords** oi crlppl4d ohlldr4n; to ooopsrat4 with th8 Department of Eduoat1oo in providing 8pO@1al #quipment.and instruetlon in the l dtioation of arippled obildren, to proour m4dloal and 8urgioal 84rvl4e for qrlppled ohildran; provided that only phyeiaiane legally qUal1f1ed to pmOtiO4 medlolns and SlISgSw in T4Xa8 b4 employ4Q ior pWpO848 Of di#&zio818and fr4at4Wt: provld46 +urther, howmver, tha"t for arippled ohilQr4~ having Qoieotisd the oral Oavity, 14gany quai.if14d d4nti8t8 my b4 4mp1Oy4d **for pUl**  **’ &IO448**  **Of df4@0818**  and tr4awntt that not mor4 than the ou4tomary mlni!EWUf448 b4 ptiid?Or 8wh 84ITI448, and that phy81- aiM8, 64nt18t8, Or sUrg4On8 PO employed shall **be** approved by th4 atate Board ot Halth, a8 ~uallflsd t0 rSItd4F such 84lT104; t0 8414at and dQ81gnat6 haspItal for the oam ot erlppl4d children oont4mplatoQ by th18 **Aot** provldlng that euoh ho4pital mwt bs approv4d by th4 Stat4 Board of Control, and to take euoh other steps a8 may be n404arary In orddsrto aooompllsh the pUl'pos48 of this **Aot.**

*At the disorrtion of the Stat4 ~Department of Eduoation, traneportatfon, appllanOe4,~bra~48, aad material neo8ssary In the proper hanQllng of orIppl46 ohIlQr4n may b4 in part or sntIr4ly prov1Qed.

Vh4 E4BabllItat1on Dlvlslon or the &ate Departm4nt of Eduoatlon 18 dirooted to provlQ4 In Rules end **~4Ruletlons** fha n4aestaary **d4t4114** for **the** oonduot **Of ’** HonorableL. A. ~~0088, Page 3

this work, In aooordance with the gur~o444 of this Act. rhloh shall permit a8 far as gO84Ibl4, the free choice of patientsIn their aelection of phyalolans

an4 hoapltaL8,an4 shall arrange with hospitals,brace departments, and other eerVI048 providingfor crippledchildren'swork, oompeneatloofor such eervicee,providedthat suoh **fess** or charges shall not exceed the averagemlnImum charges for the same s4rvlo4s renderedto averageward patients in the hospitalsapprove4 for phapoes of this Aat, such Rules an4 Regulations shall be a of Eduoatlon." 7 proved by the State Department Un44racoringours).

The Rehabllltatlon Divisionof the State Department
or XduoatIonIs expr4eslydirectedto provide rules and regulations for the conduct of the work of procuringmediaal an4 surgical44rvIo4and hospitalattentionfor needy crippled ohlldren,and w4 believe It Lies within the soilndadministratlve dieoretionof that dlvlelon to restrict patients in the seleotlonof hospitals, phyeloianeand eurgeons to those wlthIn certain geographIoa18ubdIvisIons of the state where the patientsreside.

Whll4 It Is true the Legislatureprovided that insofar as poselble,the regulationsof the RehabllitatlonDlvlalon shouldpermit "the free aholoe of patients in their. selectionof phy8ioiM8 and hospItale,e w4 **do** not believe the Legislatureintendedln grantingthis benefioenoeto allow a patient in one far-flungSeotionof the'statsto In818t upon a phpsIolanor hoepital in another widely separated section. It only Intend44 that Insofaras possible In keepingwith a buelnees-llke

adminlstra~tlon

of the Aot, the patientbe psrmitt44 a tree aholoe In the selectionof physlolanaand hoapltale. We believe this choice may well be exsroIse4 wlthln the geographloal

subdivleionsof the state in whloh the patient resides.

Yours very truly

APPROVEDMAY 11, 1940

/s/ Gerald C. .Mann ATTORNEYGENERAL OF TEXAS Approve4 OpiniRof;

gommittee
JDS:E% . . ., Chm. %ter H Yeah As&&t

BY James':'Smullen

.