. I



## THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
OP -XAS

April 3, 1968

Hon. Thomas C. Green, P.E. Member Secretary,Texas State Board of Registration for ProfessionalEngineers Austin, Texas 78701

Dear Colonel Green: OpinionNo. ~-216
Rer Authority of the Texas State Board of Reglstration for Professional Engineers to pay from Line Item No. 7 of Its departmental approprlatlon, Senate Bill 15, Acts 60th Legislature, 1967,Regular Session, Ch. 784, p. 2175, traveling expenses and the purchasing of furniture and necessary office equipment and supplies for its investigator.
You have requested the opinion of this office concerning the authority of the Texas State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers,hereinafter called 'Board"to pay from Line Item No. 7 of the departmentalappropriation to the Board, Senate Bill 15, Acts 60th Legislature,

## 1967, Regular Session, Chapter 784, page 2175, the GeneralAppropriationsBill, the traveling expenses of Its investigatoras well as the purchase price of furniture and necessary office equipment and supplies for its Investigator.

Line Item No. 7 of the department appropriation to the Board provides:

“7. Investigation Program: Expenses of witness fees, court transcripts,documentary evidence, processing complaints, court costs, and other necessary expenses in gathering evidence for the enforcement

- 1035 -. .

Hon. Thomas C. Green,page 2 (M-216)

In Attorney General's OpinionNo. M-179 

## (1968), this officeheld that:

"TheTexas State Board of Registration for ProfessionalEngineers has authority to employ an investigatorto assist the Board in the enforcement of Article 3271a,Vernon's Civil Statutes, and such Investigatormay be compensated from the departmentalappropriation to the Texas State Board of Registration for ProfessionalEngineers in Line ItemNo. 7 of SenateBill 15, Acts 60th LegIslatureA 1967, Regular Session, Chapter 784, page 2175. The authority to employ an investigatorby the Board and compensatehim from the funds appropriatedby Line Item 7 of the departmental appropriation to the Board as being a necessary expense In gathering evidence for the enforcement of Article 3271a, Vernon's Civil Statutes, the Engineering PracticeAct, carries with it the further authority to make such expendituresas are necessary to enable such investigator to carry out his duties of gathering evidence for the enforcement of Article 3271a. Certainly, the payment of the investigator’s traveling expenses,while performing his officialduties, would be a necessary expense in the gathering of evidence to enforceArticle 3271a; and if the Board Is of the opinion that such investigatorneeds certain office equipment and supplies to enable him to efficiently carry out his investigativefunctions, then such expenditure could properly be paid from the funds appropriated to the Board In Line ItemNo. 7.
SUMMARY The Texas State Board of Registration for ProfessionalEngineersmay properly pay from Line Item No. 7 of Senate Bill 15, Acts 60th Legislature, 1967, Regular Session, Chapter 

## 784, page 2175, the traveling expenses of Its investigatorand the cost of furniture and office equipment and supplies for its investigator.
V truly yours,

ney General of Texas Preparedby Pat Bailey AssistantAttorney General 

## -1036-. .

Hon. Thomas C. Green, page

## 3 (M-216)

APPROVED: OPINION COMMITTEE Hawthorne Phillips,Chairman Kerns Taylor, Co-Chairman W. V. Geppert Arthur Sandlln John Banks Wardlow Lane
A. J. CARUBBI, JR. ExecutiveAssistant

-1037-