. I 

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 

OP -XAS 

April 3, 1968 

Hon. Thomas C. Green, P.E. 

Member Secretary, Texas State 

Board of Registration for 

Professional Engineers 

Austin, Texas 78701 

Dear Colonel Green: 

Opinion No. ~-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 departmental appropriation to the Board, Senate 

Bill 15, Acts 60th Legislature, 1967, Regular Session, Chapter 784, 

page 2175, the General Appropriations Bill, the traveling expenses 

of Its investigator as 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 

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. . 

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

In Attorney General's Opinion No. M-179 (1968), this 

office held that: 

"The Texas State Board of Registration 

for Professional Engineers has authority to 

employ an investigator to assist the Board 

in the enforcement of Article 3271a, Vernon's 

Civil Statutes, and such Investigator may be 

compensated from the departmental appropriation to the Texas State Board of Registration 

for Professional Engineers in Line Item No. 7 

of Senate Bill 15, Acts 60th LegIslatureA 1967, 

Regular Session, Chapter 784, page 2175. 

The authority to employ an investigator by the Board 

and compensate him from the funds appropriated by 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 Practice Act, carries 

with it the further authority to make such expenditures as 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 official duties, would be a necessary expense in the 

gathering of evidence to enforce Article 3271a; and if the Board 

Is of the opinion that such investigator needs certain office 

equipment and supplies to enable him to efficiently carry out 

his investigative functions, then such expenditure could properly 

be paid from the funds appropriated to the Board In Line Item No. 7. 

SUMMARY 

The Texas State Board of Registration for 

Professional Engineers may 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 

investigator and the cost of furniture and 

office equipment and supplies for its investigator. 

V truly yours, 

ney General of Texas 

Prepared by Pat Bailey 

Assistant Attorney General 

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. . 

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. 

Executive Assistant 

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