OFFICE OF THE All-ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

thla tllo pratiting thlo Board 

alotto of the Del ApprOprlatiOn bill to psj 

salary to the secrotaryam appropriated by the Lagisat the oame time ad in 

0 *J him per dlcm few for 

Yembe~ of that Boati?* 

The- Act oroating the State Board ol Rcgistr;rtAoa 

for Prefescional Eq&mi~8 tAats l@m, 48th Legiel,lrture, 

p. 816, oh. 404rliated 80 Mtle 62A, Article W'?la, Seotions 1 to 26,~ %nclusiTe, in V. A. C. S.), mantains, among 

others, th’e iollowiad;~p~w%afonst 

.,-' 
-. 

HoxWWaQlo Ct. ii, Gavnoss - pago 2 

*SWtiOD 6. $ecb msmber of the Board f&all 

reccive the mm OP Ten ($X1.00) Dollars per day 

for esoh day he is Potually emgaged in the dutle6 

or us ofrice, inomung time spent in neaosssry 

travsl, together with all lagithate exposes inourred in the perlomeance of suah dtttiee. * * l .* 

*s(lgtlw 7. 

(!Q) 

ThS Board shall hold a meeting 

within thirty days after its rgmbsrq are 

first appointed, and thberttar shall hold at 

least tro (2) tcgular meetings eaoh year, Special 

oeetlngs shall be held at suoh time as the by-Ins8 

of the Ward may piWide. l s I). The Bsard shall 

elect or a point amsally irom Its osn membershi 

the folio Iti ag offloerst A Chairman, --- a V B 

man, and 0 @crM.ar~~ A quorm of tho Board shall 

consist of not less than four (4) 8xsibePs." (Emphasls ours) 

Scotion 9, among other things, provides that the 

Scaretazy shall gX;re a surety bond in tbo sum of @,r(lO~.oo~ 

aad that he mshall recmiie such salary as the Board shall 

deter&n6 in addition to the oompenwWnt and %xpenscs provided Cor in this Aot.’ St~f’urthr~authorizbs the BoWd 

to aploy atush clerical or other asoistants as are neaeswry at salaries not in exoess of salaries paid for similar 

work in other departnients. 

Said Wapter 404 Is alw Jcnom as Senate Bill 74, 

sbich Was pa886d by the 46th LCgiS~atUro. ff Was apprwed 

and beoamc esfccctire on nay 28, 1931. 

Your attention is nom dire&d to Senate Bit1 4?rr 

p. 610, vol. 1, Acts of the itegulsr Scsdon or the 4st.h 

L@gislature, npprwed snd efiwtite on April 24, 1939. The 

first two sections of said Aot read as follorst 

*aceion I, The salarles of u State otCicers 

aad all St803 employees exoept those constitutional 

StatZTfficers whose saluies are spw%Ptoally fixed 

.bT ths Constitution, shall be, for thb period baglntting Septcmlmr 1, 19~d%nUng August 31, 1041, 

in such tams or asmasts as may be prwidod for by 

the LogislatuP0 $.a the g8aCal appropriation bills. 

It is speoiPioa1Ly declared to he we OC the htntrmts 

hereof Lhat the Legislature shall also fix the amount 

or supplsslental salarlss h(rrMter, out 0P court Pees 

and receipts, to be paid to olerks and other employacs 
Yomwable ii. 8. CoWas - page 2 

or the mtrto 0P Cirfl 4pea1sa the suprao Court 

and the Court of Crimbal Appeals. 

l Sec tio an . All~lass nsd parts oi laws fln- 

.ins; the salaries of all State s?flosrs sand emgmyr+s, exoept thsse sonstitutional @tat* omhereof that,atiy snd all laws autbclsimg payment 

of aupplfm4ntal salarlos from catrt reoalpts ana 

few to ulsrks and 0tbB employees oi the Courts 

of Girl1 Appsalr, the t?apreae Court and the Court 

of Crlainal Appsals, sre ropesled in ss Ian a6 

they sreinoordl%otwlth tbisAst.* (ltapha6ls . 

onrs) 

The De-partmsntal Appropriation Bill of the 44th 

Legislature, Sa 1). 427, p. 7 of Vol. 2, esnttins en p. 6% 

the bisss%al appropriations for tho,State Board a? aegistration for Prctes6%oaal @4ginoors~ Under *Salarilbs,~ 

the tollorFag appropriations appeart 

*For tbo years tmmtg 

August al; +ctmt 31, 

1240 1941 

*i&alar&eat 

1. &oard Ycabsrs -- 

per dsspl . . . . . . . . . l . . . . . $4,lboo.OQ $4 400 .oo 

2. Sssretary-Dirsstor........ 4826Q.66 4,200.00 

8. * Assistant to 

Ssarstary-Dirsetor........ 1 #fsoo coo 1,800 .oo 

4. ChieP ClSrk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1rmroo I.600 .oo 

6. Clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,200.00 1,200.00 

6. l Clerk - hall-time ..**.. 800.00 800 .oo 
:’ 208 

iionorable a. ii. Cavneos - pkge 4 

7. 0 auw*s - s60onal............ $ mo . oo $ 300.00 

8. l 1 me8u g a tor ................. l#OOO.OO 1 ,soo .oo 

9. 0 Ia Temtlg a to r a - 

%6wna l................... 4 00 .oo 4 a Q.Qo 

Total Salaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l . . . . $ le*mo .oo 1 6 r mo .Qo 

r o ta lm 1em vetoed ltB8........., If 1700 .oo 11 ,lOQ .oo* 

(0 0ot0od) 

Tturo, it will be noted that the 48th Legl8lators 

oroital the Bolrril OP ilqglatration ior more8donal &aglne(Fs, 

and rllorad maAd Board to determ&nO the salary of lta Seer+ 

taq,ina&Utionto theoentpsnclstlonuui eq+Qser,prmided 

ior in 0af.d Aat. ThO oreatiag A6t also ap~rca-ad maid Board 

to employ ma!& 01~001 QP other aaoi*tante as u4Pe 8saO8aary 

SOP Lha proper performalloo Of its rorlt, and oozltl&lea the folIWlng prmisor 

•~OV~CiOtifUrth~, that tbQ 88luEtOspaid 

herein ahall not be in exoess ot aalar%ee peld 

ior cllndlur work in otbor departments.* 

It will nlao be noted that the 46th Leglslaturo 

tired the aalmies ot all State OfflOem ood all State mplofoes, with eerlaia exaeptions, for the period be&ming 

lPef&!abW’ la 19!39, and emairy dugurrt ?3lpi, 194lr "in such am18 

oc aaounta as may be prwlded ?or by the Legislature in the 

dental appropriation bills.* It mill Turtba be noted that 

all lass and parts OP lam fixlag aoid 6laries mrb repealed 

in ao far as they wwe Ln aonEliot wltb uld bat of the &th 

Legl*lature. 

The otiloors and employees M tbe Board of Reglstration for Pr0rt308i0w 2nginoors uare not ereeptad rrom the provisions of said Aot of the 46tb Le@slrttwe. Their saluies, 

therefore, ior. the biMa%nm, baginning Wptmer 1, lBr(B, and 

ending August 31, 1941, verb fixed by tbo aama or amounts appepring io the Uepartmcintal Appropriation Ml1 for rid blennirpI. 

Said appropriation bill fkxed the 88lary of the 

8Cwetar-pDirqtor for Pooh &eaigaatcn¶ tiMa year at ~,2#.00. 
2onorable C. tl. Cavness - page f$ 

Eouse B&l1 291 of the 47th Legislature, p. 812, 

2. S., and Smato Bill 26s of the 4Wh Legtslature, p. 

4$2, 2. a., aro identioal in la~~ejtlage with 8. B. 431 O? 

the 4~th Leglalature, with these axo8ptionsr 

The aalarieo and other oamp8nsatlon o? Mstrlot 

judges are exoapt8d from the pro~Idon8 of raid dots et 

the 47th atd (8th Leglelaturem~ House Bill 291 Of the 

47th Legialatore fixes the salaries not exoapt8d there- 

~om,"fortbaperiOdba&nn&ng 8ept8mber 1,1241, snd 

ending August 811r 194S,.ia suab sums or mounts as may 

be provided tar by the Le&*lature in the geaeral apprapriation bills.m &mat8 Bill 383 of the 48th Legislature 

~kovise tires euoh ealrriea @ior tbe,perioa be&ming 

Beptember 1, 1012, and 8adiag Annpst 31, 194b.. 

The De~tmental Appropriation Bill for 8aob 

blear&am, b8gixmiw Bopt8mb~ 1, 1941, and 88pteaber 1, 

1943, fixed tbe salary of the Searetary-Mrsotor of said 

noard at @,202.00 for eaob timal yeor of asid appropriation . Each of said bills also oontalmd an appropriation 

ot a;n,amouut ior 'Board Yernbers, ps diea.' In addition, 

eaoli Departmental Appropriat%en Bill pass8d by tha 4$th, 

47th snd @tb Lsgislaturee inoladed an appropriation for 

*Board nembere travel expanse.* 

It thus app8ars that, b8ginniBIg ritb the 48th 

Legislature, salaries of the offie8re and amployees oonmeted ritb the Board of Registration for Profeetiional 

Engiaa&s, wsre fixed by the Legislature instsad of by 

the Board, al hod bo8n originally alloted by the 45th 

L~islature. _~. 

It is alao alear tbat the salary of the m 

ItasS-pirreot~rao fix84 by the rariOus Legislatures, begimlng with the 46th, at $4,200.00 for eeoh Htial year, 

olld that $4,600.00 for 8aah f'iseal year was appropriated 

for per diem for Board members. 

The question now arises~ -1s p8r dltan a salary? 

lI8bSt8r'S well SntenIatiOnal Motionary, 26 2d., 

dedlnes *Per diem* as *By the day*! also as *an allOw8llo8 

or asSaunt oi SO muoh by the day.. 4S C. J. 807. ddines 

'P* dieoP as *by the day.* 

*Salary is a fixed aompemiation, rhlah is payable at stated times,* km8 1. Smith, 54 Ala. 47, W. 

209 
gonOrable C. S. ~TUOW - page 6 

*A salary is a fixed aomp8usation, desreed by 

authority aal for penunenoe, anais paiaat strtdlinterTale, and dopat upon time , ;pna not tbs PpDunt Of the'serTiO8s re?.U%8r8d; 8llwanOO.baiug a Tariable quantity.* gltine 

County'.r~. Ryrah, 17S Pa 702, 702, Z3 Idabo 111. Also, see 

~ariouci aatiniti0n0 of 8salarye in lords and Phrases, Tol.~. 

in Oobreoht V. city of Oin-ti, W Y. E. 782, 

51 Ohio Btate, 68, 23 L. U. A. 509, it Was bold that Vompensation of a publio oiiioc, fixedhy aprwildonthat 

sash member of the Boqd, who is presead during the entire 

Oerraion of any re@lar meeting aud not otbanrlee, shall b8 

entLtled.to reosl+e $5.00 for hia ettendanee, ls not tsal- 

'St, Within the meaning OS aonntitution, Art. 2, seat&iii 

20, proriding that the Beneral~Aseembly shall fix the term 

of oiSl.oe and oompensation of all offioers, but that no 

aban@ shall EffWt th8 MlRl'Y Of W Of-flOh durina; h&S 

&sting term.* (Wbphaals ours). 

It is aMar, therefore, that the per diea stipulated for direotore of the Board Of 28giOtration for Protes&.onal X4ngineern is not inolud8d in the salary for Its Secretary 

Director. Th8 elected or appointed S8oretary is entitled 

to a salary as suob, in wtion to his pey diva as a Mreator, and all legitimate expenses as allowed in Seotlon 5 ot 

Arti018 3271a, abore quoted.. This oonoluslon follws our 

rormer opinion lo. 0-1386, apprwed September 11, 1022. 

UTQ. 

Your question is therefore answered la the affirmaHoverer, the per di8m compensation allwed eseb 

Director uust ,be balled StrlctlL On his attendanae at Board 

SQ8tings, inelud.lng tirm8 Spent in 11808sOary traTe1 t0 and 

from suoh meetings. Par diOm allorea on any other basis 

would be ill8gal under the pr8ssDt statute. 

l ln order that the kcts df a gwernmental or add.nistratiTe board mry b8 Talid, it/must a a t as a body.0 

a 1:. J.457. 

Y8mb8rs of the Board %uet aat as a boay rith a 

puorum present, and 811~mednbOrs must b8 giren an opportunity to be present if It is reasonably aonvsniknt for tbaa 

tQ do so." Webster T. 2. & P. Aiotor Transport Co., 8t al., 

10 T. 131, 106 8. '1. (2) 75. 
; ;, 

gonorable 6. iI. Camesm 0 page 7 

*It ie a well-established rule in this State, 

as well as in OthOr states, that where the Legislature 

has oomnitted a matter to a board, buraop, or 00lPnfeaion, 

or other sdmiaietratire agenor, swh board, bureau or 

oommiealon muet aot themon aa a body at a stated meeting, or one properly oalled, ans¶ of whioh all pe-mbarn of 

auoh board hare notioe, Or of uhiob they are givea an opportamitj to attend. Cont3ent or aoqule8enOe of,, or agreement by the individual mc*rbem, aoting separately, and 

not as a b0*, or by a number of the me&Mre les6 thsa 

the rhole.aatiag oolleotivel~ at an unaudednled meeting 

without notioe or opi~r;$ty of the other mimber6 to 

attend, $g not aUf% i ('EQphaai8 OWE). lebeter T. 

t. & P. Yot5?kutspOrt Co., et aL, supra. 

Very truly yours 

Assistant 

W-MB