somrfme 0ml3ls S.Carpenter 

Texas UPePlployasnt aempensetion Conmiseion 

Brown Bld& 

Austin, Texas 

&bar Sir: Opfnlon No. o-2247 

R%i uap the Coml%%loti r%uwe 

to l.tealf tb determlmitlon e 

8 alaim for benefit8 or rerlsw 

e determlnatlon alrea6y rrde 

before an appeal iron 8tmh deterwlnatlon ~has been iilod 

with %% appeal Srfbunal and re.. 

latsd questions. 

You2 reqamt for en opinioa on aar$ain ralattwl qwstlons imuting qqeml proaodure Wore the !gma U-r Qae 

permotion OolPrlaaion lrrrrr been reaefved. Pour questions will bo 

quoted end dltiassad in~tb& order +f their Irppemranae In the 

request. 

The Lsgi~lmture has andearorod to ~tllne gatiieular4 

the proaodure to be iollowed ta tfib hfutdl.~ ef benefit olairs 

baiorathe Gomlaahn. Ue quote the peW.mmtSa&lons of &tiale 5223.-b, Vernen's Ravlsod Civil Statutsst 

"See. 4 (b). SnLtlal Determination: A representstire clasigneted by the GQIBBX%SB~~P, anti hwdmUter reierred to aa a dsputp, shall promptly exnmine t4e O~&JU 

and, on the baais of the faoCa foam3 by hiat, shall 

either determkne whsther or not euoh aLaim 1% valid, 

end if mild, the date 0% w!~l%h b%a%fit% shell oomue~e, 

the benefit aiwiuut paretie end thci Blexilnum duration 

thereof. or ahall refbr suon aletw or any question lorolved theretn to en appeal xribunsl or to the WIa5la- 

&of%, wuoh shell m&e its detemninatlans with rsapeot 

thsreto In aooordanae with t!w proaedure deaeribed in 

subseatlton (0) of this %eotfcm, exoept t&et in any oa%e 

in which the peyment or d%ni%l of benefits wtil be da- 
GrvIlla~S, Osrpantar, page 2 

tarmIaad by tha prai%Iuns of %eotlon 5~x6) oi this 

AOtt, the deputy ahall prompay txailadt hle zllll finding 

as rao4i with reapeot to that aubaaation to the ConmUalon, WhIoh, on tho be%I% of the atidauoe submitted and 

suoh a&ditlOual evldauoe 8% It may requlro, shall 8rriXJItj 

6miif$, ox set a8Ida suah fiudiugs of facet end tran%&t 

to tha dapaty a daaI%Ion apon the Issues Involtad 

undar the subaeatlon. The daputy etia3.l propapt 

notify the alaImnt.and any dtmr lnterestad psrtg-of 

tha deoiaion and the reabans thexsror. Unless tire al%Imsnt 

or any suoh Interestad psrty, within tan (10) calender days 

ester the delivery of,ouoh uotificcrtion, or within twelve 

(U) a%lendsr day% after auoh notirlaaticn wc.8 mailed tb 

hi8 least lcuOspfl~addres:s, files en eppettl from such daolalon, auoh dea$tsIon skmll baTIn%l and banefita shall 

ba paid or-&dad ln eaoamlanoe -tharawTth. IX an eppa%l 

Io~dulg filad, banaflto with respaot to the parlod prior 

to the flnal detarmInstion or tLre CommIuslon, shall ba 

pald or&y sitar such dstemInstIon; prop/dad, that If au 

appeal tribuuel ~erfirus a dacisian of a deputy, or tha 

GomfnIe~~5o~ effirme a t!ieoisbm of en appaal trIbuna1, 

allowIng behefits, such bonefIt% shall ba paid reGardlea% 

efany~appaal.whloh~my tharaaftar be taken but It 

suah daoision Is fimlly revarssd, no amployar*s 

daaouut ahall be ahergad with benefits so paid. 

aho. 4 (a). Appbal~~ Unless suah appeal Is wlthdrawn,, %u appeal trtbunal, artsir %tford&ng the partlea 

raaeonable oppc&iuIty for fair hmriog, aLall bffimi 

or.madYy the fludIng of faat anb'daoI%ion of the 

depaty. The partlss ahall be da4 natIfIed of sash. 

trlbtu+*6 deo+slon, tanager tit& It6 raaaom3 thereior, whiah ahall be de&mad to ba tlma& tla6iaiix1 Eb tth& 

6anmiasi0r~, unlsss within tan (10) days r&a? tha date 

of notlfloatlcm or msIl.ing of %%ah 4eaIaIoa rurtha 

appeel Is IhItIstad pursuant to subsaatian {a, of 

this aaotls4n;* 

aSea 4.(a) Th% Conmiseion may on Its own motion 

affira, modify, o? set as&de ang deoiaion of en Cppaal 

tribunal on the heals of the eW¶anaa previously submitted In auah oasa, or dIreat the taking of eddftioual 

eviBauae, ax may peruit an$ of the partlee to s&h daaiaion to unitlate further appesls before it . . ~. . 

The %mraIssIon may remva to Itself or transfar to 

another eppecl tribune1 the proeeadln,;s au any claim 

penblng before an eppeal tribunal. . rW ,. 

Thui a aaraful awmiuatioa of relevant eeatloua of Artlole 

5221-b disaloses e power Hithin the Cor%n3.~sion, faund in Laotian 

4 (a) to affirm, mdffy or set aoSda say Uaaoision of en appeal 

tribunal on :ts own motion,. This m?i.ua %eatIon of our law~.furthar empowers the G&saion to ranove to ItaaU or to anothar 

appasl tribunal my alai& pendiug before en eppac~ltribuual. 

Raforanoa to the oour%e 6f a bleiu from Its fIlIug to 

Its rlnal deteruiuatlon, %how%. tha first datam&mtIou to ba 

teetea by Artlola 5221-b, Eaatian 4 (b), la a raprasantatira or 

deputy designeted by tha &%rm~I%%Lon; subsaquant to detormf.a%tlon 

by the dapaty the prooedure 1% .outliued fox an appaal to aa 

appeal tribunal und from that body to the GomnIesIan. ., 
Bon.~Grvllle S, Carpenter, paga 3 

A pruvibion Ia -de In Artlola !%!a-0, SeotIan 4(e), 

far remwal by the CoxnaIasIon on 1tS motion of a ola5.m ber~re an 

appeal tribunal, bntno auhorlmatlon appears in the statute for 

the Gom&mion, on its own motion, -to remove e olain for revfew 

pr1a.r to an appaal to the appeal tribunal. 

1t:obviously was intended that the epplioant for banerlts 

take the IuItlatIva ia'saaurIxtg benefita and that the Cumalsslon 

would not of Ita own volition award payments fndlaorimI~toly 

rrom a rund designed to help the needy unamployed. 

We have oonsidered the datalled manner adopted by the 

Lagls.:etura in oatlInIng the prooedura of P olelm, tha authority 

and the duty of tha Colgfacilon and Ita daputlca with rderenoe 

to olaims. Thla sppears to be En apt situation ror the appI& 

aatlon of the legal marIm vexpresalo urrius~ est exaluelo alterIus*. 

Where the stat&a auumarataa t!m powers and dutias of ofiloialrr 

UoLto be ear&trued aa axaludlng all those not expressly manThis rule was long ago laid down In Texae ln the opLnion oreJudge Wheeler in &-yen vs. gundberg, f, Tox. Rap. &I& 

Your first queetIon 18 qmwered in the negative. 

‘Question Ho. 2, ~May a oat38 p&ding b&ore an 

appaak tribunal be ramovkd to the Commlselon bx an 

aotlon 00 the Corplnisslou taken ln the sbsenoe of trie 

lmpartisl number; or iwioitheut tha oonaumdnoe 0r the 

impartial member in aueh ~aotIanV 

Artdale 5223.-b, GeotIW 8 (e), reads as follows: 

"(e) Quorumt Any tool (2) Gorraalseione~s shall oonatituta a quarum, provided, hewevar, that whanavar tha 

ConudsaIon hefms wy ease Imdlrlng 8 dlaputed 0lal.i toi, 

benefits kdar the &cwlmIon~ of Sd3.rm 6 af this Aat, 

the impcmtlal member oi-ths Caaualaalon shallaot u3.e~~ 

in the sbeenoe or &isqualYioatio~~ ai any other member, 

end in no oese ehall suoh a heerlng prooeed unless the 

inqpartlalmember of the C~sslon is present. Bbroept 

as harefnbeiore provided, no vaoanoy &aBu Impair the 

right 0r the ramaInIug Gumksslone173 to exarelaa all 

oi the.poriara oi the Gamai8sI01&"~ 

Our’aJlsW~ to this question IS rurther oomplioatad by 

oral. InformatIon, not-in the Xetter of requaat, that a ramavel 

to the Commission is In hot a ravlew of the olaira. This 

sltuatlon exlsting as It does Rlaaea the proeadura strIotly 

within tha prohlbltlon fouud in Section 8 (a) quoted abova-, 

ue advert partioularlp to that portion of f5actlon 8 (a) 

whiohrsade "r . . and In no aase aasll. a hearing proased unIess 

the lmpartlalmambar of the Ccmmlssion 5s present.* . . . Ths 

'presenoe and oouaurrenoa of tha impartlalmembar la tturrdm 

mmdatory if .the regloval frW au 8pped tribunal iS tankMouat 

to a revlaw 0r the olatsa 

n Quastlan No. 3 May the G&aeion act upon an 

applloatlon rar lea4 to appeal to ths aolRIRi86ion 3.n 

the ebsanae of the ~urtIalmambar?* 

The provisions of Artiole 5221-b, Seotlon S-(e) Vernon*8 RavIsed GIvII Statutes, damand the presanoe of the &apartial mambar bafore a hearing may prooead. yh, have WId In 
il~~. urvll.Le S. GqrpantBf. page 4 

w user to your saooxu? question, that under the faota as.we 

hars'tham, the ramoval of an appeal vans that the mambara ham 

atudled the reaord and the ramoval la a rsvl&w, thus out anawar 

to your third qaeation la no. The bssle far our answar Is the 

same as that in question tnro; 

Wgueatlon No; 4 ~Xn an aotlon by the Gommlsalon 

unon -~- an ~. aoalloation ~~a_- ;or leave lx aDDeal to the kmmIssIon, is the onourrerioe of the--&artIal m%mb%r 

neoes~aary to s dealsion?* 

'The term ~"00110urren0e * is derlnsd by Webster asr "Aot 

or oonourrlng*; "a meeting or corni&? together"; "union"; "aon- .' 

junotion*. 

Th%ra is also tha Interpratatlckn 0r oonourr%nae to ba 

*in agreement * as found In swords and Phrases, PirEt Cexiea pg. 

1390, and Worda end Phrases, Seoond series, Pa. 8!& 

We arcwont to believe that.the use implied in your question la the -aotIng together-. This Infermrrs rasults tram 

ratlure to rjnd any raqu5ramant or lndloatlon that the law aontamplatesthatall thrnmmbersm~~tagr88 onanappeal. Suoh 

a aonolusion w0uld not be Ln hsrnsny with the idea of a thra%-man 

baard. 

Adopting the vleu that aonaurr%no0 embxapea the sating 

or preaenoa In tha me&In&.oi the isp?artIalmmb~, wei believe 

our statutes apiwifloally require the prsaenoe of the kpartIa1 

I -bar on any aation, but do%a not require the sfilrmatIv% vota 

0r .auoh xns&er. 

nere'the -8son has grantad 

daiiwminatIm~a olatiicrr 

benefits and wheie Micah appeal M berma the Oem~IaaIon 

on the raaord end so fori@ hearIng.haa been hald, Is 

the oonaurr%aaa 0r ~the Impartlalmamber IXbO886ErF to a 

deslaian on auoh app%aX?a 

TM.8 answer alao ambraoas prerloua QlauusaIon In thIa 

oplnian, W% find nothIag In the Texas statutes on unamp&~ .. 

~eomp~tlonInaur8nee that suggest8 that the iagartI%laemb%r 

auat tippruve a bsnsiit 01al.m or appeal. b%fore 1% oan be paid. 

It appears to us that the,- uWa&asnta of the law and psrtleularly 

Artlole $i42l-13, S%otion 8 (e!, ar% 6atisfIed ii the partial 

member Is prssent et the hearing as aonaS.der~tIen of the olalm. 

The preseuti or oonaurr%ne% of the I&partIal~~~bar is al.1 that 

Is riqulred, but the statute Is ol~~and~ unambIguoua In its 

roquiraarenthat suoh member be premmnt b&ore the hearing may 

The atstutes appar%ntl.y do n@t lnt%nd that a deolalon 

~~~*ln the abaenoe of the &psrtial m%mW.