OFFICE OF THE A’ITORNEY GENERAL OF TAUSTIN 

~enorsble J. P. Muchlson 

Dear sir: opinion wo. 

Ret , (1) Ma 

of ?ubl 

ano* gr 

%lEzl 

or al4 

whores 

to bona 

rl&ts 

aoaitlo 

r the Wate Departnent - 

.o ~'elfrra mko ~sslstnits to thorn entltleb 

.fe slther old sge asb, ai@ to the nea4y blinb, 

'or 4epen4*nt'ohll4ren, 

114 in4irl4ual is entitled 

Fits in his OT her own 

ItAd eltlo eten4s In the 

,~__._~-L of wresponmlble relative*, 

aa designated ln Houro Bill Ro. 

6U, Aots 17th Legislature, Ragular ~@eslon? 

(2) Mey the Ztase Wpartrcant 

of Publio Wel.fsre make grants 

gt publlo mbelsta~Oe to a person 

otherwise ellglble'+ who .ls "6 

war4 of the fItate* but not sn 

"inmite OS a publlo lnstltutlon"? 

b3fJ62 

Your rearnt reqwst for en opinion from this Dopertment hka been reoeived and-oonsidered. MO quote fMIX your * requtst t 

i. .; 

1, ;:: 

~%ouse 11111 No. 612, Forty-ewe&h L~glslsture, 'ohar@cco the De?Wtxent OS Fublio MMaare 

I 

with the duty end reaponslblllt~ of adrainirrterling 

Old-eFe Asalatance, Ai to the #eedy Blind en4 

Aid to Dependent Children. 

: 

With reterenoe to Ald to Dependent Children. 

~?euaa Dill Xo. 611, sootion 17 "ubaectlon 5, Eesl&natea the responsible relativi who nay reoeiie 

this aid for the use and benorlt of dependent and 

negleotad ohlldren. 
"In many lnetanoes these dependent ohlldtin 

~I11 be living with a 14esignate4 relntlre' who 

la aleo a reolplent or Old-age Aaslstanoe or .si4 

io'the Needy Blind. 

"In other lnstsnoea we find thet persons who 

ara otherwise eligible and In need of pub110 aaslstenoe under one of the three olaasitloatlone 

above anumerated are *wur48 OS the State', that 

Is, parolees from %8te penal InstItutIone;'parolae~ .Sron State Siospltels, baring prerlowly. 

been adjudged N. C. )d.'rt or parolee8 f'ram the 

State Juvenile Training cohool, or edfudged de-' 

pendent and negleoted ohlldren and oonmltted to 

the State &me for Dependent and Hegloated Children or paroled to,the oustody OS an ln4lri4ual but 

et111 under mqmrvi8lon of the aourtl ~180, per- 

'son8 adjudge4 to be or unsoun4 ain4 an4 permitted 

to remaln’ln the h-08 of relative8 or friend8 

prior to~oomltta4nt to the Stat0 Hospital. 

Tn view of the provision o? 8eotlon 39 of 

Home Bill Ho. 611, whloh state8 in part es follm: 

w'lUo +vl~Ion or thIo Aat I's lntend.ed to 

release the oouatlea an4 munioIpelItfe~ in this 

Gtste from the speoIflo re~pon~lblllty whloh la 

ourrently borne by thoee eountles and munlolpalItlee in support of pub110 weltare, ohild welfare, 

and ‘relief semloes.' 

Way the State DepaAmnt Or Pub110 Weltare 

make arsslstanoe grant8 at uore than on0 oategory 

or olassilioation to an individual where~ eaid ln4lvIdual Is entitled to beneilta in hill ow right 

end aleo stands in the poaitlon of (raspoasible 

reletive' as designated In Rouse Bill No. 611.1 

Way the State Deprrtxent of Publlo %l#ara 

ineke -ante of $ubllo aaelstanoe to a person otherwise allclble who Is *a war4 or the 9tate' but 

not an qinmate of a pub110 institution*? 

” ” 

. . . . 

E 
Donorable J, 5. Mirohl8on, Rge ) 

Paotlon 51b of Artlole III df our Constitution 

provldes, with reference to old age a8mlstanoer 

*The Leglsletu~ shall huve the power by 

;~&a1 laws to prorlde, under ouoh llmltatlona 

and restrictions and regulatlnns as nay be deemed 

by the Leglsio-urs expedient, for old-ape aeaiet 

anoe and for the qa,yment of same not to exoeed 

Flitmen Collar8 (~15) per month eeoh to aotwl 

bona fide oltlsens of Texas who are over the age 

of ulxty-rive (651 warn; provided that no habltual orlmlnal, add no habitual drunkard tills suoh 

habitual drunksrd, end no inmate of any !%ate supported lnatltutlon, uhlle suoh inmate, ohs11 be 

ellglble tOr suoh old-age aselstanoe; protided 

rurther that the requirement8 for length of time 

of aotual rssldenoe ln Texas ehall never be less 

than tire (5) yemrm during the nine (9) years lmmedlstely preoe4Ing the applIoetlon tar old-age 

asslstanoe and ocoitlnuou8ly ror one (1) year lmwdietaly preoeding such splloatlon 

"The LegI8lature shall hero the 8uthorIty 

to aooept tra the Governmant of the United Lltatea 

suoh flnanolal ald for olb-age as8Istanoe an that 

GorerMlant may offer not lnoon8l8tent'wlth the 

re8trlotlons hereinbefore prov14e4.n 

.Sw@.lon 510 of hrtiole TX1 of the Tares Oontitltutlon, with rererenos to e14 to the needy blind, provldest 

"The Imglelature shall have the power by 

General Laws to proflde, under suoh llmltatlons 

and regulationa and restrlotlon8.aa may by the 

Leglalaturo be deemed expedient, for 88sI8tanoe 

to the needy blind over the ege of twenty-one 

(211 year8, end-ror the payment or BaBe not to 

erocved I”iftsen Dollar8 ($15) per month per person; 

euoh aselatenoe or aid to be granted only to actual 

bone fide oltlzens of~Tera8; provided that no 

habitual orimlnal and no habltwl drunkard end no 

inmate of any Qate supported lnstltutlon, while 

much lnmte, shell be eligible Sor such s8818tsnoe to the needy blind over the age of twentyone (21) yeare; provided, further, thst the 

rsqulrements for tk length of time of 6OtUSl 
1 Honorable 3. F. ldurchison, "age I, 

111 Texas shell never be less then rive 

during the nine (9) ymars lmmedlstely 

the a~~pllcotlon r0r essiatencq, tq the 

needy blind over the ewe of twenty-one (21) years8 

and ocmtinuously for one year lmedlstcly ?reosding suoil spplicetlon. 

"The Legislature shall have the authority to 

aooept ,xror. the r3overnment or the United %stem 

suoh fi~nanolal eld ror assistanoe to the needy 

blip4 as that GovernnSnt may offer not lnoonslotent with the restrlotlons hsreind~e provided.- 

Seotion 51d oi Axtlole III al the Texse Constitution, provldlng r0r 131~3 ror destitute or dependent ohlldren, 

provides: 

Vubjeot to the llm.ltatlons end restriotloxm 

herein oontsined, and suoh other llnltations, restrlotlons, and regulations as nay be provided 

by law. the Legislature shall have the power to 

provide ror sssistsnoe to destitute children untier the age of rourteen (14) years; suoh assistanco shall not eroeed Eight Dollars (#a) per month 

ror one ohlld nor more than Twelve Dollars ($12) 

per month ror such ohildren or eny one ramlly$ 

provided that the enmnt to be expended for in&oh 

essiatanoe out of state funds shell never exoeed 

the SUF. of One Ylllion, Five Hundred Thousend Dollam ($l,500,000) per yesr. The Legislature may ' 

lm9ose residential restrlotions anA such other restrlotlone, ll!3ltatlO~iS, t3na regulation8 as to It 

msy seem ,expeUient. 

"The Legisleture shall have the authority~to 

aooept from the Gpvernment oi the United Ttatos 

such finanoiel esslstenoe to abstltute children 

es that Owerfment may offer not inconsistent 

with the restriotions herein above provided." 

The 47th Legislature, Regular Pesslon, enacted the 

"Publio 3elfara kot of 191*1" in IIouse Bill 611, end whloh appears to be a ooqlete sot governing the administration Or 

ssslstence to the needy blind, t!!a needy eged and to destitute or ZIependent ohildren. 
Sonora bl6 3. T. Surohison, Fags 5 

Subsection 4 or Tootion 20 or enid welfare sot, 

N9rs, provides that one of tho rsqulrements to reoel:e 016 

sgs aasistenoe is thst the applioent is not 8 person . . . 

who-ls not St the tine Or T606iviAg assistanoe an inmate Or 

s publio institution.* (UAdsrSOOriAg ours). 

Subsection 4 of ceotloo 12 of the ss*~e oat, pertsining to nld to Lhe blind, provides that in order to b+ 

entitled to esid aid ths aitplioent must be a person-who ". . . 

1s not at the the of reoeirlng such aid an inmate of any 

publio institution." (UndersoorlAg ours). .m be notioed 

tbt no suoh requirement eppears in tit1010 III, Zeotlon 5ld, 

suprs, of She Texas Constitution, nor 40ss any euoh n~uinmnt, witin reterenoe to the requirements ror aid to II dependl At ohild, round in Seotlon 17 or the Publio %ltars Aot or 

~~41~i0h emotion of said sot deal8 with aid to .depondsnt 

Fror: these' preliminary obseroations WC proceed to 

di~ouee Gour rirst question. 

The usi of the words *responsible relatives* In 

your flret quo&ion, evidently r:eane those reletives r&erred 

to in Subsection 5 or Section 17, which reeds: 

who is living with his rather, mother, 

giandk& grarrdmother brothor riet@r eteprather, ste&kother, etepkhar, Lpaiet&, unolo 

or aunt, In 8 plaoe of reeidenoe mrintained by one 

or more of euoh relatives as his or their CMI hOme: 

n . . . 

We do not rind any reetrlation in either the epplloable oonetitutlonrl prwialo~s nor the Publio weltare Aot or 

1$&l, prohibiting any wreepoAsible reletiveW, as lndioated 8Ad 

n-d l bwe, iron reoelving aid ror and OA,behtBir 0r a dependent ohild, as oontskplatca in the Constitution end the Publio 

Wolfare Aot or 1941, bemuse auoh *responsible reletlveW heppas to be rooelving, in his OWA right, either old age eeeietanoe, or aid to the blind. Your rlrst nuestlon Is thsrcrore, 

sooordingly, answered In ths alilrmatlV8. 

In order to properly Onswer your second qUsstiOA, 

we must tlrst determine what is meant by the Word "inmate" 

Or s pub110 institUtiOA, ns used iA Article 1x1, %OtiOA 5lb 

of the Texas Constitution, au well es in Peotion 51d thereof, 

end es that word is used ln.the Texas Publlo Wlfere Aot of 

1941. 
388 

..? RsAOrHble J. Li. Murohlson, Page 6 

yn Bowler*8 Law Dlotlonary, Rewle's Third RditioA, 

this doflAltlon of the word %unateW Is given: ,' 

*One who dwells In e ptirt of EnOther's houee, 

the latter d%islllzg at the 6s~ time in the said 

house." 

IA %bster*e Rew lAternatIonal UiotioAary, %oond 

Edition, thi word WIAmkte" is zrlven the following n,senlngt 

"(1) One who lives In the same house or 

apartmoAt with another; .iormerly, t3ppeciri08zy, 

one hiring lodging IA another's houae; e 1Odger; 

?4enoe, an alien or stranger. (2) one or a rsmiijr 

or Oa5UIIify OOOUpyiAg e Sing10 dwelling or hOMl 

es, the ictatee of B ~ivatc,houSe; aA innsta of 

a oonvent; how, epeoially, One oonrlned or kept 

in an inetitution suah es 1111 sSylWI, priion, or 

poor house. (.3) AA indweller; inhabitant.* 

t?9OA e OSrafIll OOnsidaratiOA Of the OOAStitUtbAS3. 

.provlalono, heretofore rarerred to in thla opiaian, as ml1 

as the provisions of the Pub110 Xeltare Aot or 19W. ft $8 

olear that the aeeietsAoe therein provided for eAd.mSdo evelleble ia designed to oovor Instenoee where eld should properly 

be granted to either eA aged person, e blind persdh or’s dopeAdent ehlld, who is not otherwISe reoeiving sdSpuete and 

euiiioisnt incorns, oars and treatment oonpetlble with heslth 

end daocnoy so long es suoh aid is in oomplia~oe with the 

Conetltutibn end said ?:elfare Aot. Fe think It Is olear that 

the Legislature, by reason or the enactment or Seotlon 39 or 

the Publlo Yelfera Aot or 1941, as well es the general pur9088 ol.euse ex~resecd in 5eotioA 35 of said Aot, Intended 

that neither an aged person nor 8 needy blind person should 

reoelve aesls~;nnoe under said :%ltare Aot it said eged person 

or needy blind parson was eotuslly en inmate in a publio iAEtitUtiOA, being eotually.oonrlned thereill, or at least re- ' 

oelvlng support, oare end mai.ntsnaAoe, Z'rom either the %dte. 

of Texas or e county or a olty InstItutioA supported by pub110 f\ulds. Rowover, we are or tha opinion that ii setId aged 

person or a needy blind person is in faut a ward of the gtsite, 

that Is,.for oxerrple, parolee6 Iroiz 8 Ytctte 9eAal lnstltutlon; parolees from state hospitals, heving previously beSn 

edjudged non oompos nentis; or persons sdjudged to be of UAsound mind and permIttad to rez?Sin 1~ the homes of reletives 

or r&lands prior to oor$mltmento the State Hospital, e&i do 

not aatually reoeive asslstanos, oar0 and m8lntoAsAoe rr0m 
Eonorab14 J. T. Xurchleon, Page 7 

the Ctnte euch perSOn em not, for thSt reason, Slone,preeluded from being ellglble to rsoelre either old age esslatence or aid for the needy blind provided they me e ble to 

meet- the) rsqulrementa under th8 Abllo !!elrere Act of 194l. 

We have already dlScu88ed th8 fact that neither the oonstltutlOIi8l. prOVi8iOIl, pertaining to sld ior d8pend8nt children, 

nor thet, part or the Public ?:elrere Act or 1941 pertaining 

t0 d8peEtdent children, preolude 8 dependent child, who meet8 

the requlrem8nts or th8 Tax88 Public r;'olrcrra iiot or 1941 

e0m being pOt8ntielly eliglble.to rOO4lY8 aid under 88id 

cot, 8ven If 8uOh dependent ohlld~ were, III fact, en imete 

of 8 %eite iUditUtiO% However, we are or the oplnnion, 

that, the Leglslsture In the enaotment or the Publio ~Jeltare 

Aot Of 1.901,. .pUrsUSZlt to the OOll8titUtiOIl8l suthoriretlon, 

did not Intend for e dependent ohlld to aotuslly reoelre 

dare, malntenanoe 0114 support by 81~3 through snd from 4 Stsk 

ln8tltutlon end at the 88m8 time reoeIr8 8id 88 a dependent 

ohlld under the protlsiona of said Welfare Aot. 5 are al80 

0r the opinion that the Pub110 Welfare Aot 0ri9u WA8 no* 

fntended to requlr8 the grnntlng Or aid to 8 dependent ohlld 

who 18 being oared for adequetely by a county or oity lmtitutson 8uppOrted by publio iUnd8 Of which Institution Seid 

ahild i8 a ward and OIXUltt86. In other ~0x48, the Publlo 

Kelfare Act or 194l make8 available old r0r ohlldron who 8re 

aotually dapqndent and are not be:ng aotually oarad for and 

uhleh should be oared Sor by the State inaooordsnoe with 

the rules sad regulatlone of the Texas Pub110 veltare Aot 

of 19w. 

W8 tIW8t th8t In this mannsr we hste filly answond 

your lnqulriea.