OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS

AUSTIN

You arked the YOU anti4 opiti the tollowi~ quertloMr

AC&36 3176 providrs in part that tba mxpwultondent ahal3 hat. mvem L "To *OTB for good tmuoe, wlth the oorment it the l rd, aay otrio*r, teaoher or *aplop.

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It I8 to be aoted thet, in the aase of dirohesging oificsrs,teaahere,and emplopesr, the Baar4 and the. *.,,

BonorableHarry Enox, Chalman, Page 2

suparintsndent

exercieoa joint authority under statute, neither uaa sot without the recommendation or consent of the other. (See our Opinion Xo. o-1851) But in the cam at disabargiag

patienta, the Leglalature did not thus olroumorlbe tha authority of the ouperintsndant. Instead,
it empowered the ouprintendent to w41eohargepatfsntsw, without conditioning the exercise of such authorityupon %he oonaent of the Board.*

Observingtha language used by the iegialaturo in reapeat to the dlaahargeoi ofiicersan4 enployoelby the auparinteudent, as comparedwith that use4 in mapsot to the dlmharge of patientsby him, we are of oplniou
that the Leglelature bid not inten that the auperintmdant rust have the pezmlarrlon ot the Board to Uisaharge pstlenta. We beliers it aas intended to eohfer upon the auperlntandsnt

the broad authority to dlsoharge patlent8, and that.thepower of the Boar4 to 4isoharge patient8 is cumulativeof that posseseedby the Superintendent, the Boerd's power in suoh raspeat being rsatriotedby limit- ,%ng Ita exeroiae to thoae Faatanoearhere the auperintexndeat reooagendsthe dlaoharge.

If reama for~muh eonstruetisn,in4epen4art of the languageof the statutea,noed be aaalgm4, we think It 18 found %a the nature oi the polar to be exemieed. The 8uperlntendent of the Institutionis requlrad to be
a ukllledphyslolanexpemlanoe4 in the treatment of in6anity. ArtSole 3104. Whethera patltmt la to ba dimohargedmust be deteraiaedby all appraisalaf hi8 phyeloal aad rental aohdltfon, wlth due regard ior hLe omn Welfare **and** that or the pub$io. This ia au issue whloh oan beresolved eSrrotire3y only fraa person&l obeervation of ti,e patient by a skilledphyaloian experieneed~ln the dia&&.s and treatamntof laental diseases. In the absenoe 

### or language requiringauoh couatruction, we are not prepared to hold that the Leglalcturelatsnded that the jWrguentof the superintendent

in respect to this matter PhouM be raviewed by the libard, rhoae manifo'%d duties do not penuit

or personal obaertationof PatientAt, an4 whose aelabebs are not required to poseesa~the qualifioations neceeaary tozWnorabl@

detur8it.M

ths queatfoa involved. Page S

That the Lcrglalature lnte$ed the power to dls-

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_ . . _ _ ... axas pctientn to be 0xeroiaea uy tne superintenaencwithout prior peraiasionor approval of the Board Is rurthrr **~~i40~ti~od**

by **the** polloy sxpreaaed la ArtIsle 51931, Yurnon'a ?&via04 Civil Statutes,dloh expreaalymmmlta to the 8up.rintwmlt alow the deolalonupon thm qua8tlon 0r alla*iag Wtes to Lea*0 ths lnatltutlon for temporaryper- **:@a of**  **absqnee not**  exoeeding twelve **months,** dth additlonel ls0re of abasme at,the expiration**of** such period to be **gtmwd** *by the **auperintakdant** or upon his ~ooamn4atlOn". ~$0 l ufflslsat rsaaon appsarawhy the Lyllsleture w0ul4 have aonierretl upon the aupalntendent tha mad p-ax to all**turapora~** abeenoes wlnithout requiringthe o0lylsnt ci th0 Board themto, while r@quLtingth0 koard*a aoneent to a diaebfwge.

**Your** questionaa to vrhothar,the auperint0udsut say #aohargu a patientwithout **pwmleaIon at**  the War4 la thersto?eaaswered la the sfiimatlra. You aak04 whether the superintendent may dtaahargo a patient *arbitrarily*. Ir y0usasanto **inquire** whether the Legislature inteabed
that t&e rQgsrint8ndent should. exeralae en unbrl4le4dlawetion to Qiaeh%rgea patientwithout regard to hispbyaiti or matal oamlttion,the w&far6 of tha patient **and** tJmf or the pubU6, ~8 **rower** that n0 auoh paer w&a intanded to be ooaferreQ. Tim atatute oonteuplateethat the auperintem4ent6 shall be vsstea'wlth4laoretlon to dst6aPine rhather the ooadltlonci the patlbnt la aucrh that dth **due** regard for his welfars and that QS the publlo he may **be** diaohargedfrom the lnatltutlon. I8 I* lntendsd that thla dlaoretlonwill be exercised masonab~y, rather thaa arbitrarily. &?we*or, aa In the-aaaa oi every publla offher to whom the s*erolseoi aa oflfciel dlaontlon la oonffded, tbera alwaylr axlate the parer In the offloOzS thoughhot the right, to de&de aron~ es Nell es tight. **Rhere** a dlaoretioa ia **eoniided** to **a publics**  ofrioer,~ it ia pooslble that he may abuse it. '%at he ray **abuse** It, however, doas not argue agalhat the axlatenoe0f the authority. &hers the deetaionot tho offloer ia final, as here, the re15s4y for abuse of dlaarstion,or arbltrarraction, la retmml t?f the otfsndtngotflaer.A oourt or4er la not a oomlitionpreoeUant to the Qiaahargoof a patient by th6 #uporiatendmL Ho 8tatate that we ham boon able to find maker it M. ?he oomn&Want of a ptlant is not for pumlabwnt, **but for**  trrtAmt. **Thr** order **of** 60uitmAt **Uosa Aot**  prsaribo-lndmd, tbo oo\Ut ia sot uymereU to 4ete~n~t-the PWSDA 8lpga aonfilud In tha IrUtitutlon SOS a dafialto period The parloU o? aoaflnumat hbgss upolr tba phy8faal laU&al O o lr ditl o A o ftha 

## patleat~ to the **6UQWiAtsadafit** of the ia&itation, a8 noted abole, i8 aoAmStlW b7 mtatute the power of aisohargm when, in hi8 opinion,. the aondithn of the patient

### warranty ,it.