OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Bonorabae 0ea. %. Car 

State Enmlth Officer 

Anut in, Tera8 

Denr Sir! 

ear bemuue St rr 

B eertiiisste i8- 

amlly or housakold 

oh ~6b8~ or th0 ~OUIWmaanhoturmr aeet* ar 

or thir opialoa, (opirriea Ro. 

rtmnt) doe8 Rourso Bill, Ha. 

borator~ ualy818, QC wp olkw 

thO4 or ra&ihods to be u88d b? tk8 

detemi,alq the exletenc3o of 8aah 

dl8oe808, or door Rena0 Bill Ro. 143 mma the 

deturmination ot the mthcrd a0 bo used sabald ba 

lsrt to the * wa6ai6ati6tu~6l6or6tlon 0r oh6 

QhyuiOl8n~' 
Xoonorable Ueo. ,ii. cox, Page e 

Your first qaestion 6&ibl%ce6 a fact 8iteaticsJ 

whioh this Departmeat oannot aadertahe to pass ubon The 

firet~uonteaao 0r *ction S of Eouae Bill X0: 142 ieadu 

a8 fO1lOw61 

"All health oertifioates Wiled for b'y 

this Abt 8hall be bi8Qlm for pablie ih6protfoa at the, phze there the pemoa naBad tlmroOn i6 8i?&dOYdb, ORd 8bai$ not b0 FB8IOWd rm 

suoh plaoe dwingthe aontlnuanoe of maah em- 

~loymnt exoept by a publie health offioer, 

II~I,","~ 6ppoint.d rgont, er qwn valid ooat 

.* 

fhi6 SOUthR U16i9 6IIthorhOU t& publio health 

department and 104al lauxmking b0dfe8 to ertabli8h 8u& 

further mJe8, rcgdlatims ud ordinsaeer as they a6y (lo661 

06sentm to onrry out tke intentfoaa 0r the Aat. m6 

olmr intention of t&e Legislature 16 to provide for all 

person6 pos8oselng health aert5.floatea under tbo Aot to 

display the came at the place where ther are employed. 

This does not man that the eprployee au& aa* iha oortifioate oa hfs pereon at al1 thou, ml! thnt be must display it at my ?lae8 Otbar than the plaae 45 hi8 ePrploppent. The EO& of diaplaflhg the eortiflaate is an inuidental questlcm of faot and nutboritiee di;ieotly oonoerned 

uith pablia health are given -18 eutlanity to enaot 

clarifyI8g rule6 and regaleticar, ii they are eonuidered 

neaessary. 

Seatioa Z of Ibaw Bill No. 142 pravidee that 

it shall be unlawful for amy mmufaoturer or v8ndor cb 

caadiea or manufactured 8weeta to kmwingly consign, 6e11 

or furnl8h mah produote to any par8on or persons for the 

purpoas of rooale froma private reaitiense, unless such 

person or.pereons dirpl8y a amplets valid Imalth certlfioate issued for l a a h ~mmb er of the faally or bweebold 

froawbiob produet are to be resold. The ooly offense 

outlined by this 8ection i8 the sot of the mwmfaoturer 

or the produot ia knolria&ly aonrigning, aelllng or furah&lag eandier ar nanufaotured tweets to a per806 rho 

ha6 n0t mst tM requirement8 tbueia set out. The fast 

that the perron to v&o= the prodact baa been aold has 8ot 

met suah requirement8 f6 not aa offense under Se;eotiCU S. 

Ia answer to your eeoond qw8tlon we aAvlre you that Seetlon 2 does require a health oertlfleate for 8tWh me8ibeZ 
of the ranily or household, mjphrdls88 of whetha? not 

they hare atqtA.ng to do with tho aotual reude. a2 “F he 

candy. 

Ia wmwer to your fourth queatioa, wJadvb8 you 

tbit w6 find no Be%tiQ or provision rhioh readers the bill 

~o~titutioaal, OT whioh la itself oontravenes aay pmvia-ion of t&o Constitation. The protection of public health 

fs a 8ubjeet which properly falls within the exeroiae d 

the-polioe power of the State, and it is the duty of thb 

Departmat to resolve every resuraable Q ebt 3a faTor& ga 

validity of suah legislatioa, ii snoh doubt exists. 

the iaot that this Abt I8 Pew 18 8latios, wa do n0t into& 

to express, au tbia time, any op ion on mans and lesthods 

hQlOyOd ia the eniOF%aMEt Of it8 pY~Bh68, i.IUIOf~ a8 tb 

subjeot of oonstit&tiOnallty ia oownrned. 

Imediately preoeding your third qoautica the 

foJJ.od~ paragraph appears ia your letter: 

.I quote fmm year opinion Ilo. O-215 and& 

bat8 Or JfWWY. 2’7, 1939 68 f0ii0~8: ‘Se expro08 no opinion herein that a laboratory analyal8 ia or is rmt neoeaoary to determine the existence of lnfeatioea or coamnnieable diseases. 

'ia bold mzelyttittbe LegUlature haanottandert&n to preecribe a laboratory analysis or any 

other partioalar nethcd or methode to be used by 

the chysiclan In determining tlm exlatence of 

Buoh diseases, but btiTo6 the deternriaation of 

tlw methods to be used to the aoaroientious disoretloa of the physLDien.* 

The opinion to which you ret- does mt aecesaarily hare any bear- OR the question prevented,- Bin08 it 

was rendered on a statute whiOh differ8 greatly in terminology from the one now under scrutiny. It does apply inSOfar aB it eXpraS83eEi M unwi11inglm38 On th% pet Or this 

Depar&nt to dictate methods of praotioe to the mediaal 

profes8ion. 

?rom this paragraph and yaer letter as a whole, 

however, we gather the reaaioa tbt you are priaoipally intereeted in ag whether or lrot tho pFOVhb.XIU 

of Roaue Bill lo. 142 require a phyeioiaa to basr Id8 Opinion oa a laboratary analplu lu l ocerE&lne freedom from 

vaereal dieease. Yerther, lt oppeara thnt tho oontmreruy 

as to whether or sot bleed test8 Ue mbeMaPy Driaeipally 

arises in the ease of sxamiaations for remmeal diaeaee. 
580 

&narible Oso. ‘15. Cox, Paage 4 

artiola 44,445 ot tha Bavised Chil Statutea ai TCmr aarinas ~ana~aal dinaases uid dealares tlmm to be ~&pioua~$footioua, aommnlaabla and d4n~arou4 ti 

i3g virtue 0r thir lagSaletira daolarati % Wuso 

3111 I&. 142 and cay other lagislatita aot rbiyh &oats 

tha 8ubBjaot of lnfaotlou8, oolsuuniaablo and aon~&ma 

diseasea, doer apply to tonersal dieaa~~. . 

??a quota ths rouoldng Jictims txxm BpLuo Bill 

Bo .' 14e for tha purpaea .i%f asaertdnlng the fntantiw of 

~g iJldl.IW ~h íithe b m h n@ a & ta h a P al miE p lo ~r 

ill& of aenduotlng My hot.1 Or any 0th~ pprbIf0 8lsaping or oatitag pleaa, or any plaaa or 

rohialo whro 1-6 of drink or aonhlnaro therefor, oi My kind, iJ zuuWfaetw6, trMSfaX’Ped, 

propared, stored, paokad, l rvod, sold, or othorvise bandlad in thirr Aata, or any manufaotura 

or randor of amdias or mnufaoturad maate, 

shall work, aploy, or keep 1.n their uxiloy, In 

on, OP 8bout any said placa or vohlala, or have 

dolfvorad aafartiola tharafrom, any par&x& inrooted with any transmlmiblo oenditioa of say 

ldeotioua OT contagious aiseasaI or work, or 

employ any parson to work ln, on or about 84kld 

?laoo, or to dolivar an7 artlsla thrmfrvn, a0 

at the time or his or bar amployaat, fallad 

to deliver to the omplayar OP his a-t, a oortifiato Ji&lad br a lagall~ llaaasad physioiM, 

raiding in tbs oounty whsro said permom 1s to 

m.ummbla and lntaotiour dlsaaeee, 0r all l uoh 
” . 581. 

anuh axamination had bean niade 

dlsaloslng the fast that he or 

any tram+asib~~ moedi~on~~f _ 

of suah parson, 

Sh8WEUZtP28 trora 

sn~aoamtioah+ 

and llIZ8Otiou8 dlIS8a888." (Undarsoorlng oy8 ) 

=38atioi!i 3. Ralth C8rtlrioate--Displayed, 

All hmlth OertI.fla@xi aellsd for bjr tlxls Act 

shall b8 ikL5playod for publia l~~~pa~tion at the 

008 WtSl% the pSrsOn nansd thereon is a~@lOyad, 

andshallnotbar8nmm-dfrcmsnoh plao8 durlqthe 

oont5.nuanoo of suoh employmot. except by a publ.io 

haaltk oiriaar, his duly appointed %8llt, or U 

relid amrt order, &ll suoh aartiilaaten shel f" 

bear the ewloyae*s sip,nature. the narue of the 

phssiciwp~ ereoutlng examInationa and taxts, and 

shall describe th0 color of syaa, and hals, BOight, 

weight, race Jex, ago, and date 0r idsu8nc8, and 

shall be mlid rot six Jlnaths only. Publia health 

depa&aeptS,asd looal Ii+mmk&g bodies,are heraby authorizei to establish suoh iurtber rulas, regulat1ozi.v and ordinanoea es they .aay deem essential 

to th8.axaoution or tha fntanti0.m of this :,ct; 

proridine, however, thst au. conditions or thir Aot 

shall be requisite to all such regulations and ordinanoa.9, except, that the said a;hhorftlas my 

adopt a pkq for the reglstratlon of the physicians' 

o%.rtificates required by this i;ct and in lieu 

tharsof issue a registration oard to 8ho?i that the 

person namd thereon hss mqliad with aI3 of the 

prorisions of this Aat; providing rurther that the 

said registr;ztion aard must basrthe signature of 

tha person~named thereon and skill be displayed 

ror publio inspeiM.on at the glxe where suah a 

person 16 eixployad.w (Underscoring cups) 

"3eOfloxl 4. failure to COl~ply &ith .kot. %a 

iallure of any ;rerson, firm~corporation, cosmon 

carrier or associstion em3tgad in any 0r the businossas descrlbad In this Aot, to display at the 

place wbera any of the oparatiom Of such bwineSs%8 

era baing conducted,, a ttild health or registratfon 

oertiflcatc), as requ%md by this Aat, for sit& person azaployBd in, on, or about such place, shsll be 

prima raoie evidence that the said person, rim, 

aorporatioa, 0txu3021 oarrler or association, in riolation of r~uframanta oalLed for by this :iet, fallad to rat@.re th8 exhIbition or the pre-aatployreent 
Xonorable Geo. X. Car, Page 6 

xI3rem;a serrand xltlon of rebster’s vJTtab5rid&l 

Diationary ~ntahs the iolle definitions ofwords appear- 

* in Eouse BUl No. 142: 

Reotltet To follow out or throngh to tJ3e end; 

to c8rr-y out or into aamplete 0freotThorough: *So coraplete as to leave notk&g unafYeotedoorm.ated;paiestakinglyexsot or Oareful about dahiL” 

Zxa&re: Voteotbyanappropriate~thod; to 

3.nspeataarefullyulthatiewto dlscover-therealaharaeterorstateo~ 

~sOnt~~:w~ing what xis in the mst perfeet degree; i7dis~bla ; important In the 

hlghestdegre~ 

Ihe prwiskms of EOUIO Eill Eo. 142 d-d *actual 

or these terrjs it ia obtious that the xagisl&xe intends to 

reqlrexmre than amere q~tim&igor aaaual examination. 

What type of examination is esaemtlal to the findin@ of 

freedomfram Weatious and aomamicable diseases could better be determIned by a qualirfed phpieti, and this Department does nat desire to render any opinionwhich muld invade the field properly and capably occupied by the ~dioal 

protession. It is with that tho@rt ia mind that re have 

exminod several bulletins distributed by the Texas State 

Department or Ziealth in ZIJI sfYort to ascertain wh;lt goeeduxe the mediaal profession and your Zemnt consider 

neoasaay to establish the rindiag that a prson ie ire0 

from lnfeotlous and ammmfeable diseases, dth pWtfeUl# 

refar~catoorphlllsandot~~diseases. From 

0~ sxsninati0a Or this 158tarid ~0 rind that both your DOpartaent andthe~~cal~r~iongenesallysaoato aanaider a blood teat essential to any exaz&atioIlwhichpurport~?~toestablAehfreedo=rnu.syphilis. 
Youwill n&e that tha Legblature in s&ion 3 

of.muae Bill,%. 14?hasrOquIred that all o8rt$fi$&e8 

¥ aa tidenee that proper em&nations have&#Snmade 

*shall. besr the name of the physlclans executiag'zb.xminatlons, and teeta." The language hero rpred 

the thought that the'Lsgl.slature cunteraplated. tr at physlalan8 ~sh0ul.d resort to maas other than a siera routlnu examinat1on. Cxu5ecmently Itbeeomea apparentthatwhatever 

tests are generdly reJred to show freedom from such dlmi+smas~~" be resmtd to by physloians issuing the 

Ztthe'reareavaIlablsaeansothartha~the 

blood tests ;hieh are acoeptable methods of dotefreedom from such dl.aeaaea It would of eaurse be Ia order 

for exaainets to use such procedure. In short, the Inipslature has regrrired in Boa80 Bill 60. 142 that the physlalanwho issusstb~tk aertI.fiaate nrorldedforthereln 

examination or tests-are necessary oi ~essentlal to au& 

findings. xi It io trze that in order to dlsoover 5yphIlIs 

a physical examination plus a blood test Is reglred, then 

physl0ie.M should mpirs blood terts of all Fer&oZIs extxslzwd under the 6Utbority or House Bill no. 14E. xi the 

t'Vas#rmann '&St is 5W=-ary then such test should be admInIstered. PIIS qn~tlan, however, cannot b6 passed xqioti 

by thl8 Separtimnt. a7 raFli43 to ~3pf~u-y the type 0r test. 

which should be enploye4, the Legislature has left the physiaiaq unlkaqered and f?eO to resort to the latest aad mat 

wogeh precautions qmptable to re5entirla effort to chac!t 

th&jPpra~d s&f dise-aS@- *Oreat Pependenae has and properly 

sh‘ould be placed upon *Aa Integrity of aa honorable profession in assrning it till avail itselr or every m+s 

now at lta corsend, of ~~38 available ln the futnrtt, In 

the ever constant b6ttfa to stifle the enanies of rranirind'a 

health and security. 

our ri8id of kriowledge is not 0r qrrioimt 

breadth to jUStirY Sny atte 

7s 

t to rdec;untoly disauss this 

we have use4 the d ease or syphilis 6s an exu to what zm2s or ttn8t.s are necessary te estabfreedom rrom this and otker dismses we 
Honorable Geo. W. Cox, Page 8 

frankly admit basic8 imcwancs. We art3 roroed to i&OH to 

reliable anthfmlty rorelgn to the pursuit of the .datSes IJRposed upon and exeouted by this Dlri.sIoon ot St+ I[i(nermmnt. 

Wither are we capable, on the besti o? our own' rtaliiieatloaa, or alasslfylng diseases as thamrhlah,er 8 ,inieetlou8, 

eontagloua, and aozm~cab3e, and those wl&ah gti not. 

If this Depmtment andtwtook to set otit in this o&nion the taxadnatlan and the type of teat6 to be iiia loyed 

UJIdSr Bo~843 au x0. 142, it WTLld ship4 b0 a ref e eSa$i01% 

of opinions and bulletinr issued and eimulated by yuuz Departwnt aad by other oompetent mtdfosl authorities. In 

view of the. faut that your pepertwnt oeeupfes thfs field 

or speolaltiea knmeage w consider it o~~p(w~~aary and improper for ys to render an opinion whfah reaches the premmptaous state wherein the Attorney General unrZerta.kes to preserlbe w&hods which 9 phgslcienarnrt pursue inthe ethical.' 

prattiae og his proreeslon, and in rollming tibe plain mu%- 

date 0r the legislature. 

RC:L?s¶ 

QprOY%d 

opinion cowlttee 

By R.W.F., '3xdrmm