OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

GROVER SELLERS 

ATTORNEY GENEFIN. 

Honorable aSo?- 8. Sh&rd 

Comptroller of Publlc Aeaouata 

Austin, Tour8 

mar Sir: opinion no. O-6615 

Re: Valldlt~ o? R.IQ 303, Xegular Sea~ion, l%rty-uiuth~ 

Thgislature, coaoernlag rppoprlat;lfm8 E9r i$he State 

Sol1 ~~eePv~~~oo\,Boerd. / 

Your letter OS May ‘4, 19& reqi&twg th~oplalon 

of thin depmtrnt 68 the valldlty4f Xfouae Brllw awl regardlng the effoot of the Statu&6 of Ll&$tatlom upoq tb8 right 

of tba bglalature to l pproprlite,.&i~~ *,a reoeloed.~.,~,,,X’he 

letter IF3 eet out lo full as’~oll,,ovr: \ \ / ,J 

“Tbb rUtute,~em3atln&,thd&.d Soil Coneervatloa Board. wtb out ‘a psr ‘&&em Xbr members bf the 

maxd 8ud fop~~su~?lser8 at’$b.BP per day. It alIJO rpeelflo&ll~~pr~tdes for ‘floe ents per mile 

for travelQ&g each utiy, bctueen ‘th ‘F, e8ldence of 

the eupeml&vr and thwdedsilgnated buslnem8 office 

at&yes: @de* normal fuuctloaa of the pogrm,, the 

~ppreprfatlon~: r0p~eaah purpoee* for ths premmt 

bieaaU&aq.-erhaorted. Tb ~Aet lvklag thj l ppro - 

priitlorr it& the above mileage mid per dlem,alro 

oar+&" follqrlng pwlrlaar 

“Who ipQvopriatlona”&iii p+ovlded 8ro to 

h cowtrued am the maxi&&m mama to be wbpropl6ted to aad for the nreral purpom8 named 

herein, mui the amounts are intended to cover 

ad ahall cover tb emtS.re eo8t o? the rerpectire item and ths M- l hall Mt be SupplerUted fr o m & a ~ o thel r ourcej and, except 48 0-r 

: -,,’ 
Honorable Osorge B. Sbvppard, pags 2 

VIM provided, no other expswllturem shall be 

mada, nor shall any other obll&atlooe be loourred by 81~7 demrtmeut of thla State, por1dd,howoreP, thatn6thlnghen1n shallprevent say departmaat head from paying lass than 

tha ndsum amount8 set Sor say 8alariod goalt1aa. 

%he Bus1mu4 3 b a 88rr 60 no l pplicathnt to tbs 

Oonrnor for a def'leiane~ appropriation as prorldsd for under hrtlale 5351, B.C.S., and no auah deflole~y approprlatioo'vas granted. 

"Tha 8011 Conurvatloa Board and aepeuntatlvea arnxtlnued tofuaetlao after the app~oprlatlons for mlleage 8md per die8 had b&a erhumted, 

and araatad alalu tarp both 8llrwe and ps~ diem 

.thereby, ati have mda applloatlon to the paasat 

Sesafoa af the Legislature for a8 appropriation for 

the payment of swh alalmo. 

l The preunt Loglalrttlre by House Bill Ro. 303 

ukar aa appropriatloa ror the State soil Conaeroatlon Board to be uwd to par the per diem and mllel ga of both the B6wd mmbera and district l upmvls@~,r ot tha above Yr&tlOned alal88. 

%e above seotloued bill aarrles both an 

emrgewy ol8uw and 8 prwmble. The ffrst paragraph of th8 peedlr readr a8 Sollwar 

‘IIBWW, Tkm btak Soil Oonaertatlon A6t 

prorb3es that auprvlsora ny reaelve compeautiar HOP wervloor not to l soeod Four Dollur 

($4) for. each day he shall be lm attendawe at 

t&a pegul@s mablagr or the Board of l)upsr+ls0~8, and tfte uata (54) par 8lla for travel 

-oh ray ktreea the Paaldewo Of 8 8 nfwr 

md thv dar&akd bu8ilua8 Ofillu Of %8 die 

8apenim~r &all k mid 

*rive coqmosatioaa&alleap ior any8Illlkr 

’ . 
Honorable George H. Sheppard, pege 3 

o f dSy8 in l xeers Of five (5) in any three5oatha period; rod’ 

‘The WmStlOn la ralud in this dapartmmt as 

to. whother or not tha aVpropriation made in tha 

above mntlowd Eou80 Bill Bo. 303 la valid for 

tha follosirrg reasons, to uit: 

“1. 18 there suf~lctent pre-existlag law 

to outhorim the appropiationt 

“2. If therein sufflclant ga-exlatlmg law, 

thea is t&n Leglrlatwe prohibited from malcl~ 

tb8 8pprOpFl8tlOn by roseoIL OS t~,pohlbltloa 

sst OUt in the OTlglMl SpprOprl8tloa mde by 

tha Forty-eighth Legl8latwe for the payment 

of mileage aed per diem? 

3. Aad for the further reason thst the 

Soil Coaurration Board falled to avail itself 

of the privilege of a deflolency appr3priatloa grant und6r Artlole 4351. 

"C8a th8 bglslatore m8k8 a Valid appropriation 

band upsa pro-existing UT whsa t&m is a statuta~, 

of ll8ltatlom la exlatenao (olther geaeral OP apeoral) agalwt the payment of a elaln, which claim la 

a valid claim, except for the Natate of Llmltatlcmt 

In othar uords, dqea’the 8tatute of Llmitatloa defo*t polsrirtl8g fsr In ths rights of .ths Laglalature to appopr%ate? 

“In amuer to W inquiry, I rofer you to aa 

opinioa written Jttly 28, 1933, ad&owed to tha Hon. 

Moore m, gtate Auditor sad Efflclenoy E%pert, by 

Assistant Attoro)y @or&era1 Wllllr B. Greahaa. Also 

Opiaioar 408. O-PUB ad O-r(!J82.m 

~ha faotr ‘stat&d in yaw letter Boo that the Board 

m ~0 l p p l;o a to titbo o m Oovorwr fop a doflaloaot *pgromlxt;mt t&pof@ro, if tho Uglslaturs had l uthopltr to &mPe T 

iato 

8s ;n tb mtant cam, it h8d swh by v*tm of m-xist Irg 
HOrrOrable OeOPge If. ShsppSrd, page 4 

law a8 coatellptated by 0eatlott 44, Article III of the CwatitutlOtt of Taxaa, which provldoa, in part, as foll~wt 

9ha bgfrlatuze . . . ahall not . . . want 

by amrow%atioam er othe~rl~, w amowt of menoy 

out of the Treasury of tha Stat0 to any iadivmml, 

oa*~aui8,Peal or pPetouded, wbetlm urn rbll 

not bya bow pmvldod foe by pro-oxlatlng law. 

. . . 

Artlole 165o-4, V.A.C.S., the "stat0 8Qll CaQurwatlosa Law* oro8tod by Aots 1911, 47th &ogl8UtuPo ameadl&kg Aots 

l939, 46th bglalature, prcn~~, maoas other dqp, for the 

l atabll8hlug of the 9011 Counrvatlou Board, outlUer lta datioa, 

caspen88t108, do., dLroota tho ee&utloa of utpelrvl8Of8, aad 

sets out tha oompenoatlon to ?m pal& tbar, authorius the employment Of other agetttr rad o8plOyoer, and provideo for tho 

seleotl0o of the County Soil Coororvatloa Comlttoe. 

%!Im pertlnont prorlslona of the atatuto are ehova be1oV: 

Suboeotloa B, 8ectlcm 4, reade in part l 8 followar 

%88bora of 8 Uotmty lloil Couwrrrtioa 00~ 

mAOtoe ahall reeolvo no eompewatloa for tlwir 80~~ 

l*or owopt the de&gate to tha Diatrlat Cowomatlott Coavontlon who ehall rooelve Mvo (5) Ooata 

pop mile for trowel owh vay betveoo tho Comty 

krt ofhir ootmtfaad ahaplaeo whrr tha Dlatrlot 

Comontlcm la held *and Four Dollar8 ? $4) per day, 

not to oxoeed two t12) daga, to bo PaId by the btato 

S011 Coaeomatlon Board. 

Submotion D, S6atlott 4, rod8 in pMt W COll0Mt 

0 Blutlvo n?uboPO of thm Bawd my toc*lve Z&atloo r09 theia 8e~rl6am 

wt 80 amed the l tm or 208 Dallwa ( top loohd&yof8otrul aewlco reudmra 

amber ahallbe ontitledtoerpeuooa8 -1-w 

tr *v*l.in l xpmua, g neoea8arily iworrod 10 t% dim0mg0 of his dutlos as a mo*r Of the Board. 
J#morable George Ii. *PFd, paso 5 

seatian 6 prwldes in part as follows: 

” 

. . . A aupsrvlsor may receive coqsasatlOn~f(P servlaea not to weed Four Dollar8 ($4) 

for each day hs shall be in atteadruroe at tha 

reguliu? retlaga of the Board of Supsrvlsor~, and 

five (5) Cent8 per alle for travel each way betosen the resideam of a supervlaor aad the deslgnated bwlnsaa office of the dintriot oupsmisors. 

Supervlrrora aball bs paid quarterly for their 

services, and may mot reoelve compwwation l ttd 

alL3aga for any number 0r day-n in exuess of five 

(5) la awf t&m-eokth period, exoept that oas 

mmber of oaoh Board a? Supervlaore ahall bs sntitled to rwolfe Pour Dollars ($&) per day not 

to oweed two (2) clays, and Five (5) Cents psr 

alle uhlle atteadltag an atmual Stats-wide metlag 

of l up nr vlmto o rbe 8 held at a tlm and place to 

be dotoralned by tbs State So11 Coaservatloa Board. 

The prwlaloa providing Mva (5) Cats pm mile 

for travel for district 8upervlSw8 shall be in 

effect Ssptoabsr 1, 1941, and thereaftsr. 

“The aupervlsorr may employ mush officers, 

agetttr, and employees, pemattettt aad temporary, as 

theymay~eqqlro,aad s&lldetermlae thalrqualiflca~loan, dutlom, ati aampansatlea. . . .” 

Sllbsectlon E, seotiw 5,readm in part as folloust 

"All wneya, fuads, &d seasrltlas~ somLag 

into the haadm of the State boll Conwrvatloa 

Board shall bo depaslted m the dtato Troasttry 

aad placed la ohs Stats Troaswy to the amIlt of 

a apeaim fund to bo knora am the Wata Soil COOaervation Rurd*t aM all awh funds, noawe, and 

sssuritiss hsroafter depomltod or medtted to rush 

fm we horoby l p p t?o p Pto lathe ted uoo urd bo%WfU 

of the State Sal1 Ooamerva~loa Board *lid YY b, ti 

u;d M, ured la the 8U8ittl8~r8tlOa Of and 1~ 

cc+ap~tume vith thl8 Ibt. . . . 
" Boaorable &&go 8. S&e-d, pago 6 

NPurour h~lk~Ioar ofthe Supram Court and tha Courts 

of Civil AppSlS dlaow8 the asfeet o? Article XII, Seation 44, 

of the Caartitutla1 but wo thittk it suffleo to quote fron the 

oplniott of tin entn 

pm-d, 83 8.W. 

Court in Ft., Uarth Cavalry Club v. Shep660, as follouat 

‘It la kttled is t& I&I OS this rtrta that 

under t& prwlaloaa of rratloa 44 of utlole 3 OS 

OUP btato ~StitUthl, tk hrglrhtu@o is pt'ohibited fror agla?op~ting rtato amaey to any @lad+ 

vldual’ on any ol8lm, uatos, at thn nrr]r tlm tba 

8pppqMatlon 18 ndo,the~ola alwaay I8 SOPOO 

sane pO-eXl$tlUg Valid kw 6~8tltutIttg the elal8 

the app?opZatloa la aado to pay a leg81 and valid 

obllgrtioa agaiuat the rtato. ~~. i Finally, it 

la uttlod that by legal obllgatlorr is want SWlt 

an obliytlon (rs would form the ba818 of a judgmntrgalnmttha state ins court of eapet8mt jwladlatioa, in #a ovmt th# kglaleturo nhould pertit ittOb0 SUd. Austin lmloaal Bank 1. %hep 

pard (Texi Can. App; ~oplWBtt edbptd by Supwme 

ceurt), 123 Tax. W, 71 r.Y. (Pda) *Wt Anstla 

lfatioml Bsik v. sbrppard (T6x. Cow’App. oplnioa 

au0 t&l by 8upP.m Co&,~lQ TSX. 380, 71 S.W. 

(WY 346; Cwaloana Cottcm Wfllm v. Sheppard (Tax. 

zz: $5 T 

. 09lniw aU tid br 8uprom OotPt) lq 

n b F (MT 247~ NlLmola v. Stat: ll 

~rm;,o+p.-&7 32 S.W. 45P (nit mfu& 

~Zex. Civ.~ ASP.) 163 83. 10 bo 

(wit rofu8od)j 8tate vi Wllsoa, .Tl TSx. 391, 9 

8.Y. 15s8 

trap or roadtag OS the prov~aiau of &tielo 165a-4, 

quoted 8bw0, it is to ba noted th4t oertaln lirit*tima am 

q-88 so9 in8taaootbtrppl7l.a8 tomembora of aCotUPty 

soil cowervatlott Oonlttu, foW4 3 WbSe8t~8 B8 8utim 4 

of tha &tlola,tv~ox'051r it 18 @d, ,‘p ti ?6W -1-S 

0x800 & two (2) &m.:: .‘+“, SEd tht p6fttOE 

p ek tfta r yl ut p nr via o r n, dth ma * in p lr t l * 

f o llo vr t 
Hou0P&bxe CeoPge H. -m-b w&w 7 

and my aot rooeive ao8pewmtloa aad 

sny fumbw of dsys in ~wxcess 0 five 

Jy ia SW thrw-month DeP~&.a, .%u& 

nrnBer of each Boer of SupePvi.orr shsll b. entitled to rse*ivtl ZUP Dollars ($4) per is, s 

to exuwd too (P,) dsya> . . . " 

With th. .p..%flo lidtation. .pp.mirrg io th. p8xiSting tiW, We RU.t p&S 0.t th.t my al&s@ &AD. which 

was orested la C0ntrWMktloa oi tha stv'iet 33m%5ti555 kould 

not be a olain b555d 5zm pre4xzsti5slav. Bmrw5r, it is to 

be ob.er+ed thrt Zfswcr Bill 303 quote. io it. prmwrbl.e a poptioa of Arttcla 165a-4, aotatsfning a l&mitati.a o&mm.g thw.- 

fore, not hsvlag vlswed a oopy at the orIgIa.1 clsIm,,?& most 

pPo.ume, for the puPpo.0 of thi.. opiaioa, thst' t&4 fagislatnrs 

did Wtt 5ppr~l8te tb) sum prwldea In House Bill 303 to pay 

a clsisl r- upoa 5xpimaditwes m5d5 la eme55 of th5 str2ct 

prohibition ol ths Statute. 

Ye hsre cs~e,iull~ sxaairna the roregoiag aothorltlts, 

aad, la viev of ths intarprstatloa placed upoa Article III, 

3eutlon 44, 0r ths Coastitutiioa of %x55, sre of the oplnfou 

tbrt Attiooln 1655-4 is a pre4zlstlsg lam vithira the amazing 

of ths coastltutioasl jwovistoa, aad thst tiou.. Bill 303 uonstltut58 a valid exar.1~ of lagislbtiro 5uthorlty. 

The ~foregoi~ p5~5graph 8nswers aaasstiun lo. 1 of 

pour mqnostt housmr, 8ifiPbo there 18 ao soatranntloch of the 

C~nrtitutiao in the lq&fsl8eln 8ggro&Matloa m&r aaaeidemtion, your questtaa Bo. 3 maed aot bs 61s8ussed. 

The XiPltatian Imposedby Pu%graphb, Subnatloa 

(lfj), a.ct10u 3, oaciePal Pc0vi510a5, l!ege 1035, Act. 19&S, mh 

bgi.lattlr., is cwrwtly quoted in yo.r letter eboro, md will 

aot be pexas.t.6 

It 18 to be observad tb*t Mit?W S+3tia 2, the 

iir ;tr tipor o a i5ic a 5 a or the l pprowlatioa xmwisloa fwad 

.t p.@. 1013, Aot. l&i b&h lagldatam, maw mfemos* to 

Artiozo 169-4. Appuentl7 thtm hss beea a0 rtterpt la thb 

*pppoprutim act to rep..1 of in uiy m55tmr 1lMt or a..tPoT 

r 
- 

Hsaorable Oeorg. H. Sheppard, page 8 

ths plsla povlsioms or Article 165a-4. This deptarmt &ma 

repeatedly &IA tbt aa sot of appcoprl8tloa csnaot have tha 

effedi of repe&lsg 5 gelrem statute, sad it h55 10~ b5a.e 

aeaud to be s dabat&ble Ouestloa tbt St s subssqueat sassloa 

of the Le@sl5ture it m5y moaify Or rep81 mats of 5 prior 

&gi.l.tuxw. 

T& word. 

sna three, %everal 

la uhlsh rssh mrds 

lo t& rider to UplJ 

used in the lfnit5tioa ssatios, lines tua 

pu~pows ssnd he~oln,’ refer to *h aot 

l sqa8ar. for thsrs 15 a0 prerlou5 refereaae 

o thel r Meka5Et . 

SpsOifia SCt Of ths b6iStitWS requires tb oitioers, 

the 3011 Csa...ratloa Board, to perfora the&r duties. cLr,tl.le 

16%-h oxsate. th. leg.1 owigatiw of th. at5te to sapsrmste 

for ths duties psr?omsd u&d the s~alflc exp o ndltnl ruthaw- es 

lsed. The duty of Mlat5lnla# and uarryiw on la iupooed up011 

the Board by law aad if tbs subsequeut apfPopPlatloa to provide 

far thst lsgltlrmte 4453 neoe555rg purpsss is lasut?ioleat, it is 

simply b.c.~.e suah Legislature PaL1.d la ft. estlmste of the 

/ amount required under t&s pre-epstlng gsseral statute. 

fa QUP opintoo Ho. O-3118, dlreoted to Oweraor 

09sni5l, it was ssidr 

‘aivory head oi a degutrmt, SC& evs~g msssgor 

of 5 St5te lo5tltutl5a, perhaps without eraeptloa, 

is by l&v ulbthed ultb the pwer 05 tlutf of ~aoatrtlotbag (15 ths mEnor prosorlbed by law) for as@- 

plies, traveli* l x p o n5e5, aad other thiqs rm5- 

l .nP y íthe o p 0g t.amini.trat1,oo r or th. aopsrt- 

, mat01 or iastiblltloaal l ffal.r*. SIvory suah purolmw or erpmdltum b~.u.hpaxmad...l.gall~ 

oreate a debt sgalast the State, not oaly to the 

erteat of the spealils agpsogprlstlrsi t&rotor, but 

lik5rl5e to the fsrtlnr e&teat oi any arsual detioieno~ of refeme aut?xulssd by the Legislsture ior 

.whparpo.e.m b 

tithe@ apllrion lo. O-?ll8 uas la ~espun55 ts a8 lbquiry p.gu?dbg rtu authority at t& Oaroraar to grent a defi- 

~I.~OJ 5ppropwti5m, - twk th5 quoted R-W* ia Oobt 

with th5 iasteat qrwstioa. 
Hoaorabls George H. Shsppsrd, psge 9 

Ia rlsv of the shove, it 15 the oplnioa of this deps-rtment thet the llaitatlon povlsion cootalned, La the rider 

of the spp-opdbtioa hat of the 48th Lsglslaturs does rrot 

uodlfy or Xlalt hh6 sgsalflo ~ovlsioas of ths Osaeral Statute, ArtLalb 165a-4, ia rush a manor as to destroy its effeat 

ig' 5 pm-e%i.ti.g lsv. This 15 la samor to your que5tion Ho. 

. 

Your l85t qtm5tloa,.relrtl5g 'toth5 effest of a statute of llmltation upea the authority of the Lsglslaturs to spproplate to pay a claim erlslng un&er a Fe-5xistlag lsv, 15 

too geaeral to permlt a direot opiaion of this iiepsrtmnt. 

Bovevsr, in your 5upplm5at5l mqufbst, of~Jun5 9, 194S, you 

prssented a prtlaular aase uader 5 spsa~flo stat?+ 5136 your 

y;:tt we aassersd la our Oplaloa 80. O-6363,~approved ltuly 

Sine0 your suppleasntsl raqusst apparsatly ritharaws 

ti$ geakl questloa ia your first letter, we are aot dissussing it hero. 

Trust,lag that this opialon coasldcrad together vlth 

opinion 80. O-6363 utisfsctorlly sasvers your laqulry, ve am 

Yours very truly