OFFICE OF ‘WE **ATTORNEY** GENERAL OF TEXAS **AUSTIN**

iionorable

John 3. Rudd,.

w b A&.ng Director Teacher Retlranent Systm OZ fexas **Aumiln,.** TeXUS
Dear Slrt oplnlon Ro. O-4072 Rcr Contributtons receivedby Te8chor R&lrement System after retirement **or** member.
wehave **reat3lved** your letter of Ootober 6, 1941, '%I **which** you **aek~vhetht+~** thd Tdlloving regulation paseed by the Board of Trustee8 gf the Teacher **Retirement** Sgst.em 2s D propor one.
%ontr'ibut:Gns rece2ve.d **by,the** R&tixmient System for the account of i%‘iembersubrequent to the effect2ve &to oT.tuch.nenMr@e retirement shall be returned to,

such-mnkm and ahall not be included ea part of-suchmembor’e annuity remmve.” Seation 5,~Subaectton 3 of the Tescher R+lrtnmnt L.mt

**“ 2.**  Allovance for.Serv2ce Retirenwnt. Upoxi mtlmrmat for service. a rmmber’shall~

.reze2y3~

0. sorvlce ret1rsim0nt allovanas cozifJ2atln&~o$,;al8tambelc ahlp ,‘aiinulty,. Wch hall **be** the aotunrlal. equlxalent **of ‘** **hi8** p+tmbership **annuity. re8erv~,**  **rind i.**  **pr,2or-rsr** vloe annuity to3iich hla oreditable swrvlce and awnbernhip.

in I&+ **Tsaoher** Retirement Syafxq,~entitle? him under **the** prov2sions of th2s fict l y . . .:‘I ; der2v~~a~~:s mesberohip annu2t.y ~eseGe shall **by**

“(1) 32s mxumulntad contributions credited to his account in the Teacher Saving Fknd at the tine sf mtlremmt; andHonorable John 3. Rudd, Jr., ?~ii;e 2



### "(2) An addltlonalJM 

### ircmr the State Umber

### AccuPnrlation

Fund equal to the accmulsted $-+- ~___ ._ _ _ ~_ ._ tr1but1on5prov1.ded by the 

### !aaswr 111SUrl5eCclon(1) of Pmagraph (a) of thla Subaeotlon.' 

### The validity 

### o? the re&atlon nece88srll~ depends **upon** themean2ng of the **word8** "credited to **h28** aocount ln the Teacher **sdrlng FYmd**  **at th5**  

### tlmo **of** 

### retlmmnt."

If thlr provl5lonmean5 

### the aatu8lxeoelpt of themoney ad ita dspoeit fa the ftmd to the credlt~ot the member, then the 

### re~atlan lr *laid. Butonthe otherhand, if thela~~~~ge mew the deduction8 frcu the monbor~8 earnablo campenmtlon vh2c.h **25** to be placed in Um fund, then the regulation is invalid. Ye are 2nclSned to the latter expre88ed viev.

3cme genatral rule5 on statutory constructicn are quoted *rrom T&s JUrlsprudence,Volume 39, poge8 166, 209, ,217,SJ fol**lOV5 I**  "'The intention of the Le@slature in enacting a law **la** the lav 1t501r, 1 ftha ee5enae of the lav,' and *the spiritvh2ch sjlverlife* to the enactment. pence, the +&I and object of aonatructlon la to ancertain BP4 eaforce the leglslttive intent, and not to defeat, nulliiy or thvart it.
**%hen the**  **intOXIt 15**  **p&inly JlC9FJJJJd**  **l&S t&J**  lang unge**0r** l statute, it mu0t be given effeot v2fib 

### outattemptlngto caostrueor Interpretthelw. Oa **tha** 

### other **hnnd, vhen**  it **153moe55ary** to cozmtrue an sot in order to dotenllnb **it5** proper wanllq, it 15 nettled by a hoat OS

### deoislonathat 

### the aourt should first endewror to **a~osrtaln** the legl5lstlve intent, fras a general riev of the vhole enaotznent. Such intent hav2ng baen a5eertalned, the oourt vlll then **seek** to con8true the statute **JO 68**  **to give**  effect to the purpo5e of **the** Legl5lature, 85 to the vhole sod eaah material part of the lav, even though thl8 nra~ Involve a departure franr the strict letter of the **lav** a5 vr2tten by the Legislature.Honomble Jsbn Se Rudd, Jr*, ?ar;e 3

*******‘ i** **’ hiJ**  **15** th0 ftmd5mntJloaaoa5adthea5rdlnal, prlauu-7

and paramount ml0 of oonatruotlon.vbloh 

### should**alva~r be**  olo6el7 observed and to vhlch JU other rules met y2eld. l l l"

"Another nmdawntal rule **FJqUh ’** **JJ** that **a St&t**  

### ute be aonatrwd 

### a8 8 wholeaa& t&t al of it8 puts **bJ h82T1on%JJd~**  **%f pJJiblb~**  **Jo u**  **t0 give**  **OffJet to**  the entire 

### sotrocordlng to the **evident** intention of **th. ~giJl&UX** **’ J.**  l ***** **J**

"Esah **put** Of the **UtatUte** la to be OOBJidend in ocmneotlon

### vi?3 eYeryotherpart 

### and vlth theentlm enaotraent.

in odor to prodwe a hamo~loue vhole and to reaah the true legirlat2ve intent. **?Zhua In**  **oaae** of doubt **JJ to**  the rseon2ng of 5 partlotier vord, ClJuJe, **prorlrlcm** 'oraeotlon, it **la** to **be** vleved b the light or a1 the language anployed. It **fOllOV5 thJt**  **J pro**  **OiJiOn Hal**  **not bJ**  given **a. meanirq**  

## out **of hanmay**  vlth **OthJS pFOYiJiOM**  **and f.llOC4MiJtUlt**  **Vith thr**  **WPOJJ Of**  the **mot,** although it vould 

### be ruraeptlble of Juab oon**JtFUOtiOI& %f**  **Standing Ohle.** **”**

‘ * l l ma8 

### it 15 lrettlod**thJt 8**  **statute vlll**  **k JaDJtl** **’ Wd**  **tith FJfJFJZlOO**  **to it5**  **intsndbd** JCrO9.* It5 ~WD#Dti~JO, enb thsl BdJ Or objeok **JOl@t to**  **bo** EPerJ.#o~irlon, clause Or vord of aa 

### aot **Vi11** b. hB8tFU.d tith FOfO~BOe **t0 it5**  lerd+ng id.8 **01 g~nerd,**  **-50,** and brought, **80 f8r**  **u ~JJibhJ,~-**  to hrm~ therevlth." With there prinolpler 2x1 m2nd ve vlll nov muelder the lrm&uaqe **UJJd In**  **Seotion 5,**  **SUbJJJtiOn** 2 Or the **Aot.** The maiZj purpose of the 

### Teaaher Ret2rementLJV **la thy**  proteotlon **of** twoh**era after**  **retlnmmt.** 

### It 15 **true that**  **the** 

### temher **J&J~JJ** part **of** the burdens of the 

### ,Act; hovever, the act **I5 Imainly**  **fOC** h25 benefit, opd v5 belleve 

### thatdoubts should bs resolved In his frvor.Eoaorable &ha 3. Bud& Jr., Pwe k

**Subaeotlon** 1 of Seotlcn 8 of the **Aot** pwrlder for deducta 

### frol the wary 0r 

### the ter0her 

### 0r rive 

### 90~ 0-t 

### 0r hia l 8rnable 

### aaipematloa. Subaeotloa l(c) or Section 8 prcvldee ia p8rt a8 

### r0mv8:

= l l l The eawbyer &all oertlry to the 

### state Baud oi Trustee8 an eaoh and every 9wreJil. or ln such other meaner a8 said Bwrd mat pm8o~lbe, the 

### amounts to be deduotod; and eaab of safd amounts shall be deduoted, and when deduotmd &all be 9ald into uld Teacher swlag Ptmd, aad Bhnll be credltsd, to the in**di.vldu8l a08mt**  **of the**  **mmb~r SPCQ**  **uhoaa ocmpensatlon**  

### raid deduotian ua# mada.”

rr the regulation 

### under oonslderatioa **vex-a uwld,**  **then emphaaia** **would be**  **pbmad on**  the physloal eotm **of reoelvlq**  **tha** coatrlbutloamand depa&ing m seme in the **Pund** to the credit **of** the **teacher. But**  lf the deduotioal8 

### rightfullynsde rrc88the 

### oaapumation of the teacher, **should** the 

### teaoher be permlised if thmemployer r8ih or negleot8 to rend it in prcwtlgt We think not. Vs belter0 th8t Oace the deductloa la rightfullymule Pran 

### the sahx70r tamtewher, thenit irtohie oladitin theTes~her smtag mad even 

### though the tuoher 

### 18 retired beor 

### the nmaey la actamllr reoelved by the Teaoher Rotbemeat System. This rlsv plroes 5pharl8, not 00.the phy8loal aot8 of reaelpt aad **de** po8lt 0r tha Qontrlbutlonr, but en t&m

### rplrlt bohlnd the law.

It is our opialoa, rLw0r0, that the regulatbn lm lnY8lld.