# ra.

**1, \**  **OFFICE OF**  **‘ THE**  **AlTORNEY GENERAL**  **OF TEXAS** 
**AUSTIN**

Eonorable Xelvln Combs county Attorney Jefferson O0unt.y Beaumont, Texas Dear Sir:

oplnlon of this d reads in part as 2, requesting the s a8 etated therein

n in our

## oountg oertlrled copies eoords from men ited States. These or the purpose of th before the sill grant maintenanoe funds lldren OSthe menIn sarvioe. every time that the County Clerk heCounty **Olerk** he is to report ndshowthat this fse was andturned over to the Counm The question vieare interested in is whether fP not under the Servioenan'a Dependants Allowanoe Act of 1942the Couuty Clerk being authorized to furnish these reoorde without charge to the men in servioe and, ii so, howshould this report be madeto the County Auditor In lieu of the money to be deposited in the Oounty Fundsior the use of the County Clerk's seal. Your early attention will be greatly appreoleted."Honoreble Kelvin Combs- page 2

Artlole 1939a Vernon*s Annoteted Civil Statutes reads in part as iollows:

%notion 1. That from and after the efieotlvs date o? this Aot, all County Clerks, Dlstrlot Clerlca, andother of?ioiale in this State whoare required to issue anyform of oertlfloate or sny aopy or oopies o? instruments neoessary as proof to establish any claim or olelms of any ex-service meno? the Federal Government, shall issue suoh oertifloate, andlikewise oertliled oopias o? any Instrument necessary to prove anyfaot or establish any olaim of such ex-eervloe men, rrea of anyoharge, andshall inolude the eetabllshing o? oompensatlon status, and any other necessary feat to be established to aid and assist suoh 8x-service menIn oomplettng the reoord of suoh serrioe whenneoessary or required In the ertabllshment o? claims andneoessary service status, In either the norld war, the Spanish-Amerioan Mar, or any other aotive servioe, where such eerrloe warnrendered, andwhere the person would, onproper proor, be entitled to oompensation, Insuranoe, or any other f

’ormof adjr;sted aattlemnt for sorvioe rendered to the United States Gorsrnmsnt by suoh ax-servioe men. TheCounty Clerk, Dfatriot Clerk, or other o??iolala Issuing suoh oertl?loates or certltied oopiea of Instruments, ahall not be liabls ror any settlement ?or anysuoh reduotion, and the ssmeshall not be oounted as fees oolleoted and chargeable to suoh ofiice, and shall ?orm no pert o?the maximumfees of euoh o??loe. All oi the provisions of Section 1 hereof, shall inure to the heirs at law of suoh er-eervlae men, Where the proof is neoessary to establish the olaim emanating through or under auoh ex-servioe 0611. *Sea. 2. Ex-service men, as meant in this Act, shall lnolude all those persons reoognlzad by the United States Government as being entitled to adjustment oompensatlon, or other form of settlement for servloe In tl3le of war. Act8 1939, 46th Leg., p* 329.v Theabove mentioned statute was passed by the Forty-sixth Legislature andbeoame effective April 87, 1939. Se&ion 3of the sot repeals all ooniliotlng laws andpart8 OSlaws and Seotion 4 dealares an emergenoy andprovidesHonorable Afalvin Combs- page 3

that tha aot should take sffeat ?roa and after itapassage,

Theoaptlon of the eat roads as ?ollowa:

‘An Aot providing anddIrectIng County Clerks, Dletrlot Clarke and other orriolale to Issue oertlrIoatse and oertlried oopIa8 o? Instruments Intheir reepeotlve o??Ioee to sx-servIas msnof the World Warand tha Spanish-American Warwhere suoh osrtifioatas and ooplas o? Inetrumanta are naoaeaary to be wad for furthering olaima and setabllehIng proof of euoh ex-eanloa mm to euoh olains for oompanaatlon, or other olalma to be eetablIehed, defining ax-8orrIoa man; rspaallng all laws andparts 0s laws In 00nru0t harawlth; and doolsring aaumgonoy.* After sarafully oonaIdarIng ArtIela 19SSa, aupra, In oonnaotlon with the oaptlon of tha aot meeting It, yau asa raapeotfully advised that It 5.atha opinion of this dapartmant that said aot was Intanded to apply only to ax-aarrioa menof the World Warand the Spanish-Amarloan war. In oonneotlon with tha roregoiag wahara oarefw ooneldared the. Varvloaman~e Dapandante Allowanoa Aat of 194lF (Ohaptar 443-86 Session; Pub110Law6gS-77th 

### Oongrora) and donot ballara or think that auoh aot has any applIoatIon to tha queetiona **under** oOn5IderetIOn.

Youera further advlaad that tha fees oollaotad for tha above mantionad aerrloee should be deposited in the o??Ioar’8 salary fund aa raqulrad by Saotion 3 of ArtIole 391l%a,Vernon’s Annotated Cltll Statutes.

Trusting that the foregoing fully anauara your IJ.wW, ‘19am Yours very truly AlTORNEY

GENERAL

OFTEXAS --.-__^T1.l