OFFICE OFTfifiAlTORNEY GRNRRALOF~ AUSTtN

**HOBOlY4bh** Ooorge FT.SIeypar4 Comptroller Publie .4ooouuts motin, texaa
Dear Sir:

an4 r*,latsd quis;

an interprotatiu passed at the Ha **litlm.**

**ime 6eaate**  **Bill** salon of the advise this dehis ~111 will affect the rentals aacruing under lease

, 1943,which la the effeotlmpoees a duty upon all Uepfirtsients and agenolo::of the State (2orernment; when r@crtal spnoe is nea4a4 for carrylug on the eawatial funotion8 

### of suchagencies or departments of the State Government, to submit to the State Board of control a request giving tbe type, kind, an& stzs of building needed, together with any other nroeeeary 

### 14s

### 146

TTO~.George F. SheFpati, page 2

description, aad to state the purpose for nhlab it will be urei3

m4 the need therefor; end, if ln the dfrcretion of the Board ruoh epeoe tr needed, the Boar4 of control ray prooeed to advertise an4 letbide, eto. “Thie statutedoer not prescribe a penalty for **failure** of ruoh departments or agenofos of the State Oovernment 

### to make the **request** to the Boar4 Of Control.
*r2. Is this d*prrtment authorized to 

### iawe warrant in pafPsnt OS olalm for rental where the deQaStI&eBt

failed to COD&ply

with ,4.B. 190.2667” Sanati.Bill 266 warn ensoted by tha 48th Legiolature as C.hapt& 2S?& .&&o 194b. xeaording to 8 tootnote 

### appearing on page St38of Vernon*aTexae Sesrion Law Sex-vloe, this Act will be lnoluded in Vernon’@ Annotated civil Statute8 ae **Art** fole 6bUb. POC the plrporres of thin opinion,however, we shall rafer to this 1eg:isletlon hereinafter a6 senate Bill

**xo. 266,**  **or simply**  **as** the Bill or the not.

The portion8 of thla le(lltGatloa with rhleh your inquiries ora ooaoorned,being E.eetiona %, 2 and 3 of the Rot, rea4 aa followe:

%eotion 1. 

### Hereafterall departmat an4 ag4nolea or the State Government, when rental epaoe Le needed for aarrylng on the l roantlal runotlone of suoh agenoles QT de the State Ootarnment, shsll *Ubmy%T+ttr of 3% the State Soar4 of control a rqueat therefoti;-#viag the trpe, kfnd, an4 size of building needed,,together with any other neaeseary deeaription,and etatfng the purpose for whloh It will be used and the need theref or. *Ssotlon 2. ';'hestate mar4 of control, upon rsoelpt of suoh requeet, an4 if the money haa been made available 

### topuy therental thereon,and if, in ths diucretlm of the Board euah apaoe ir neede4,

### 147

Boa.ueorge2. Sheppard, Page 3

shall forthwith e4vertiee in a 

### newspaper,which haa been ragularly publlehed

### an4 QirOulb.te4 

### in the city, or town,where auah rental epeos is wrought,

for bids cm suoh rental spaoe, for the uees indioatedand Sor 8 

### periodOf not to eroeed two yaars. After such **bids have**  

### beon reoeived by the State Boer4 of control at its principal offios in Austin, Tbxaa, an4 publioly opened, the slwardfor suah rental oontractwill be mmde to the lowset

### en4 beat bidder, en4 upon euoh other terms aa may be agreed u9on. **The** term0 of the oontreat,together with the notice of the 

### ewardof the state Barr4 of Control wfll bs submitted to the .Attoraey Ueneral of Texas, who will oause to **be** prepared end **ereouted** in aocordance with the terms of the agreement suoh aontrsat in qua4ruplloete; one oi whaiolt .willbe kept by eaoh party thareto, one by the State 

### Boar4of Control, cm4 one by the Attorney 

### Goneral of Tesao. The 

### partieeto such eontract will be thr departnent or 

### agenoyor‘the.government using the epaae as lessee an4 the party renting the space as lea8or. "Seotion 3. aithin thirty **d4pr** after thm effeotlre date of this Aat, all departments 8~4 agenoies of the state Cwerrsnt at thir time Ieaaing or renting spa04 from any 

### peraoa,rim3i, or corporationwhosmoever, rrilloause to **be prc**  pare4 and 

### deliveredto the &ate Board of control in ?.ustin,

Texas, a copy of any wrttton rental or lease a~retment now in foroe an4 ourrent, or 

### any **statement of**  

### any **ore1 underatendlag**  **upon** which any leaee or rsntal **public funds**  **em** being expended, if 6uoh action has not already bsen taken.+ This bill wac pas844 unaniaoualy by both houses of the **Leei** mlature,and, under its emergenay olauae es **you** state4 in your letter, it beoeme effective imae4stely upon approval on Way 7th.



### your first 

### inquiry**raises** the **question** of whether the Aot lnvalidat$sor oonditionr bxii?ititxg ~eaaes, and givesXon. Gsorge R. Shei;pard, Page 4

rise to the following two propoaltlona: (1) whether the Legislature by anaotmnt of the first two amotions of tba Bill Intended to canoal existing lease8 and rental agreawnta and thus to require Stats departments and aganoies lmedl8taly to 

### socurenaw ooatraota nndor the method pnscribed In these two l aotiana;

l n4/or (E) ahrthor the Laglalatur8 intended to oondltian ths oontiaurd arlatonoe of leams end rantal agreuasnta 

### upon a lft8rrl aompllana* by auohd8partmmta and agsnol88 with the provisions of r,aotlon

3 of the Act.

**Ii sither**  **ar** both **or** three **prOpo8itionS** 8hOuld b8 resolved in the affirimtlve, than the Act right oonoelrably affoot the paymant or current rentals under existing eontreat6 rhfoh Jmd their lnoeption prior to l&y 7th. If both should ba roaolred in the wgatlva, w8 would be repulrod to hold that the **Aot** has 

### no effeot upon tha paymontr **la question.** 

In 

### the abwnoa of any lnforastlon to the oontraxy, we aaaume that all of the 

### oontraotmyou haoe,$ntindwera valid agroenenta, properlymtardd into, an~~olndiag upon the Btatti

prior to Kay 7th. v
It 1s well srttlad tkatuhon the Stat8 m&or 

### a oontraot it iu as mob **bound** thereby a8 

### a oltdeen **uauld** br **bound** upon a like ooatraot. 8tat8 v. IUllot (clv.App., **&dV8StOD,** 1919) 212 D. %. 69$, 8rrOr refu8sd. The aloak **Of crorrl** **’ dgnty**  **does not**  **l?S118V8** the State uf the duty to r8apoOt lta oontmotual obllgation8. The faot that It uaa

### not be eu8d without its oona8nt in no 

### way detracts rrfm the propOaltlon that it la llabl8 wasr Ifs QOnbr8Ot8.

As pointed Out by Chief SUatiO8 MOCl8ndOlI Of th0 au&in Court af **Civil Appeals,**  'The lmpotenor 0r prlrat8 lndlrlduals to enforoe ttrough 

### thdr **oourt8** 

### thrlr **Ocmtnotucrl** rights against th8 Steie, by re8ilOnOf lnabllltjr to 

### au8 tb0 State without its oonaeat

. . . dces not affeot the blndlng force Of state ObligatlOn8.

. ." Stat8 V. Elliot, aupra.

The 

### sanctityof oontr8ota **18** aafeguanbd **by** both th* Conetltutlon of Texas and the **Ooaatitution Of**  th8 Unft@d **States.**

### :l49

Hon. George il.:;heppard, Pa&e 5

SeOtiOn 16 of Arti I Of the State ConetitutIon, a part of aur Sill of Righta, provides:

";lio bill oX attainder, ex post faoto 1au, retroaotlve law, or any law impairing the **ob** ligation of oontraota shall be mado." Ceation 10 of Art1018 1 of th8 Fadsral Constitution prorldeia:
*No <itate Bhall

. . . pose any . . . Law impairing tha Obligation of Ccintnrota

. . .*
Our Supreme Ccurt in two **VigOrOUS** opinionsby th8 late Chief Juetloe Cunton has doolared the right of oontreot to be one of the moat aaomd **dgbta** proteoted by **the88 oanati**  tutlolu. See TT&V~IST~ Ine. co. v. Marshall, 124 Tsr. 43 76 s. 8. (2) 1007, 96 k. L. R. 802, and Langswm '1. rilll8r*

i24 Tex. 80, 76 S. ii'. (2) 1025, 96 A. L. 2. 836, TOfUSIng 8TroT (Cir. **App.)** 73 S. X. (2) 634.

Thoce with mhom the State has contracted **for** rental apcr have the right to Insist upon rtrfct oonforrunoe by th8 State tG the provIaIon8 of its 188aea sad rental agTeeau?ntr. Allylnt~rpretatlon of Sonata sill 266 which gives it the Offoot of oana8lling valid and binding laaaaa **and** rental 

### agre8- manta or whfoh oondltiona liability upon rrquiTsPDlnt8 not OoIit8mp~tOdby the parties when the oontraotewon rmda would clearlymake the bill repugnant to the,quoted pTovIaIon8 In both Constitutiona.

~0 do not belieV8 that the **longuaga** of th8 first thres sections of the Aot, above quoted, or of any other provision of that .Aot,Ia susceptible of the aonatruotion ruggested. however, even though it oould be 80 avnatrued,18 could not interpret it thus exospt In the abaenno of any othar possible oonatructionwhioh nould not rend8r it unoonatltutlonal.

It is ~011 settled that if an aot is fairly SUacOptIble of two ooraitxuotiona, under one of.w!'&ah It woslP be ccnatltutlonaland under the other of whlah it would be lnvalld, 

### the former must prsvall. mplre Gas f4Fuel co. v. State, 121 Ta)x. 138, 47 %. ;f.(2) 265, efrlrmlng 21 3. F. (2d) 3761 39Eon. George :<.Sheppard, Page 6

Tex. Jur. 207, and case6 cited in footnote 5.

:;e are of the opinion that, proparly construed according to the plain Intent of the language used by the Legislature, the Act does not purport to cancel or condition liability 

### of the State under the leases and rental agreements you mention.

It will be observed that the first two sactlons 

### Or the XCt are prospective in their scope and contain provisions relating to the executing or lease contracts and rental agreements in the future. We perceive nothing in these two sections which would **lead** us to believe that the Legislature Intended to cancel existing contracts and require all depzrtments and egonoies immediately to secure new lessee in the manner prescribed.

Section 1 at the Act provides that whenever "rental space 

### Is needed for carrying on the essential tunctlona or such agencies or departments or the State government . . ." such apace should be procured under the procedure outlined in the Act. Obviously, e department or agency presently ocaupying aufficieentepace under a valid lease contraot or egreement is not now in need of'rental space. or **oourse, if**  such agenoy or departmeat should need additional space, or it its lease orrantel oontract has expired since the enactment of the bill, the rental space **must** be secured In accordance with the 

### prooedureset out. ax

"The pr.cscribing or e mode ol exercising a power by such subordinate agencies of the ~overmant bae 

### oftenbeen held to be E reetriotlon to th&-mode." FerguScn v. I'felaell, 47 Tex. 421.
Khfle it is true that Section 3 of the Act requires all departments and agencies occupying rental space under existing leases or rental agreements to deliver copies of such leases m’agreements to the Board of Control within th+rty days after the effective date of the Act, it is likewise tN0, as you have pointed out. that the Act provides no penalty for

### 151

Pon. George TT.Sheppard, **Peg4 7** 

failure to eonplywith this providon. A dlscusilon 0r possiblemeans cf enrorolng thi8 requiremsnt *auld not be geramne to this opinion.

However, w4 will st4te that we rind nothing In th4 **Aot** whloh would 4uthorIzo you to withhold pymaasnts ai rentals to lnduoe the departments or agenoios to ocmply with this 

### provldon. ft is not wIthIn the power of 4 mInlsterI41 offloor to deolare ~016 and refuse to enforce or oaply with 4 oontraot that has been 

### duly 4Bd orrloiall~ apprcwed **by thosa**  authorized **by** law **to p468**  **upon** 

### and **to sfteot**  Its l **teoution.** Charles Scribnor*s 2ons Y. bmrrs, 114 Tsr. 11, 282 S. Vi.722.

we 

### rI6ht 4dd that this mans or ooeroionmight **be** more p4lnful to its 14ndlord than to the receloitrantagenoy or Q4@4rtaent. i?e are unwillIn$ to nad into the Aot suoh 4n 

### lneirsotivssenctlon in the absrno4 ot sxpr488 language requlrlnd it.

@hatwe have said demonstrates thatwe 4r4 or **tlm** opinion that the langusgo or the **Aot is**  pl4in and **unambiguous. filnoo**  **its smming**  **is ol44r,**  undor settlsd rules of **rtatutorr oonstruotlon,**  **the dot**  

### should **be** oonstrued **and given**  

### efi4otaooord:n(l **to its**  **tams.** 04ddy v. First National Bank, 115 fer. m;, 28s s. ff.

472, 4n4w4ring questions 

### oertirlbd, 283 s. 6. ; SQ T4X. Jr. 219.

we therorore answer your 

### rirstqgestlon in the 

### negatire. You 

### are theroforo reapaotfulQ advised, end It is ths opinion of this departmat, that Samto El11 No. 266 till not erreot the paymmt or ourr4nt rentdls aooruI,ne under a **r4lld lease**  smde prior to I4y Ith,whioh Is still In etfeot.

ihet we have 4,lready **said** answers in pert your Second questIon. we are or the opinion that rellur6 OS an a@mOy or department tc oomplywith the provlsloas of Saotion 3 Or the &ot 6044 not affeot your authority to iaaua a warrant in payment of e 014im for rental against a departnant which had not oomplledwith this providcn, and you are as fully authorized to **issue** such warrant ~4 you were before 

### parsagsof Senatr Bill NO. 265.

### Hon.George 

### Ii. Sheppard,Page 0

Any new lease or rentalcontractenteredinto eStsrpassagoof SenateBillNo. 266mustbe axeoutadin th4mannerprasoribsdby Seotions1 and 2 or theAct. The Legislaturehavingprovidede mode for the securingof rantal spaoo,the ag4noissend departmanta atrootedare re

### striotodto thatmod4 and must oonfoneto t&see requir4mants. **Pbrguson** 

### v. Halsell,47 Tex. 421. Thisbeingthe onlymethod wherebyStat4dopartmonts and 

### agenoiesmay **seoure** 

### rentalspaoe, theStat.4

would not **ba bow@**  **by** any oontraat 

### not ontaredinto In strlotooniormancre with the &Wovf4ionsof Ssotionsland 2 Or th4AOt. 

### Steta 1. Perlst4In(Cit.

### App.Austin,1935) 79 9. W. 

### (2d)143,errordlsmIssod; Nicholsv. Stats,11 Clv. **App. S27,**  **32 S.**  **W. 452.** 

In 

### reply to your sroondpusstionyou are, thsrsforr,, reep4otfully

advisedthatyouwouldnot b4 authorizedto-1ssu4 warrautsin paymentof olaImsfor 

### rentalunder lsasssor r4ntal agrauwnts entsredinto since May 

### 9th.unl.rss suohleasesand rentalagroenantware enteredintola thsmannerpr4sorib4dby SeotIOna**1 4nd**  **2** 

### OS 84Mt0 Bill ?ifo. 266.
As an aid to you in administering claimsundarthis legIsletIon,

WI mightadd furtherthatall rsntalago4m4nts and 144ses,whichhavenot 4xpiredprcrrlously, 

### will automatioallytsrmlnat4**on August**  

### 31, 1915, the lest day cU ths ourrent **blonnlum.** 

### Th4 Suprsm4Courthas ruledthat the **State oan**  

### notbo **bound** 

### upone 144~x4 

### contmot thatextendsbeyondth4two yearperiodoovrredby the appropriation und4rwhiohrsntals thoreundorarc payable. PortworthCavalryClubv. Shopgclrd, 125 Tex. 339, 85 S. **W. (26)**  **860.** 

### Therefore,411 strrtedepartlarnts affected**by** 

### this l4g1slation must snter,intonsw lsas4 **agreenwnts to**  **take streot**  

### on Septembrr1, 1943.

**Trusting that**  **wo hare**  ruily 

### 4uswer4a**your inqtiw**  

### end thatyou willcell upon us iiwa oan be or 

### rurtherservioe, we **am**
**Yours** very 

### truly
ATTORNW GENSRAL OF TEXAS

mt4r ~en1soaloo

**ASSfStSflt //.--\**  

### nhr0 **4 @.**  **c. #4?**