October 2, 1972 

Honorable Robert S. Calvert Opinion No. M-1229 

Comptroller of Public Accounts 

State Finance Building Re: Construction of Section 10 

Austin, Texas 70774 of Article V of Senate Bill 

1, Acts 62nd Leg., 3rd C.S. 

Dear Mr. Calvert: 1972. 

YOU have requested our opinion on the proper construction 

to be given the following quoted provision of Section 10 of Article 

V of Senate Bill 1, Acts 62nd Legislature, 3rd Called Session, 

1972, being the current General Appropriations Act relating to 

group insurance policies on State employees: 

1, . . . The maximum payment by the State for 

any individual employee on any policy or policies 

shall not exceed Twelve i)ollars and Fifty Cents 

($12.50) per month per full-time employe~e . . . ." 

(p. V-37, Journal Supplement). 

The correlative provisions of the immediately preceding 

General Appropriations Act (Acts 62nd Leg., R.S. 1971, S.B. 11, 

as amended by S.B. 7, Acts 62nd Leg., 1st C.S. 1971, Art. V, 

Sec. 10, p. V-38, 3799) provided: 

II . . . Payment by the state from the designated 

funds on any policy or policies shall be limited to 

twelve dollars and fifty cents ($12.50) per month 

per full-time employee . . . .' 

In construing the above quoted provision of Section 10 

of Article V of Senate Bill.11, it was held in Attorney General's 

Opinion M-919-A (1971): 

"Section 10, Article V, Senate Bill No. 11, 

Acts of 62nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1971, 

is a rider to the General Appropriation Act. That 

rider limits the amount that a State agency may 

contribute in the aggregate for insurance for its 

employees to an amount reached by multiplying 

$12.50 by the number of full time employees on 

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Hon. Robert S. CalVert, page 2 (M-1229) 

the payroll. It does not place any limit on the 

amount that may be contributed to premiums for an 

individual employee." See also Attorney General's 

Opinion M-919 (1971). 

It is our opinion that the provisions of Section 10 of 

Article V of Senate Bill 1 make no substantial change from the 

above quoted provisions of Section 10 of Article V of Senate Bill 

11. While the provisions of Section 10 of Article V of Senate Bill 

1 use the phrase "for any individual employee" yet this phrase is 

followed by and subject to the further provision that such payment is "on any policy or policies." Our interpretation of the 

new rider is the same as it was for the old rider as expressed in 

Attorney General's Opinions M-919 (1971) and M-919-A (1971). 

YOU are accordingly advised that the rider limits the 

amount that a State agency may contribute in the aggregate for 

insurance for its employees to an amount reached by multiplying 

$12.50 by the number of full time employees on the payroll. It 

does not place any limit on the amount that may be contributed 

to premiums for an individual employee. 

SUMMARY 

Section 10 of Article V of Senate Bill 1, 

Acts 62nd Leg., 3rd C.S. 1972, limits the amount 

that a State agency may contribute in the aggregate 

for group insurance for its employees to an amount 

reached by multiplying $12.50 by the number of full 

time employees on the payroll. It does not place 

any limit on the amount that may be contributed to 

premiums for an individual empsyee. 

Prepared by John Reeves 

Assistant Attorney General 

APPROVED : 

OPINION COMMITTEE 

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Hon. Robert S. Calvert, page 3 (M-1229) 

Kerns Taylor, Chairman 

W. E. Allen, Co-Chairman 

Houghton Brownlee 

Bill Campbell 

William Craig 

Ben Harrison 

SAMUEL D. MCDANIEL 

Staff Legal Assistant 

ALFRED WALKER 

Executive Assistant 

IJOLA WHITE 

First Assistant 

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