36, here in question,are only applicableto the Departmautof Public Welfareand that recordscontemplatedby the Act but tiichare filed with the Comptrollerare not confidential, on its face,would be to defeat the purpose of the Legislatures Therefore,in ansvmr to your first question,herein set out, it is the opinionof this Departmentthat Section31, 5onato Bil~lDo0 36, supra, is applicableto HonorableGeorge H. Sheppard,Page 3 (O-2122)
recordskept by the Departmentof Public Safety,Comptrollerof PublicAccounts,and the Treasurer. It is to be understood.of cI)urse,that this refers onlv to "recondsconaerningany a&i- cant or recipientcontemplatedInthis Act," as is providedin Section31.
IS TRE CORPTROLEER'SDEPARTMENTAUTHORIZED TC ALLOW TBE GENRRALPUBLIC TC EXAMINETMS REGISTER?
Havingdetermined that Section _. __ . 31, Senate . - Bill-_l&o. .56, in the proper case, is applicableto records inthe Comptrollor~s Depart- ment, in answeringthis second question,it is only necessarythat we determinewhether or not the WarrantRegisteris a record contemplat- ed bythe PublicWelfareAct of 1939, SenateBill No. 36,
Subsectionb, Section37, Senate Bill No. 36, provides:
'b. All assistancebenefitsprovidedfor under the terms of this Act shall be paid by vouchersor warrants drawn'bythe State Comptrolleron the 'StateDepartmentof PublioWelfare Pund'$for the purposeof permittingthe State Comptrollerto properlydraw and issue such vouchers or warrants,the State Departmentof PublIc.Xelfaro shall furnishthe Comptrollerwith a list or roll of those enti- tled to assistanoefrom time to time, togetherwith the smountto which each recipientis entitled. Ehon such vouohorsor marrantshave been drawn they shall bs deliv- orod to the ExooutIvoDirectorof the Sfato Depar&ont of PublicWelfare,who In turn shall supervi8o the deliveryof same to the personsentitledthereto.'
DI conversation with your Department,ws are informedthat the registerIn questionis, itself,the list of claimslmich is filed by the Departmentof PublicKekfare with the Comptroller'sDepartmentand is used.% you in Issuingwarrantsto those entitledto assistance. Clearly, then, this registeris a record aontemplatedby the PublioEelfareAct, because it is the list of claimswhich is specificallyprovidedfor in subssotionb, Section37, Senate Bill No. 36, supra.
Sin&e we have concludedthat this warrant registerIs a record ooiitemplatodby the PublicWelfare Act, it is confidential,and by the expressterms of the statutes,"shall be open to inspectiononly to personsauthorizedby the State, or the United States,to m&-&h in- speotionin connectionwith their duties." This necessarilyexcludesthe generalpublio;and in our opinionyour Departmentis.not authorisodto allow the generalpublic to examinethis register.
IS THE COWTROLLER AUTBORIZED,UPON TEE APPLIC4TION OF AN INDIVIDU.~,TORXKE CERTIFIEDCOPIESOF TRE OLD AGE ASSISTAKCEWRRAEI' REGISTERAND LIST OF CLAIRS? RonorableGeorge H. Sheppard,page 4 (o-2122)
In the case of Coopersberg~8. Taylor,supra, Coopersberg institutedproosedingsfor an order of mandamusdirectingthe Cormis- sionerof Publicllslfare to allow him to examinethe recordsof the Conunissioner OP publicNslfare. This right of inspectionwas oladmed under Seotion51 of the GeneralMunicipalLaw, and Section1545 of the GreaterBew York Charterwhioh permitedany taxpayerto inspectpub- lio records, The Court deniedthe writ sayingthat the above mentioned laws must be reed in oonneotionwith the publicWslfareLaw which pro- vided that informationrespectingthe receipt of publicrelief shall be consideredconfidential.
Artiale 3722, Vernon'sRevised Civil Statutes,1925, provides in part: "The Secretaryof State,AttorneyGeneral,Land Commis- missioner,Comptroller,Treasurer,AdjutantGeneral,Commis- sioner of Agriculture,Commissionerof Insurance,Danking Conmissioner,nd State Librarianshall furnishany person applyingPorh ble nith a copy of any paper,doctnsent, or .recordin their offloes,and with oertifioatesunder seal oertiPyingto any Pact oontainedin the papers,documentsor recordsof their offices; . . . (Acts March