This opinionmodifies OpinionNo. O-1126
HonorableLen Alrup ExeoutiveSecretary-Director State Comirrion for the Blind Land Office Austin, Texas
Dear Mr. Alsupt OpinionNo. O-5292 Re: Approvalof claims for pay7 ment by State Comvlosio4for the mind.
Ue are in receipt'ofyour letter of "cy 6, 1943, inwhioh you sub. nit,the followingquestionfor our opinion:
sPleassadvise the State Commissionfor the Blindwhether the Board of the State Conmissionfor the Hlindmey delegateto any of its members or to its executivesecretarythe authorityto approvefor paymentall expenditureswhich may have been authorizedby the State Comnissionfor the Blind."
The State Commissionfor the Blind is providedfor in Article320% Vernon'sTexas Civil Statutes(Aots 1931, 42nd Lag. p. 122, oh. 80, as amendedActs 1939, 46th Leg. S.B. So. 462). In Section1, a three member board was originallyprovidedfor but by 1:.B. 362, Reg. Seer. 48th Leg., the membershipof %~e Boardwas increasedto six. A aarefulexamination of the acts relatingto this oomsissionshcwsthat the full responsibility for performingthe dutiesthereinprovidedis vested in the ConmIssionas such. Section1 8s emendedprovidesthat four members shall oo4stitute8 quorum for the transactionof businsss,end that the Comnirsionmay annu- ally elect a Sectetaryand such other employeesas may bs authoriaedby the generalor specialappropriationfor raid Conmission.
By Section (a) it is probidedthat: "The State Conmissionfor the Blind shallmaintaina Bureau of Infornvtion. . . The Comnir~i~n shall in its discretionfurnishmaterials,tools and books for the use as a mesn~ in rehibilitating such personsand it my establishworkshopsand salesrooms,and shall have authorityto use any ~receiptsor earningrthat aooruefrom the operationof industrialsohools,ralssrooms,or workshops as providedin thir Chapter. . . The Conmissionmay receivegifts, bequests,or devisesfrom individuals, associationaor corporations, and mry expendthem-in aooordenoewith the provisionsof this Ad." We have Hon. Lon Alsup, p.ge 2 (O-5292)
not attemptedto set out all the authorisation of the,Ctirrion, but quote the foregoingto demonstratethat the responsibility is vested directlyin the C1nmuissio4as such and that discretionaryfunctionsare committedto the Commission.
Section3 providesthat:
"The State Conmdsrio4for the Blind may appointand fix the compensation of an executivesecretaryand such otherworkers as may be necessspyto make effectivethe purposesof this bet within the rppropriationsprovided.,"
Ws do not think that this sectionmay be construedas vesting in the executivesecretrryany discretionaryauthoritywhichwould be normallyvest- ed in the Commissionas the he&d of the dep+rtmentor divisionof State gov- ernment. The exeoutivesecretaryis an employeeof the Cdrsion wrkiag under the directionof the Commissionin oarryingout its directions,and he is given no authorityby the statuteindependentof the Conmission. I4 other words, in matters involvingthe exeroiseof discretion,he may act 8s an exeoutiw officerto oarry out and performonly thosethings whereinthe Cornmissionhas exeroisedthe discretion.
In Horne ZoologicalArena Compenyva. City of Dallas,45 S.pi.(2d) 714, the court had the followingto say with referenceto the delegationof suth- oritya
"The generalrule is that,where the law createsa board to have oharge of the affairsof 8 municipalityor a particularpart thereof,such board may appoint egentsto dhsohargeministerialdutiesnotcellingfor the exeroise of reason or discretion,but it cannot go beyondthis and delegateto othersthe disohargeof dutieswhioh or11 for reason or discretion,end which are regardedas part of the publictrust assumedby the board. The power to exercisediscretionin matters entrustedto such boards cannotbs delegated,surrendered,or barteredaway. w . The psrk board was chargedwith the trust of spendingthe money set / rbiie for the