feels are rea'sonablyrelevant to applying the rationale of the Thompson decision, , Turning to your seconc'question, it..is,ouropinion that the Cominissioii does have'the power to 'regulate-thenumber of machines .an'ABC permittee may ,own and use at his place of business. The purpose of Article 13,17 as expressed in Section 1 thereof 'is: " :
-"fT]oprovide comprehensive-regulation of music ahd skill'& pleasure -coin&operated machines and businesses dealing in these machines, and to prevent persons in these businesses from having certain'concurrent financial interests in, or unauthorized financial dealings with, certain alcoholic beverage businesses,,' ' Where an agency is obligated by statute to effectuate the express purpose of the act, authority reasonably necessary to
Article 13,17, Section 4 makes this grant of power expressly:
PO 328 Honorable Ivan Williams, page 6 (H-73)
"In addition to its existing powers, the,. . ; Commission mayi-for the pur- pose of administerinq this Article, "(1) prescribe all necessary.regu- lations . . . ." Even if;the ABC permittee owns-vending machines -purely incidentally to:.his;business,-' . his , .Commi.s,sion ,hasI.ign- plied,authority to.obaerYe:.*his: operation and -to.request re- ports. .Sin.cethe=Commissionl.is::duty-bound'to.regulate the vending,industryl;: &t ,necessarkPy.has.*the.authority to deter- mine who should be licensed--under-Article.93.17.The li- censing power would:.bealmost,meaninglass %f the Commission did not'also havetheTauhority.-to determine whether a ta- vern operator-'sownershkp..aqd:- use of<%cohn-operatedmachines is orderlto implement the T;g? decision. .:Thus~,the,,regulations.envisioned by your ,,_, qu+tion, would-;be':necessaryfor 'the,implementation of the Thompson.,decision. .r. The Commission may-not+',of,course;r*makeregulations which. are contraFy to,. statutory ;authorization. All- 'state.Insurance..:Co4v;".State Board.--of: Iasuaance.;:;.~~,Ol. SW2d T'JT- (Tex. Civ. App:,.-.:Austin 1966, writ ref'd n.r.e.f The-requla:', tions promulgated.by'the~~Commissfonmust'also be sufficiently explici-tto.inform those.bound:,by%hem what conduct will consti- tute a violatfon;-~'.RakIroad-Commi-ssion.-v; Ft. Worth and:.D.C. 161.SHLd,:56a.1~(Tex.. Civ, 'App.,cAustin 1942, writ $;)-*. .-_ S%ntie-ti 'violation'of,'-So&ion27(l) renders'the violator liable'to-the!penal provisions'of Section 27(S), the rules promu&$atedtwith-respect-to Section->27(1)must.meet the applicable to Enal statutes. "No one'may"bs requ%redr.atthe.peril of life, liberty or property'to'speculate as ---to: the.meanfng. _'_ - of--penalstatutes. All are entitled_to be informed as to what, the>State commends.or forbids." Lanyetta v;New Jersey,;+386,U.S*451, (1939). Lack ,of spe'cE~d-~ty:~;wi-~l.render %he.rules void: as violative of theadue process clause .ofthe-Fourteenth Amendment of the U..S. Constitution.&;Gonna~~~:v.;.-GenPr~l.=Construction:Go,; 269 U. SI 385,,391 (&925).
p. 329 Honorable Ivan Williams, page 7 (H-73)
Your third question asks how the.Commission would enforce such a regulation. We noted,above that.the.Commission has the, power to require .information'fromtavernowners who own coin? operated machines. The Commission ,should consider sending notifications.,of. the rules.it.promulgates to ARC permittees. .. Through notification,,required reports'*,and, "spot checks" the Commission could,determineywhether -any businesses were not com- plying with Article 13.17. The Commission after such determina- tion could.. then notify the appropriate district.or~,countyattor- neys for.prosecution under:.thestatute. Since.the -businesses, decision is con- cerned with are all permittees..ofthe Alcoholic-Beverage Com- mission, it might-be approprfaterto soliuit..the.assistanceof that agency.in.some aspects-,ofcthe..enforcementof the Act. Article 13.17, ,Seotion-6 provides: "All'state~agencies.are,directed-to'cooperate .. Commission *in its.investiga- with the- . '-. tory.-functions-underthis Article, and shall prov,ide, it access to-their relevant records and reports . . . ." Article 13.17, Section,3, provides that the Commission may institute civil-proceedings through.the Attorney General against.violators which-would include.5njunctive relief.
SUMMARY While the criteria for determining.the applica- bility of Article 13.17, Section 27fl)kto owners of permits'to sell