OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
You anti4 YOU arked the the opiti the the tollowi~ tollowi~ quertloMr
AC&36 3176 providrs in part that tba mxpwul- tondent ahal3 hat. mvem "To *OTB for good tmuoe, wlth the oorment it the L lrd, aay otrio*r, teaoher or *aplop. . . .= It I8 to be aoted thet, in the aase of dirohesg- ing oificsrs,teaahere, and emplopesr, the Baar4 and the . *.,,
Bonorable Harry Enox, Chalman, Page 2
suparintsndentexercieo a joint authority under statute, neither uaa sot without the recommendationor consent of the other. (See our Opinion Xo. o-1851) But in the cam at disabargiagpatienta, the Leglalaturedid not thus olr- oumorlbe tha authority of the ouperintsndant. Instead, it empowered the ouprintendent to w41eohargepatfsntsw, without conditioningthe exercise of such authority upon %he oonaent of the Board.* Observingtha language used by the iegialaturo in reapeat to the dlaaharge oi ofiicers an4 enployoel by the auparinteudent,as comparedwith that use4 in mapsot to the dlmharge of patients by him, we are of oplniou that the Leglelaturebid not inten that the auperintmd- ant rust have the pezmlarrlonot the Board to Uisaharge pstlenta. We beliers it aas intended to eohfer upon the auperlntandsntthe broad authority to dlsoharge patlent8, and that.the power of the Boar4 to 4isoharge patient8 is cumulativeof that posseseed by the Superintendent,the Boerd's power in suoh raspeat being rsatrioted by limit- ,%ngIta exeroiae to thoae Faatanoearhere the auperintexnd- eat reooagends the dlaoharge. If reama for~muh eonstruetisn,in4epen4artof the languageof the statutea,noed be aaalgm4, we think It 18 found %a the nature oi the polar to be exemieed. The 8uperlntendentof the Institution is requlrad to be a ukllled physlolan expemlanoe4 in the treatment of in- 6anity. ArtSole 3104. Whether a patltmt la to ba dim- oharged must be deteraiaedby allappraisal af hi8 phyeloal aad rental aohdltfon,wlth due regard ior hLe omn Welfare and that or the pub$io. This ia au issue whloh oan be- resolved eSrrotire3y only fraa person&l obeervation of ti,e patient by a skilled phyaloian experieneed~lnthe dia&&.s and treatamntof laentaldiseases. In the absenoe or language requiring auoh couatruction,we are not prepared to hold that the Leglalcture latsnded that the jWrguent of the superintendentin respect to this matter PhouM be ra- viewed by the libard, rhoae manifo'%dduties do not penuit or personal obaertationof PatientAt, an4 whose aelabebsare not required to poseesa~the qualifioationsneceeaary to zWnorabl@ Page S
detur8it.Mths queatfoa involved. That the Lcrglalature _ -lnte$ed _ the power . . _to_dls-... axas pctientn to be 0xeroiaeauy tne superintenaencwith- out prior peraiasion or approval of the Board Is rurthrr ~~i40~ti~odby the polloy sxpreaaed la ArtIsle 51931, Yurnon'a ?&via04 Civil Statutes, dloh expreaaly mmmlta to the 8up.rintwmlt alow the deolalon upon thm qua8tlon 0r al- la*iag Wtes to Lea*0 ths lnatltutlonfor temporary per- :@a of absqnee not exoeeding twelve months, dth additlonel ls0re of abasme at,the expirationof such period to be gtmwd *by the auperintakdant or upon his ~ooamn4atlOn". ~$0lufflslsat rsaaon appsara why the Lyllsleturew0ul4 have aonierretl upon the aupalntendent tha mad p-ax to all- turapora~ abeenoes