Court Opinion

ID: 9764765
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 03:39:21.616866+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:01.436141
License: Public Domain

CLINTON, Judge,
concurring.
Though I agree with the result reached by the majority opinion, it seems to me the opinion gets caught up in what it calls “definitional provisions” that “refer back to ‘The Regulations,’ ” creating an ensuing confusion.
The comments that follow are directed solely to “allied equipment,” more particularly to a “reference simulator.”
A given is that all such equipment “to be used for evidentiary purposes in the State of Texas must have the approval of and certified by the Scientific Director, Alcohol Testing Program, Texas Department of Public Safety.” Regulations, Sec. 19.1(a).
*214Unlike specific criteria that all breath testing instruments must meet for approval and certification, id., Sec. 19.1(b), allied equipment need satisfy only “any criteria deemed necessary by the Scientific Director and operate properly and adequately for the function it is designed to perform.” Id., 19.1(c). So much for criteria for certification of allied equipment.
Actual certification is covered in id., Sec. 19.6, and that the section is titled “Explanation of Terms and Actions” indicates its content is more than merely “definitional.” The only remaining question is whether that section explains how the Scientific Director must manifest the fact that he has approved and certified allied equipment. I believe it clearly does.
While id., Sec. 19.6(e) does provide “certification is granted individually to [inter alia ] (3) breath test instruments and allied equipment,” certificates for other than operators, technical supervisors and breath test programs are “handled by list or letter.” Again, certification is granted only “when requirements of certification have been met.” Thus each reference simulator found to satisfy “criteria deemed necessary by the Scientific Director,” is somehow to be identified “by list or letter,” but no regulation has yet said how.
Section 19.6(h), however, provides: “Certification of equipment will be made by model or class ..., however, each piece of equipment must individually meet the requirements for certification ...”
Thus does the Scientific Director manifest the fact that he has approved and certified a particular reference simulator by identifying its model or class in a list or letter, presumably made available to affected parties.
On that basis I concur in the judgment of the Court.