Case Information
*1 -. . .
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
OROVER SELLERS m-rOINEx GENEIUL
Bonorebls John H. Mntsr8
Ex*autlve Glraotor
Stmte Department ofPublio NdS8ra
Auatln 3, Tex.6~
Your request fo
tloned matter ha8
rromyour lettar 0
with were~0~ t0 P Child Welfare rtloulnr question with rarersnoe to this
u Is whether or not 8 mmioipsllt~ nay a~rswlos,~ ohlldren'a boarding homea, ng crgacnolos or athor plaoes for the oar63 ob114nn 6 opsolri~a~ in the above olted srtlolar am3 lr so wlmther that rrunlolpallty m e y char~t, l lea for sooh llaoaass. se have an in- la Tex~a where the olty lo ohm&ring 35 fee for stanoo 8 lloensc to board ohildren. You can ccc the herdship this nl&t work on m-mm boarding perenta or this 35 may have tc; cm0 rran Community Cheat money 0r the *2 Hon. John 11. ::lntcrro, pa&q? 2
l (tuncy khloh nury b* usin the boerALaK hose. r:e wera not ourc nhr.ther th 0 IWO MU va1l.d ohergo daoa the superior statute of the otato, namsly, Artlolo l+&42a, dlreoto that thio department foouo ouoh llaeeoes without ieo.
'In your oplrloa, planme indicate whether o foe mix bo oharged by the mmlolpallty under Its ordimnoe ror any ot the olosoIrIo~tliwo owarrd whIoh Inoludoo not only boar4Inng hopI far ohll- Cron, lnstItutioao, ohlld plaolng ageoaioo but o8h.r plaaeo for thblr oara an4 ouotody.*
!%otloa 1 of Article 4442s. Vernon*8 Annototad Clvll ~ta$utoo. provI400:
*Xvery parson, a8ooolAtlon or oorporotIon, *h&her oporotlng r0r ohorlty or rovonuo, rho ohcil owa, ocrrduuf or aonoge a doy mroorf,
ahUdr~n"o boordin& home, or ohlld plaaing l gonoy, or other plaoe for thr oar0 or ouotody of children uwhr years .0r op. or who rirta8n oholl l ollolt rtdt8 in this f3tote ror my ouah plooo (IC lnobltutlon, oholl obtoln SII ~KUUIR~ llooora rrcm the Xate Bbrd oi Koolth rhioh 1looaoe ohs11 ba Ioonod wlthou8 ioo, ond under’ ouoh roooonoble ond unliorr rules l nd regcrlo- tloao es sold BoorA shall pnoorlk. Provided that ii sold rundo ore l olloltod said oooo- olotlono or oorporotlona through any 8gont or agents thuwof, oaly one oueh lloeaom oh011 ho rOqUtTOd by l 0Oh 0014 l 8OOOIotIOA or MarpOre- t6r oooh OOUAt)’ Oi Stat. oi T~xoo ln
tloA .hloh oounty meld funds ora oollolted.
PootIon 6 or Artlolo 6?@0 peoltleaIl,y trsnoioro the' dotloo an4 reojxmoIblliti~o plooed in the Woto Board ar Walth t Artiolo 44420 to tb Mvlolon Chlid wolfer* or the +tate ward or Control, and Csoqloa 8, ‘oupra. reads on followor
4’77 I. ,.
lion. John il. ~"lot.~rs, Pete 3
-930. 8. The lloei~olug. vlaltl~ and ln- opootlon oi all l qenoleo rsoulred under Chapter 2G4. pago 444, or the hner?rl and Tpeolal Taaro or tho Poguler f’usalon of the blet Lop;loleturo, 1929. now required by tbe Ytnte f!ooard of %io;th, shall be tnA te mreby trnnulerrrd to aod rc4e II part or tile dUtiQ8 ttls mvieion Ct?IlA Of "0lfU.W Cf "t9tQ %4Fd Of CCXltiOl.’
13 1939, %he tc~lalsture poeued whnt 1s known me the "Public Solture Aat uf 1939." (Aotr .cf 1939, p- 54l.j. Sotloo ?a ef ttlo Cat transfcrrd ":li ct the rlphta, gowro sod duties heretolore aoarcrrs4 by len cn t.Cu Ziriolot. of Child Keltarc of the Rorrd of Ccntrol, tot othttrwisc in V.~C OOniliOt With my prwbOlOUE Of 8i%O Aclt,'ard heraby co+ sad ere horeby trrraaferred tlnurd in ruu row3 rab direct. to. eaA oo%torred upca ?tatu *xpartnant of ?ublfo ~dtnr~ so orsated. Ey this Aot, sod shell be hold, zoroloa4 and per- formed by the Ctatc iIM$mrtrnont Of vubllo wdtsrQ under the pfovlsfone or this Aot and the oovarol Aoto now in ror00 and .rhloh x5& be uode.- any anunda*nt or rcend-xmtn theieto Tao Tublio ?el!sre .Lot cf 1939" woo a.eended and ~10 nuw Artlole 4950. Peotlcn 5 of sol4 Artlole provldoo:
*Thsre shll 86 orseta4 in the Ztato Duportmmt pub110 rdrrrc the rollfhln~ Clvlo:oco: a CI~lolo~ of Child "oltsra, a ~t7?3:33 2r A~d1t.s au4 accou~to, a Clvisl~n cf i)elrearoh and ~tatlrtlos and &UC& cthar i;fu'clcnr nv the iUrrot(rr may flud neas*omry '*~.cautl~s ror tdrr80tl.vr *. Th 2icroJtIvo. *G~lnlstrstZc inrsotor ohs1.I hnv~ c,hn prsrev to alluoatc al.4 ruolloo*tc tunotlnno wwnf the :Hvli.luno w?tt.lr. the Deportment and have the powur nn4 outhurlty. oubjuot tfi'olanslrl- cppoll\s, nod dieoherga euoh anslmt- oution, to sd.act, ant*, al ctka , rtcnc+mz;‘r:ers, s.uAltcrv. buukkatpers, ana clorloel aeslntonto bll nny be noooonrry lu the ~a4nlolotr~tlo~ or t?.c Atitles lmpooad upon Me :t8tO
hepsrtment oi Public .+slrbre ulthln the llnlta approprlotlono thee rry be ?edu rm the work of ~14 Lbpe rtslont . "
4’79 Roi-.. John il. Mntsr8. peg0 I or t&4 4bOr4 4tntutss r4rasl8 A onretul raadlng
that the Dirlslon of Child Welfar4 of the %ate tWmrtm4nt. of Pub110 30 Par4 non has thr power to lloense 44~ nura4r- 0Yldzan a ardlnfihoms, ahlld plrolm 4~4nol.a and --+-To ‘i-, qthor plao,os for and OU8tOdJ of ohildra. Tlao tha 0.m oestlon that we nut. now Peoids is whetha ,thc Mt?slon of hild Ualfus or the aate 04QubmLIt ab FubZlo w4lrar4 &or 2 exolu8lr4 authority to 1104nae sold hom4a for ohlldrai.
It haa been atnted In Texan Jurirprudsnoe. Vol. 30. pm&48 up, 120 rml 1211 "The pollloo powsr f# a grnnt authority rrcm
th4 people to tholr ~orornaent41 agents 'for proteotlon of the health, 8arety. ocoifort aad rel- rere OS the pualio. &oadly ateted, the polloe power ot a olty 1s th& power to goV4rn. exeraloed 4lthar in QW.Zi!Ot~A~ th4 wU41 lW8triOtiCUl OT OCUQU~SiOn good or She pooplo. T&o oxuoiae or this QOWU by rmalofpellty is but a m&lo of oxertfn& trhe power of Ch4 gorermetnt the mabe within th4 llatte or Ch4 munlofpe~lty."
7a4 ox4roltse polio0 power 14 not aa lah4r4at ri&t qf munlolp41 oarporatloas; suoh p&~aes Ot it may bo axuelsed must oouo fxm le~slablr~ grant. The gearral .pollos po*srs and the Laglslrture.nay ~qant moona of ~sniorol~.g rospeot 8nd oboorvanoe. The mot oi thla porrrz to hoem-rule oitles is found in the proylslon of the enablla~: eat authorixSag thm ttc l nr o r re l lk ordtnanoo8.noeowruy So pro~o4t health.
kiro rud proputJ, and to proven* ana smouulIy rboto end rw#ta u naffutnoe8 and to QrOOutO aad and soourity of l ufo r o o f hi aood pvernmat, ardor the olty ead lta iahabltant8. lWXl~OiD8k 4WQOT@tiOa8 *OOllOrclllJ 6DWlkblUr under t&14 ~olio4 Dower. to safomard ham tiie rl&t. lha hralth. oomtort. end R4norslwlZara oZ~th4ir altlzena by such roaaombls lwgulatlona a8 are pumoae. aoooemuy for,-$ht
*The polio4 power In not aa wbttrary bne; it ha4 its lleltatloaa. Thw it 1s subjoot to the :lmltatlona lmpoasd by the Canstltutlrr~n upon s‘rery *5 T.. ‘.’
Hoi.. John U. "ilotors, ~4~4 5
gowar of governaumt, and will not bo permitted to lnrada or impair thrr fund4nwutsl UberClea of the oltlten. Alao it is rounded in pub110 neceseity and only publio neooaolty 0Sn Justify 10s exwrelao. Xt In ocsaonsurate hl th, but does MB 4x444d. the, duty,t# provide Ior the real aaeds of people in their health,. aatoty, ocdart and ooaronfonoo as oonalotoatly as may be with prlvat4 property rlghta. the lntuoota 8~c dlfstin~rhad rrQ the pUbl.io gbnuailp, of Moar of 4 partlaulor olaua, mat require the lnt4rfsren4e. . . .m
Ylth refmrenoo to the o rdlnunoea l arotob by oltieo ,rnOu their pol%oe pwua, it la stetod ia Cmpua furis, Vol. 37, pqo 187, I36, rhloh'nmda in pert aa rolloust to the the 8beanoe of poaltlro wld*noe -8
oontruy, .hwever, suoh l eta-or ordlaano*a l r 4 presumedto be re8aonmbler and the owrts riU. tml4aa U4lr uarorraonsbleueaa and
not interfuo opp~alt+neaa it olshrly.uppsr~at, tha bukdaa of proving their uam4acumblur4cia of lnralldll*y king on the 444 who euortri it, aaually the 1104~444.'
Ot as w&d Zddottiufu on kfWiOiQ41 kU'$CXdio~~s, Vol. 3, QW3' 693: (2d l0l.j
"Ordlaawe8 l.ranyosl~ Iloenae tax08 Mdar the u4 prke hoI4 powor to rqwlate tdid,ana uareaaonableaaaa the saaotlona mast k _ _ _ - made olearly to sgpaar, and they nuat.bb,oo~rrgay Mdlar64ly beyond what ‘ra aeedod for th4 purpose. intended, b&ore auoh leglrl'atlon will be deolmrod *Old. Th4 r’Lot th4t the ~es4otlon twy r*aulf l& Dr oduaia(r l remmum ln u~oaa of that requlra4 for regulation. dowa not la ltaelr JeaCroy th rrgul4- tory ohnraoter a pollee &eaaure . . . .- .Y .
before ti;in ct.urt~ +a(: SC. dxbhuntive-ij nLso~~eaod m 60 not doc.?i it neosessry t-2 d3 so ture, ,Cut mrely olts xv::8 tbd eeolniork3. wheraln it is expressly held tint rl6.M of tka city eu- thrities 3uah re&ulfItioae, 80 1Ong t0 adopt es they ere reesoneble mre upheld, and wherein It IS he:6 thst. lr suoh tirdinunoes do not amount to vktuel pr&lbltio;i. Mty m-o not in oonfliot with the laws of tke "tete l~oe~~s~cg euch ocoupatlo~:. . . .”
In via* of the foregoing buthorlties, it is the tha t e aunlolpallty may lloense opinion OT this dspartmnt ohilartbn*u boarding home15, day 5ur8erlas, plaulng dma egonoles or otha plaoes fm the oere end ouatody of oblldren, end you sre turthw l dvlrud that the ofty laef ohargo s reaaonsble rae ror sr~ld,l~oense.
%i are herewith retundng to you the aopLe8 of she rules atid roguletlone aovuring the aGild relfere progmm.
Very truly yours,