Case Information
*1 OFFICE OFTHEAlTORNEY GENERALOFTEXA8 AUSTIN
Honorable George H. Sheppar&
Comptroller of Pub110 Aooounte
Austin, Texas
Dear Slrr
opinion 100. O-3998 Rer Expense aooounte members of Pu?&lo SaretT aommltwJioa
We hare reoelved your letter or Septmber 17, 194l. lrdrloh we quote ln part as rollowe:
"A member ot the Commission filed with WEI departaant hlo expense naoount ror a rht #lO.OO per day, with no 1teimll;atlon or the expended.
"Sinoe the l.mwJnoe warrant In paylaalt or expenses is bawd upon the idea of reim- bursement or a refund or the aiuouht aotually apent, is this department authorized to reoog- nlge and pay the erpeme aooount or a number of the Oonnairrslon that 1s eubmitted on a itit $10.00 per diem basie4
"The appropriation ror the payment of this ox- penae, or wage, le In the Qaneral Appropriation Bill for the DepaHmant ot PubI. Safety, Does the rider limiting the expenees or State employees to ti.00 a day oontrol ln thla lnetanoe?*
Artlole &.J.3 (2), Y~rnon*s Annotated Clvll Statute8 (Aote 1935, 44th Leg., R.S., p. &.I&, oh, 181 % 31, oreates the Publlo Serrioe Qmrnlselonr Bald article xeade in pat as r0limet
Donorable George H. Sheppard - Page 2
"Art. 4413 (2). Creation of the Pub110
sarety c0mii~sion
-. . In the appointment of the members of the C&mlsslon, the following quallflcatlons among others aball be observed: Knowledge or laws; sxprlence In the enforocment of law; honesty, integrity; eduoation, training and executive ability. They shall serve wlthout oompensatlon, but shall be entitled to reoaive Ten (810.00) Dollars per day as an expense eooount and neo- essary mileage In the perrormanoe of their duties, suoh expense ellowanoe shall not exoeed Fire Hundred ($500.00) Dollars annually ror eaoh member."
The question now presents itself :ðer the Com- mlaslonsrs are entitled under the statute to the flat sum of' $10.00 for each day spent In the disoharge of their ot'ilolal duties whether that amount Is entirely expended or not. That la not the Interpretation whloh we plaoe on the Aot.
It a Commissioner spent less than $10.00 per day and ~8s p&Id the full sum of $10.00, then that amount over whet was actually apent would not be an expanse. It either ci form of oompensetion or CL gratuity. The Aet speolrlcally provides that the Oommlsaloners shall serve without oompensatlon, and a holding that It Is a gratuity would be In dir8Ot violation Seotlon 51 Artlole III, Constltutlon of %‘exh8, which prohibits the granting of pub110 moneys.
T&US, we think It olear that it wae the leglalatlve Intent that a cobmlssloner 1s entitled to reimbursement for his actual expenses only, with the limitation that he oannot spend more than &lc.OO for any one day or $500.00 for any one year and claim reimbursement ior the exoees.
you ash whether under subseetlon 12(g) or Seo- tlon 2 of the current departmental apprOpriation bill *3 Bonorahle George H. Sheppard - Page 3
(Aot8 1941, 47th Leg., R. S., S. B. 423) the llmltetlon of $4.00 applies In this lnstanoe. Subaeotlon 12(g) or Seotlon 2 provides as follows:
uAll employeas traveling at the expense of the State are hereby llmlted to the smount Four ($4.00) Dollars per day expenses for meals end lodglngg It being speolflaally pro- vided that the employees shall obtain reoelpt ror all amounts expended ror all Items lodging and other expense exoept amaW, and ahall 'file said reoelpta tith their expense aooounta, whloh expense aooounta must duly ltemioed end sworn to; end the State Oorap- troller 1s heraby expressly prohibited tram paying any expense aooounta are not ltemlaed.and sworn to tind eooompenled by reoelpta as herein protIded.*
Subaeotlon 13 (i) of the anme aeotlen reads in part as r0uowf3t
"It is expressly pmrlded that th8,pro- rlalone of Subaeotion 1Eg of this Aot *nth referenoe to llailtatlon travaling expense shall not apply to the Governor, the Lieutenant-Qmernor, and the merabers ai the ooamiaalona who reoelre nm a* *en traveling In or out of the Stats. .'. gB wphaals aupplled)
As the member8 of the Publio Safety Ooamklasion reoelre no salary or per diem, they sre sroepted iran the operation of Subaeatlon 12(g), as to the limitation Of $4.00 per dep for meal8 end lodging.
ArtloLe 4w3 (2) also authorize8 the rehburse- nent of the Commlaaioners for neoesaary mileage.
It Is elmentery that berore publlb moneys W be withdr&wn from the Treeaury, the LegialetUr% muat m&e
Honorable CIeorge H. Shepparci - Page 4
an appropriation therefor. It is &early wlthln the pro- rinoe of the Legislature in appropriating fuada for oer- tain purposee to provlde the mannor or payment and tie attaah oondftions to their expendftmee. see opluion no. O-1426.
Subeeotion 12(r) or geotlon 2 or the appropria- tion aot authorizes reimbureamant for nileage traveled and providea the method ror ooapputing the aam. 8ubseation 13 Seotlon 2 requires aertain inrormation 10 renderlq expense aooounts 'before any expense aoooun8.ehal.l be paid tram ap ropriatlons herein -de.* Althmgh Sub- eeotlon 13(1 P axoepte the erimns nema4 rran the pco- rfsions or Suhsotfon 12(g 7 dth rereraaae to the limIta- ,tiim 0r aaumt, it dow not l soept tho& rrom that part nor ~h~t~bsestlop requirea itemization or ,expense a@-
.
We bekiere that *stat0 emplorrW@ m us04 lsi the approprlatLon bill oowcs all offioer8, reprrrssntatirer, and auentts or the State. xr thfu wore aot alvwly oh0 legirrlatlre fntent, then the ina.lnrlo~ or SM?meot~o~ 13(f) In the b2l.l a foolish sob.
Xt la our opinion that these proriotora.8 are blnding upon the mbers Of the Fublio Gafot~~C~eaion. !Phererore, tho expense aooeunts of the Cormeis5imers met be ltemleed before th6 Omptroller 56 authoriasd to pay the sama.
Very truly yeurn ,