Case Information
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
&onorable U. A. Davis
Btats Registrar
Tour State Board of Health Au&in, Texas of this department
You have ro ou a:ix questions r tion of llle$itlmate
rsoordsd or aevti- “(2)L..iIkthat provision retroaatlve, and doer It apply to a birth rcgfstsred prior to the paar- age of H. is. 1977
“(3) Shouid the County Judge, In aoaslderlng a certificate ftled under the prorisrons of Sea. 15, as amended, (1943), asoertaln whether the ohlld was or wa8 not legitfmate prior to the approval of the cortificete?
Bonorable Y. A. Darla, paBe 2
‘(4) Would the provlalona of this Amendment be tiolated it the item of legltimaoy be marked
out on the present form and used for the reglstra- tion of an illegitimate birth.
'(5) Slnoe more than 95% of the blrths that are legitimate, would birth oertl- are reglatared float4 upon vhioh no atatemeat 0r the legitimaoy
appeared 5.ndloate that the birth was lllegltieete?" "Should a birth reoord rhiah does not
(6) make rry l tateaent aa to leg~timaey of the ohlld, and no name or other item8 IdentlSylng the
rather, be accepted by the County Court, and ii to the State
aooepted the Court forvarded Bureau, should a oertlfied 00~9 of that reoord be iaaued uhen ordered b9 a Distriot Court?*
We believe that ortlon of Xouse Bill Bo. at the Regular Seaalon of the 4 8 th Iagialature, quoted by you, la so olearly unaonatftutlonal aa render uaeleaa sag ana- ver to four queatlons relating to it8 appliaation.
Prior to the paaaago of thla Aot, the only provi- aion of the Vital Statiatlos frv of Texas aontalnlng an9 rea- to the one quoted by you Yea aa follovar triotlon oimparable %elther the State Registrar nor any looal ehell issue a certified copy of an9 birth registrar or death ‘eertlfloate wherein a ohlld or en adult be illegitimate, unleaa such aertl-
la atated a oourt of oompe&ent jur- ffed 00~9 la ordered b (Artiole 1 Rule 47a (25), V,A,C.S.) ladlotion.' But this new provfafo5 goea moh farther, aud even prohibita an9 indication of lllegitiraaay ln the reoord itself.
Seatlon of &tlole III of the Constitution of Texas provider ;
"Ho bill . . . shall aontain more than one ubjeot, vhioh ahall be expreaaed ln it8 title. But ir an9 aubjeot &tell be embraoed in an ot,
vhlch ahall not be expreaaed 1n the title, euah
aot ahall be void only ar to muah thereof aa
shall not be 80 expreaaed." *3 -
Y Xonorable Y. A, Davis, page
The title of raid blouse 8111 197 la aa fOllOQ81 “AH ACT to amend Section 18, Chapter 41, &a of the First Called 3easion of the Fortieth Legis- lature, aa amended~by Seatloa 2, Bou8e Bill Ao.
614, Aots of the Regular Seaalon of the Porty-
alath Legislature, as amended by Seotlon 1, Rouse Bill Ho. Chapter 564, Aotr of the Regular
Saraion OS the Forty-seventh Le tl.dcre, as ? emtided by SeutLon 1, Eouae Bil- Ho, 624, Chap-
ter 525, Aata of the Reguler 3esaioa of’ the Borty- seventh Leglalature, o as .to provlda for unliora fees to be oharged for the laausuae of delaytd
birth and death ~ertifluatea the Probato
Court, Clerk thereof, arrd the State Reglatrar~ of’ Taxer wishing
aml to provide ‘Wet my cltixen to file the record of any birth or death ooourring inside the State of Taxaa nob previously regla-
tered, may aubmlt auoh record to the Probate
Court in the county where. such blcth or death
occurredi to provide 4~19 aftisen of the State
of Texoa wishing to file the reoord of any birth or death ooourring outside the State of Texas
not previously registered may submit such reaord in the county where he re- to the Probate Court
alder; and deolarlng an emergenoy.’ It will be noted that, vhile goes beyond this title a mere statement OS a purpose amnd the previous acts of the Legislature named therein, and attempts to specify things for wbioh it provldea, yet it la not ao uritten aa to put le~iafator on aotlce that one of the speoliia provisions of t&e Act (and one new to the 1aU of Texas) prchlbita of a form for reaordln$ births whiah mey indicate thet any the use such birth was lllegttimate.
In our Opinion 80.0-25, Ye held uneonatitutlonal en act vhloh provided for the payncnt oi half-fees to “off+ care and vltnessea” in eertain mfsdemetior aaaea, because the title o? the Act stated only tbet it related to rcea paid ~conatablrs. ” That opinion, end the authorities therein olt- ad, are, so applicable the instant ceae, that ue take the llbertq of quotintog from it St lengtht
ass Honorable N. A. JBvl8, pago 4
" . . . .
"It ha8 been aon818tently held by all of our appellate oourts that a tit10 or oaptlon exprersiq 8 purpore to 8mend rtatute in a certain 98rtiou- lu 1s deoeptioe and Isi8leadlng in 80 tar a8 the to amend the prior &V in
body Of the aOt purport8 other partlaularr. Tax. Jur. 104. While it I8 true, as stated tn paragraph 48, p. 102 or 39 Ter.
Jur.2 Wm title or an aaendatory ot ordinarily 8urriant to allow an geman to the naendment 8ubjeot 0r the origina I rtatute, ir it pro9erlr
rpeallleo the ahapter and 8eatlOa. or the revl8lon and srtiale, to be 8awutod;~ the 88ma authorit
further 8tater the lavt
**speoirloatioq 0r rmd 0r atmndrPsnt.- “‘In addition to~h?i?it%iiient Of 8 pwp08e amend a given lnu or provlrion, a title m8 agp OifJ the nature of the amendment nna vheFi doe. 80 thfi?itE m murt oonfo='-- - -
-- --
‘Among the many oaror alted in rupport of the text 18 to be round the ease or Katl: V8r state, 54 SW (2nd) 130, In that 0186, the aaptlon read8 as r0ii0w8 t
“An aat to amend Se&ion 14, Artiolo 7047, or the Revlred Civil Statute8 or 1925, relatln to
bnd imposing an ooaupation tax on money n era and -----Id-- darinlng wuw providing for Qartain erasptloru, and declaring an emerge:.oy.’
“The body of the bill propoasd plme a tax on Boner lender8, but the 8eotlon ot th8 rtatute to be amended vaa one taxing ‘loan brokerr’. The court held the amendatory aat void. In tho oourao of the oplnlon othe oourt 8ald;
*‘In rtatlng the prlnolpler from vhiGh ft my be detormlned whether thr tltlo to a bill meet8 tho requirement 0r neation 35, drtiala 3, 0r th0 con- 8tltutlon, YO 6re not to be underrtood a8 holding the titlo or an aot amendatory or an srtlolo in a oode, such a8 our Revired Statuter, 18 inruf- ridea ii it doe.9 no more than rarer to the oodo .
Bonorablo U. A. ~vir, p6go 5 the nuab~r of tho brtiQl0 themin. Tha OOUPtS to a num-
or thin Stat0 have hold that a r8forenoo ber ot an artlok in a Code, Such 88 Our Revlssd I8 SUrrlOiO5t ~JI th8 title Or a%i 4Ot
StatUteS, aamndatory thOrooi, to allow auy aemndwnt ger~mbn0 to tho 8ubjOOt troatod in the art1010 rorerrod to. English & Boottlah-Annrioan MOrt. & Inv. CO. v, Rardy, 93 Tex. 289, 55 SN 169; Stato v. #oCrscicsn, Tex. 334. Tho reason ror th0 holding appears bo that th0 nAming Or the artfalo to tn rprSiId- ed dlreota attention all Or th0 ~l’OVi8iOn8
therein, aa the rubjoat of the amending ot, and suoh provl8lon aan b0 aroertalned read- lng the artlolo to bc amended. However, when the bgirlaturo rortrlotr th0 title 0r an ammdator
act by reiorenae to tho number in the oode ot t
Srtlole a?86 UOd. and anuounoo8 Its Durpo80 to deal with th0 o~k.inalbill in re8Doot to Dartlaular
matters therein it 18 bound to gwern itself - oordlnnly. and koeo within what itself dOalar$
would be tho liIIlit8 Oi LtS D,rODOSOd a0tiOIi. guther-
d Statutory Conrtructlon (2d Ed J . V 01. 1. Sea, 3tate v8~hmrioan bkigar~Rer93& Co., 106 La. so. 181, 106.'
553,
.
. . . l “The trU8 rUh in ruoh OaSOS a8 Y8 have here pre8OatOd is ruaoinctly stated in Texar Jurlrprud- Onae, as rOliOvS$ ‘Wwther tit10 18 oompr8hen8ivr or rortrl.at-
ed, OXprOSSOd in gcnoral +aPS Or 111th partiaular- lty, it must be in agroomont and oonforralty, and not at V’Wi5~Nrs, with the SUbjoCt Or th8 hgiSl8- tion. . . i h tit-l, 18 dOOeptiv0, ial oP PLiS- leading ii lt dirguiser the tru0 purpose or not and ilnpOPt8 SUbJOOt dirrOr0nt rroa that to whioh the aut rOlatm. and uhether or not a title StOtSS the gOIiOPa1 9UP908. Or tho aOt, It 18 Pia- idbg ir it 8t8bIB8 SptOiriO pUrpOOO8 in Such
lMIllk8r 88 to dOnOOal Othbl’ 9lW908OS not Stated.’
“(39 Tox. Jur. 100, citing Bitter v. Bcxrr County, 11 BY (la) and OthaP CaSeS.)
goaorable U. A. Davis, page
"The original 0 inloo in the ease 0r ltr parts E$ut8111, SH (2d? 803, held the attempted amond- story SOt invalid, and on SUbSOqWot motlOM for fzpv~8ing 811 tWbO~8 Or th0 00-t OXp4JSSOd them-
. Said tho oourt through Judge I&timorol "'hll -VA JMSSOd by the k@ShtWe Or t.hiS State orLglnat8 la blllr, Upon aoh oi whloh must appear a aaption or title, and Seotlon hrt.
of out Coastitutlon iorblds that any bill, vith
oortah oxaoptlona ohall ooatala aoro tbm on4
SUbjO%t, vhioh Sh8i1 b o~orood tith. ia it8
It has beoa held br the court8 whoa the ex- ~e88 vorbiaga Or such tit10 linrit8 onb r~Stl“iQt.8 tho 9W9080 Or the bill, q StteIII9t to lOglSklt0 OtherWi8~ Fn 8Uch bfllmriant prerorlbad, rrofa the pW'pO80
i8 in exae44 0r the 1egl41at1v0 paver, that A 18P SUbjQUt t0 this OOm9lalnt iS UA- conrtltutlonal.~
'The aaptlon of tho ammdatorg act hero under conrlderatioa lndtoatsd the 9~r9080 or tho bill
related ona Si.4510 thing, l.o., to the feO8
9aid oon8tabler. The tramore 0r the bill thus in- rormed the publla and theLr rellou l4gi8lator8
that the pUr908e 0r the bill war to arreot only. In the body or the bill
feO8 of aonrtabler substantial change8 vero made arrwm.0g all roe All of them would be oatltlsd to hali
orflcers.
their costs in all their mi8deme8nor oa868, ex-
copt thoao di8lal88od, and mama vould bo 9ald by 0ountlO8, unla8a paid tho dofond-
~8varlou8 .
"The Suprome Court in the ease or Yard Cattlo & Parturo 00. v. Carpenter. 200 Sli 521, Wherein an aot Of the Thirty-Third fsgl8latkWe (1913) 188 ln- volvod, reiured to ranatlon an amaadaent to Artl- ale 7235, R. C. S., exoludlng Xatagorda County
rrom a list or aumratrd oountict8 entitled la- voke tho 8tOGk hV. Such l ot omittsd nstagorda
County under a aaptlon lnaludlng othernamed coun- tiea. Chief Justloo Pht11ipS uaad the rOllOWg
languagei
[888] Boaorablo li. A. DaVl8, pago 7
"'lhr purpO80 Or the OOMtitUtiOMi PrOViSlCn la r48peot to tho~titlo or logi8lat1v4 aotr 18 well und4rstood. It 18 that by mans of the title tho lOBiSht0~ lEaY bo rOS8OMblY aDpr184d Of the SQODe
I the bill SO that SWDri84 and fraud in lOBiSlU- &on may b wevont4d. True, aooordlng to provlour a40i810n8 zr thf8 OOUTt, ir th0 tit10 had O&p do- oluod that th4 ptlrpO84 Of the aOt Van to 8m4nd artlolo or the R4vl8ed Statutes, it would bov0 l up p o rtod an Sot amending the artlOlo 80 as to omit Hatagorda County. But with thirr tit14
anaounoing, as it dobe, that the art1010 Was to bo anendod In a partioulu Yay, no lsgislator
uould rrasonably havr aonoolved that it ma@ to
bo amended in another vay l x8Otly contrary to stated. This la a oaso illustrating that
vlddom and Justla8 of th4 oonatitutlonal prov1-
81On.'
'For addltlonal 08898 and authorltler on this propo8ltLoa, a001
"guthorland on Statutory Construotion (1st Rd.) Sea. 90, pa 99.
'39 Trx. Jur., sea. 48, 9. 102, et 84Q. 'H0h8an v* Widen & Sutherland (Clv. App.) 158 sU (vrlt 0r error roiured
"Bwxusbtt v. Stato, 42 SU (26 Rlia<on v. Rallvap Go,, 283 SU 'Arnold v. L8owd, 273 BU 799 "Bitter v. B4x8r Cbunty (Tex. Coma. App.)
11 SW (ad)
Vulr Roduot1on co. v. Garrett (Tel. Comm.
App.) 24 SU (26) 389.
1) . . . l
mTho Q,gtls 0r 8 statute haa no nawzq roroo. Vhsn tho body and thr tltlo are in aonfliot, th4 . . I latter lW8t yi4ld.
In view 0r the abovo rules, therefOre, it 18 our oplnlon that that part Of said HOuee Bill NO, 197 vhioh pro- vider that 'no pr48orlbed form for reaordlng birth cartilloates
889’ Bonorable it. A. ikwlr, page 8
shall indicate that any birth reoorded or oertifhd wan ll- legitimate’ 18 invalid h4vlng been pawed in oontraventlon or %GtLOli 35 or hrtioie III of the Texas CoIl8titution.
Very truly yourr ATTaflrn o- w mxA3 u. RI hllen b88i8tWlt