Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE A’TTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
Teaohor R~tlreinent Syetam ot Taxar
Austin, Tyar,
Dear 3.trr:
Teaoher icstlreoPsnt tidepbadont 9ohool Dittriot a oath iSti beak rop- the d nrsatl~(l: the Teaohrr h 0r my in the Rotfrezbnt syat ok rao drposft.6 with t of a dogceit varront eipt to the dlstrlot rwtlttanoe ln the wlodged mabjeat to tha TW iwJ6edfat*ly You informbd di&rlot wrote that the bask would iesur a buplloata oheok upon ysur ramfrhlng an fndomnlty bond. You aalc our oplalon ae to tha etatur an6 liability of the Tea&or R6tlrmeat Syatsa in thin z?attOz.
Xe are OS tke oplnlca t&it statur or Teacher Betiraaent Eiyatev iu tha aam aa it w~lld ha?e *2 Teeaher Retirement System of Te~rar, Page 9 been if it had reoeivsd no oheok at all, even eslde from the raot thet th.4 reoelpt airen waa conditIonal. A reading or the Teacher Retlrer.ect Aot Itfelf (Acta 1937, 4fit.k. leg.,, .~ :‘.I%. 47 ae axended by Aate 1941, 47th Le&. , I%..~. . , , R.S., B.B. 1016) oonvlnoes us, that paynente or deduotlons to the T;~e;;;dRetframent Syateza nre not 0oepleted’~uutli oeah &a
If the money Ia not received, then no payment has been*mede.
.c,ectIona 7 (1) en& E (7) (1) (b) of tko orlglnal Rot read in part fla follows:
“(1) The ftate Boar4 of Trustees. ehell be the tmstsee of the ssvernl funds ac herein created by tbIe Act, and eball have full powsr to lnveet such flunmds eubjeat to the follorln~ lfalfetione .?nc! rastrictlom: All retframmt ruhde, ae em racelveC by the Treasury oF;fho:ftatc of ‘ICeus frcx oud orr,-roge13 83 aonttibutiocs of teacbm; her&n provided, may be Invested * l ** (Zmghaals suPplIed)
v(b) The treasurer or prcper clls- burefng ofrloer or eeoh employer oneu- thorlty rrom the employer rhall make deduotiona tram salaries or. teachers aa prorlded In thl e Act, and shall tranamlt monthly, or at such tlae ae the JXate ,Board of Trusteer; shall Ceeigaate,, a, oertlfled copy or the payroll, and, the amount specified tc deSuot,ed shall be oald to rxeo..tlve Qearaterr cf the State ant artsr &kIng a ioard of Trusteee, record of all reoelpte. ,t.he said Boor4 shall peg them to the Yreaeurer of th :;tate of Texas + + v.* (,Rmpkaais tur,&eb)
The wording oi the above qtlcted provisions war unan~~ed by the amendmenta to the Act by tke 47th lagla-
. 60 are of the opinion that theae provisions, ae well ae the rest of tha r,ot, oleerly evldcnce the legis- letlve intent t&t 8 payment of contributions -rvoulJ not be made until and unler:e the aotual money 1s recafved. Arttcle 10, Kevlsed Civil Xatutes; 39 53x. Jur. 19a. 6~~pcae the situ-tlon where e oheok wee reoeived by the Teaoher i?etirei:!ent System and depoeited with the Stete Treasurer, but upon its preeentetloa to the beak upon *3 ”
nhlah it wes drawn it wtis not honored bscauc4 cl lneufti4nay of funds. f;ould this constitute Fe think not. a payment?
The lnterpretatlsn which t>4 Teacher 54tlmxcent System her plaord upon the provisions OP the Act is ahown by the r4o4ipt, r.bds 88 follows; "Receipt of r4- whioh aittano4 in ths wnount:rhown below is hereby acknowledgsd rabjrct to th4 oonditlon thst unless the cash Frooesds thsreof ars hcelved of busj.ness, this in axe aoume ahalA become null and void." Th4 raot thr receipt t&t T4acher Retimmnt Systsc: hae ocnstmed .?ct to mean that thsr4 would no pamnsnt Wnl4bs ths oash procesds thareof 4r4 r4c41v4dW lo entitled to oonelderable w4ight. 39 T41. nar. 235.
In view of th foregoing, it 13 ths oonsldordd opinion of this desartxent t&t under the fscts sub7ftt4d to ua the Tsaohor htire-eat ayetea Is in no::my llabl4 b'eoaue4 or tha loss of th4 .caeh14rqs check rnd th$?. ths stat.:8 of'the Systar: is the sam au lf no oheok had been recaivsa.
Very truly yxrs, ClSnn It. Lewis Atatatant GYS : eaw