Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

/ ``FFICEOF~HE~A``ORNEY GENERALOF~EXAS
AUSTIN
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Honorerble T. S.'liurohison, Exeoutlve Dlmotor, Page 2
~."On the 226 day of lorember, A. D. 199,
the Court entered *he following JudepDentr . . '.
and the Court;•iyDttr hearing the evidenos, is
of the opinion, end 80 finds, that the petitioner,
Lena Margaret ldonorisi, is over the age of sixty-
tite years and warn ban in Dloomlngtmi, Illlnolm,
MoLean Countr, on the 23rd day of June, 1876. .
ITISTH2REl!'QREOR$E2ED,ADJUlMED,ANDDE-
&2D that the petitioner, Lena Margaret Monoriet,
ia round to be.over the a* ot dtiprire years,
having been born on the 23rd day of June, 1876,
whloh iaots haYe been eatablie@ad to the eatia-
raotlon of the Court.'
*Ia the State Department Q$ Publlo Welfare
required under the lew to eooept the Judgment or
Deoree or the Court in establishing the age, sin06
tie oannot o&ply with the requirematte as rret
out in Houae ail1 No. ,974, for is this not her
remedy at law~in eetabllshing her age?
*Doem the State Department of Publlo Welfare
haal go mimr unter the Constitutloti and Howe
g 11 to awke a oegulettan and set up sttaad-
lrda ofTage proof rhioh would pem~&t it to eralo-
ate auah a Deoree of Judgpasnt, or would such e
Deene or hkme~t be su*rior or auporsede rry
other proof 6 required iw the State ~Departmntt
11...l”
In anewer to pour iirat *qulrr ytmare adrimd
that we do not regard the ox parte aeoree 0et out above a8
binding on your departments. 9 the first
partment was not made-a party te the wit
fore aot.ba bound by~.thi# decree, WJ 1s ~dSecus?d i? 25
Tex. Jur. 472, ‘et leq ,where it ie 8etat
*It 1s eleamntaiy that no eifeiH.ve duagplsnt
oan be rendered fn tamp of ore against persona
who em not partim to the mit. Nor ril+ a OOUH
edfudge the ~speotlve rt@ht8~ of persona who are
not pertlefi." Se0 oaper 0itOa.
In view oi oar rsling that the 8tete Depmtment of
Publie Welfare i6 not bouad by the deorse a8 set out RbOY8
Honorable J. S. Yurahioon, Exooutfto Dlrootar, Pa@ 9
wo pretermit any dool8ifni ae to whether or not the prosebum
set out ln Bouae Bill No. 974 Is the oxolueivo remedy by
whioh the parson inrolrod might have oetobllohod her ago.
In auwes to your oeoond inquiry you are odtlood
that wo do not believe that the State Departme& of Publio
Welfare has the pow?r to make rogulatlon8 whloh would per-
mlt it to evaluate e final judgment or tho Dlotrlet Court.
Neither the Federal Susie1 Seourlty Aot, nor the PutLIe Wel-
tars A&, Artlole 6950, R. 0. S. of Texas, and related atat-
uteo, provide any atondardo whereby the ago of a person’may
be determined but elnoe tha Texas statutes oontemplate that
the Toxoo Dopartmont.of Pub110 Welfare shall oclminlater old
age asolston~o, tha$.dopartment~must neoeeoerlly hsve the
right to establish roaaonoble rules and reguletlons to orreot-
uate that purpose. We therefore balleto’that the Stabs De-
portment of Publio Welfare may oansider a ~judgmont ouah att
the one presetited in this ogeo and 011 taote lntroduood in
the reoord thhein to&thee xith any other eridenoe whloh the
department may;%hink niaterial, In order to determine the ago
or the perboo. lnralrsd.
We bo2iero that tho rights of en rpp&laaat for old
lga e,srrlstanoe~ are raik guarded by the provla%~na of Artlole
6950, Eieotion``29, 2; a. 5. or Texao, whloh rood l8 followa:
*See.: 29. ai In the event that l n.~epplleo-
tion for publlo a``lotonoe by 6 needy bl.lnd peroon,
a needy emd person, or with rospeot to a needy
dopenaent’ahild, ‘is net oated upon by’the 10041.
unit of odminl~t``tlon within a reasonable time
after the illlzig’ot euoh an opp~loet2oa,~ or is de-
nied in whqle, or in past, or any nrard of ooalst-
enoo 10~ mobifikd’or oimoelled, or applioent or re-
olplent IO diasatl@rlad with any aotlon or failure
to oot.o~.the’patt of the looal adminlrrtratlvo
anit, the. apslloant or molpiont aholl.havo the
right to app,oal to the State Dopartmont,ond ahall
se grent+q a reasonable notioe and opportunity for
a raiz hu@n@before the StOte DOp!artment.
“b. Within ,a rearonebls i&as prior to a11
applia$‘~s OF rea~plontto appeal hearing, he, or
hi.0 cluT&ari~&d agent, shall bo fully advised Qf
tha lnrera@ioa oontoined In hia rooord @a whiah
oation of ,tho loos1 adm%&stretire uskit war based;
if request tar sctah ieO~ti0n is smdi in wit%,
Iionoreble-J. S. Murohleon, Exeoutlve Dlreotor, Page 4
and no erfdenoe of whloh the opplloant or rool-
plent 1s not informed, in eueh lnstenoes, shall
be oonsldered by the Board as the baa18 for a
deoleion eftier e hearing.”
I trust that the above fully onswore. your lnqulrleo.
Your* very truly