The Attorney General of Texas I JIM MAlTOX Novdaer 13, 1984 Attorney General ,. suprma Cowl Bullding Hr. Bill Rale OpinionNo. ``-228 P.0.Box1254s ExecutiveDirector AImtIn.TX. 7S711-2548 Taxae Cormiaaionon klwnenRights Re: Authorityof a local h- SlZ475-2501 P. 0. Box 13493, Capi,tol Station relation.4comniaaion to file TdW s1011)74.1357 Tslecoplrr 5121475.0255 Auatln,Tuaa 78711 auit under section 4.03(5) of article 5221k. V.T.C.S. 714 Juk8.w Suite 700 Dear Mr. Hale: Dallas.TX. 752024505 214rf42a044 You raqueat clc.riflcation of the source of a local human right6 c&eeion'e authority to file employment discriminationactlona. 4S24Alb.m AW.. SuIta lS0 Spccifitilly,you mk vhether e local comisaion may file civil El Pwo. TX. 7Sm5.27n2 actlona purauaat to oection 4.03(5) of the Texas Commissionon Human OlS!5S34B4 RightaAct, V.T.C.8.,#art.5221k, withouta local ordinanceauthorizing arch action. We conclude that once a local coum~esion ia created .Ml T.rar. Wt. 700 pureuaat to eectioa 4.02 of the act, the local commission la liouaton. TX. 77002-3111 authorfzedby aectlm 4.03(5) of the act to file civil actions aa 7x3mx3.w specifiedIn section4.03(5),which is controlledby section 4.04(a). No local ordinance LIOnecessary. Thio does not. however. prevent a politicalaubdlvlsioefrom either adoptingand enforcingan ordinance w6 Broadway.SUIW312 Lubbock,TX. 794013479 pursuant to eection 4.01 or delegatingto its local cormnission the 5w747-5238 power to enforce its ‘ordinance. Ae a preliminarymatter, when e political subdivision haa no 43X N. Tenth. Suite B MeAllen.TX. 7S501.WI5 direct interestin 4,particularclaim and, consequently.no standing. 512iuS2e47 it also lacks stac,dingto act in the public interest. city of Jeffcroonv. RailroadCoumlssion,453 S.W.Zd 906, 908 (Tex. Civ. App. - Austin 1970. vrit ref’d n.r.e.); Ridalgo County Water Improvement 200 MaIn Plaza. SUIIS4ca DietrictNo. 2 V. Capron County Water Control 6 ImprovementDistrict San Antonlo. TX. 7S2OS2797 5121225-4191 No. 5, 253 S.V.Zd 29'4,300 (Tex. Civ. App. - San Antonio 1952. writ rcf’d n.r.e.) (polizlcalsubdivisionmay be class representativeIn suit relating to thtr function of the political subdivision). The legislaturemay place the authorityto representthe public by filing suit where it choaaw. 80 long as it does so constitutfonally.The questionof who may amaintainan action ie a matter of lav and is not subject to tha cont:rol of the parties. PieldtonCo-operativeGin v. Urtiht,259 S.U.Zd 603. 605 (Tex.Civ. App. - Amarillo 1953, no yrlt). a political ~rrbdivisionmay confer upon itself or upon its deleiatee the authority to aeaert another individual’eor entity’e cawe of-actiononly as specifiedby lav. In addition to the jurisdictionof the state commission.article 5221k provides for two local methods of effecting its purposes: one p. 1023 * Hr. Bill Bale - Page 2 (JW:!;!~) by the political subdivisionitself and the other through a local cowaiseion. Section4.01 lnilicates that [a] politicalsubdivisionmay adopt and enforcean ordinance that prchibite practices designatedaa unlawful under this Act, or otheruiee declared unlavful under fecleralor state lav. (Emphasis added). Section4.02 providesfor local com~fssionsin part as follows: A political subdivisionor tvo br more political subdivisionsacting jointly 3 create a local cormission to promote the purposes of this Act. . . . (EmphaM.sadded). Both of these provisions are permissive; thus, a polftical subdivision need not enact and enforce employment discrimination ordinancesand need not create a local human righte coamissionwhich vould promote the purposes of article 5221k on the local level. No local action is necessary :lorenforcement'of article 5221k on the local level by the state compj:sslon -- absent these actions. A political subdivisionprrydelegatethe authorityto enforceits oun section4.01 ordinance;hovevet.once a poltitical subdivisioncreatesa local humen rights comnission pursuant to this statute, which specifically authorizes certain powers, the local cod6sion has at least the power* authorizedby the ewtute. See Attorney General Opinion E-753 (1975); see also Attorney-GralOplnions Ii-1092 (1977); E-619 (1975). Section 4.01 is a provision which emphasizesthat a political subdivisionis not preemptedfrom preventingemploymentdiscrimination and which grants authority to prevent local discrimination by enforcement of a local ordinance which may or may not duplicate article 5221k. Generally,l.ocalregulationthat is ancillary to and In harmonv with the general lmcooeand ouroose of state enactmentsis acceptable. City of Brook&de'Villag; ;. Comeau. 633 S.W.Zd 790. (Tea 1982) cert. denied.-459 U.S. 1087 (1982). Article 5221k specificallyauthorizes 1ocs:lordinances: nothing in article 5221k p;ohibitsa-politicalsubdivisionfrom delegatingihe power to enforce its ordinancesto its local :mmission. Section 4.02 Is an indlependent provision, with regulation by local commissionsguided by-the provisions of article 5221k rather than by the provisions of ;I local ordinance. Therefore. a local commissioncreated pursuantto section 4.02 has the authorityto file certaincivil actlone to enfmce article 5221k. as directlygrantedby section 4.03(5) of the act. Section 4.03(5) grants local commissions the pouer p. 1024 . Mr. Bill lisle- Page 3 (``-228) to receive, investigate.seek to conciliate,and pass on complaintsalleging violations of thia Act, and file civil actions to effectuate the purposes of thia Act if the federalgovernmentor state emission hi;8referredthe complaintto the coamissionor has Tleferredjurisdictionover the subject matter o:? the complaint to the COW mission. . . . (E$asIs added). A local human rights comrm~.esionmay file civil actions in these instances,as furthercontrolledby section4.04(a),without separate authorizationby locsl ordinance. j;UMMARY The authority of a local human rights com- mission, created pursuant to section 4.02 of article 5221k. to file.civil actions pursuant to section 4.03(5) 16 not contingentupon enactment of a local ordinance. Nevertheless,a political subdivision may ttdopt and enforce a local ordinancepursuantto section4.01, and nothing in article 5221k proribits a political subdivision from delegatingto its local commissionthe pouer to enforcethe ord:lnance. J b Very truly your - A JIM MATTOX Attorney Generalof Texas TOM GREEN First AssistantAttorneyGeneral DAVID R. RICHARDS ExecutiveAssistant AttorneyGeneral Preparedby Rick Gilpin AssistantAttorney General APPROVED: OPINION COMMITTEE Rick Gilpin,Chairman Jon Bible Colin Carl Suaan Garrison Jim Hoellinger Nancy Sutton p. 1025