Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

The Attorney General of Texas
‘:M MAllOX Dl:c:embcr 21. 1984
ttornry General
Iprm Cowl Bulldlna
nr. ~0-n a; winfrlqr “Opinion Ro. a-256
I-. 0. Box 125a Director and LibrarAm
AUUl% T% m11.2545 Texas State Library 6 Archivea ” lte: Auihotity of the Texas
‘2l4?52501 Comirrion State Library and Archives
lles s1cfs7413s7
P. 0. Box 12927 i Msrion to tramfcr federal
:.l.wplw 5lU475-0255
Austin. Texar 707:.1. funds to other atate agcnejes
for library remices
4 Jukwn. Sull4 700
UalllS, lx. 752a24505 Deer Hr. Winfrey:
214fl42dou
You ask whether the Teuo State Library Comisrioo has authority
4524 Alberm Ave.. SIN. Is0 under article 5435, V.T.C.S., to grant federal funds to state clee-
El P440, lx. 7wo52792 mosyrury lnstitutiom to use in developing library services for their
15f53534w residents.
. .;
la01 1*x**, SIllI* 700
Your first querrtion is *s follow:
ourton. TX. 77002.3111
13l225ww Is it legal for the Library. end Archive8
Comissiou to make l cash grant from federsl funds
to enother ltete board or ‘comissfon to inprove
3s Broww~y. SUIN 312
umock. l-x. rB4a.3479
library ‘wwices for resident. of that state
w&747.5235 in~titutitnl? i
-.>’ . _.i- .,‘~_Z . ,.:7. *.
?..
The comissjon lus for uny years purebased library uterials for
3W N. 1011th Sulb B
state inetitutionr fron federal funds. % V.T.C.S. art. 5436. It
ucAll4n. lx. 7Bw~le.s
5lm524547
ha0 not made cash grants in the past nnd wishes to knov vhether it has
such authority under: section 1 of article 5435, V.T.C.S.
._ ( : . .
You next wk
vhether such grents be subjectvouldto the condl”
.tionr and l$mit~tiom of
an lnterasency coopera-
tion coutract as provided for in the Interagency
Cooperstiou Act, article 4413(32), or vh+ther the
COIID~SS~OIImay enter into grant agreement8 vlth
other sgencies under article 5435 under its ova
authority and vithout approval of the State
Purehasiql and Cenersl Services Cmrsioa.
Contracts entered into under the Interagency Cooperation Act are
subject to spproval by the State purchasing and Genersl Servicer
Cotmiesion. V.T.C, !1. art. 441302). i5. If the co~ission has
luthority to make such grant8 under article 5635, V.T.C.S.. you vlsh
Hr. Dorm6n R. Yinfrey - Psgo :I (J?k256)
to know vhether its dircretioll to formulate grant contract term vould
be limlted by the requirementm of the Interagency Cooperation Act.
You finally ask:
Would such a federnl grant or interagenry contract
to 6nother agency be prohibited by nrticle V.
section 58 of the 1984-1985 Cenerel Approprlationr
Act, Senate Bill No. 179. Sixty-eighth Legis-
16ture. Regular Session. 1983, unless lpecific6lly
6uthorized in the Approprietioor Act?
Sections 2 through 5 of article 5435. V.T.C.S. c set. out various
pavers of the ,~0118s1on, such as certlfylni county librarians.
appointing a director and state librarian as vell as other personnel
for the State Library and Archives , and developing personnel policies
and procedures. Section 1 of article 5435, V.T.C.S., provides 6s
follov6:
The Cotiselon 6h611 be responsible for the
adoption of all po:.fleiee, rules 6nd regulationa so
.
a6 to ald and encourage the development of and
cooper8tioo nmong: all types of lfbreriee,
including but not limited to publlc. ecndeoic.
special, and other types of libraries. collect
materialr releting to the history of Texas and the
adjoining 6tate6. preserve. classify and publish
the unuscript archives and such other utters as
it my deem proper. diffuse luwuledge in regerd to
the history of Twas, encourage historical vork
and research. url: historic sites 6nd houses and
secure their preewvation, and aid those uho are
studying the problems to be de6lt vith by
legisletlon.
&dminietrative lgencler have only those powers lxpreealy granted
by statute or necessarily inplied from express powers. Stauffer Q.
City of San Antonio, 344 !j.W.Zd 158 (Tex. 1961). Article 5435,
V.T.C.S., does not l rprees:ly authorise the cmi8sion to mnke cash
grants to other etnte lgenc!ee for library purposes. Ue do not
believe this pover is necec:sarlly implied from article 5435, section
1.
Prior opinion6 of this clffice have required express authorization
for state agencies to institute cash grant programs. Sea Attorney
General Opinions N-532 (191G!) (Agricultural Extension SeGe may not
make grants for reforestation); H-1272 (1978) (Hobile Home Pcrfonnanca
Certification Board may nof, make grants for consumer educetion); cf.
R-120 (1973) (express statwory authority neceeenry to receive fade=
grants). The legl6lature has in feet l xpraeely suthorlzed 6ome state
agencies to make cash grants to other lntitiee. See. e.g., V.T.C.S.
p. 1140
?
Mr. Dorun Il. Winfrey - Page 3 (``-256)
art. 46d-12 (Texas Aeroneutjco Conm~ission); V.T.C.S. err. 4413(201),
14 (Texar Department of Cotmmity Affairs). See also Attorney Cenerol
Opinions W-423 (1982); H-XL6 (1974); a-l-0; C-673 (1966)
(construing statures that upreaely authorize stare agencies to oake
granrs).
The coneritution vests :in the legislature authority to direct how
public funds shall be used and ro allocare them among efate agencies.
Tex. Consr. art. III. 135, !i44; art. VIII, 16. See Attorney General
Opinion H-207 (1974); Letter Advisory lo. 2 (1973) (legislation
authorizing governor Lo rraaefer funds betveen appropriaLlon items is
unconstirutional). The legislature exercises this paver by enacting
general laws defining the aglcncy’s powers and duties end by approprie-
ting funds to the agency to carry out Its Legislative mandate. The
General Appropriations Act lo recent years has included a provision
appropriating federal funds to the agencies which receive them. See
Acts 1983, 68th Leg., ch. lC95, art. V. 120. at 6216; Acts 1955, 54th
kg.. ch. 519, lrf. VI, 124, at 1593; Attorney Caner.1 Opinion M-266
(1968). Appropriations not expended or obligated by rhe end of the
sppropriation ~perlod lapse .old return to the treasury. Tex , Const .
art. VIII. 56; Attorney Gener.11 Opinions O-5266 (1943); O-2941 (1940).
When the legislature a``l:horizee an agency to grant appropriated
funds to other state agencj,?:;, It has delegated avey come of its ovn
authority to allocate public funds among state agencies. We cannot
conclude that the legislature intended broad, general language such as
that found in article 5435, section 1, to Include power ro grant funds
to ocher agencies. The lq~ielature has expressly authorized some
agencies, including the State Library Comiseion. ro make grants under
statutory guidellnee. See V.T.C.S. arts. 5436. 5436e; 5446.. Federal
.?rant programs are basrotl express euthorisacion by Congress. See
Uaeon, Hi~hlighte. in -- Fede::al -Grant Lav, l-2 04. l&son -cd. 198x
Madden, The Conetitucional 2nd Legal Foundations of Pederel Grants.
& 10-11; Mason. Grant Rule Making. id. 45. Such statutes vould be
eurplusage if states and ‘iiederal agencies could establish grant
programs in reliance on implied powers.
The Texas courts have not decided whether a state agency must
have express statutory authority to make cash grants to other
agencies. We cannot, horwver, reasonably adopt a doctrine of
Htatutory construction vhich would automaticallv give agencies such
paver unless the legislatwr6: expressly denied it. In our opinion,
legislative silence on the riubject of cash grants to other agencies
signifies legislative intent to withhold power EO make grants. The
State Library and Archives Coaunission iacks authoritv to make cash
grants to other state agencies under .secrion I of article 5435.
V.T.C.S.
Eecause the commission Idcks .lrlchority CP make a S~dal~ grant from
federal lends to a stnte iwcitution to improve itbrarv services ior
its residents, we need nnt address vour second ?rd third questinns
hr. Uormar: Il. Winfray - I’tyu 0 (J&256)
which concern whether utbcr ~wn’lsioor of law vould apply to such
trannactions. If the lcglol``ture vinhee to luthorjze the cocaieeion
to make such Srsnts, problms rained by these provisiuns ten be
resolved in the legislative procero. See Attorney Cenerel Opinions
R-170 (1973); H-601 (1970); W-1120 (t961) (alternative murce~ of
euthor1t.y for perticular intcr.mRency contracts).
Article 5435. V,T.C.S., doea not authorize the
Texas State Libraty end Archives Comiesion to
transfer federal funds to state lleemosyarry
institutions for library services. _ -
JIM l4ATTOX
Attorney Ctnerd of T~XJS
ToI+ GREEN
Hrst Assistant Attorney Cemral
DAVID R. RICHARDS
Executive Assistant Attorney General
RILX GILPIN
Chairman. Opinion Comlttee
Prepared by Susan L. Garrlsou
Asulstant Attorney General
APPuovNo :
OPINIONCOl4HlTTEE
Rick Cilpin. Chairman
Colin Carl
Susan Gsrriam
Tony Cuillory
Jfm Noellinger
Jennifer Riggs
Nancy Sutton
p. 1142