OFFICE OF THE ATT-ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Honorable Clifford B. Jones, President Texas Teohnologlaal College Lubbook, Texae ,." Gear Sir: ,,' ', Opinion Ko. o-1973 :: ' We hilvacareful1 your letter or re- oeht date, the pertine wbiGh read a$ fol- 10W%: tea t0 help lor~n~- comrsreaoe, which bed roundtable dlacueaion extension work In Texas. een appointad chairman of etiqs Gr the Asrroaiationand 05110 of the Bct~slon Conrerencw em to~#sit,abliehand rrareguardstandards of college work emi agree on methoda and Honorable Clifford B. &ones, ?ege 2 polioies or procedure. I have attended these meetings regularly since the organiza- tion of the extension service of Texss Teoh- nologlosl College, tith profit to this service and the best Interest of the College in standardizing the service. New problems are oonstantly arising and conferences of the extension direotors are neoessery to solve them. Then, too, the vnrk of the ex- tension divisions of the res ec 1%~ oolleges must be kept in proper relatPon with the res- ldent work of the colleges. The problems of the latter are the chief a,ncern of the Asso- *It will be appreciiltedif you will kind- ly adtise whether the reasonable and proper expenses'involved in such trip are euthor4ved for payment out of available funds of said Division of Extension of this College." Your inquiry is directed to the question of whether the payment of the expenses described is prohi- bited by House Bill 255 of the Forty-sixth Legislature, ths appropriationsbill for the state eduoetional lnsti- tutions 0r higher learning. As the meeting to be attended by the Director of Extension of the College will be the annual conven- tion of the Aasooiation of Texas Collegeg, probably you are oonoerned about the prohibition against the payment of the expenses of employees of state depart- ments to conventions whloh appears in Senate Bill 427 of the 46th Legislature, the general appropriation bill for state departments. House Bill 255, however, does not contain any provision prohibiting the payment ef expenses inourred b anployees of the.state educational lnst;ttutionof d gher learning, irrespeotlve of other considerations, if such expenses arise~incident to attendanoe upon a convention. or Course, any expanses of suoh employees, to be payable, must otharwlse be allowable under the Honorable Clifford B. Jones, Page 3 various provisions of Hooe Bill 2z.E,with the limita- tions therein set out. From your statement of facts, it appears thet the proposed trip by the Direction of Extension of Texas Technological College is one that will result in a definite benefit to one phase of the xork of the in- stitution; that it is naf:,e annually by the Diredtor of Extension, with profit to the college; that itwill be devoted to matters peculiarly effecting the work of.the Department of Extension; end presumably, of oourse, will be m:,dewith the approval of those in authority as being en expense necessarily incident to the func- tions of the oollege. Aooordingly, ou are respectfully advised thet his department that the reesgF;h& it is the opinion of i! end proper expenses involved in the proposed tri Director of Extension of the College to the meetfng of the Association of Texas Colleges, April 25th - 27th, inolusive, 1940, within the limitations set out in Base Bill 255 nm be paid out of available funds of the di- vision oP Extension of Texas Teohnologioal College. May we noint out that our oninion No. O-1195 This~disaus``on-did not, of aourse, relate in-any res+ot, to House Bill 255, whioh, as we have pointed out, does mt contain the oonvention prohibition appearing in Sen- ate Bill 427. Trusting that we I've satisfactorily answered your inquiry, we remain Yours very truly ATTORNEY GEEER& OF TEY..S BY /a/ Zollie C. Steakley Thsopinion oonsidered and approved in Limited Conference.