TITLE attorney-general

Opinions

Opinion No. GA-0016

Mr. Felipe Alanis, Commissioner of Education, Members of the State Board of Education, 1701 North Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701-1494

Re: Whether appropriation of additional funds to the Texas Education Agency for payment of internal costs and fees for external management of the assets of the permanent school fund is contingent on the fund producing $150 million in excess of the Comptroller of Public Accounts' estimate in the Biennial Revenue Estimate (RQ-0582-JC)

S U M M A R Y

Appropriation of additional funds to the Texas Education Agency in the 2002-03 biennium for payment of fees for external management of the assets of the permanent school fund under rider 38 is not contingent, pursuant to rider 90, on the fund's producing $150 million in excess of the amount estimated by the Comptroller of Public Accounts in the Biennial Revenue Estimate.

Opinion No. GA-0017

The Honorable Jose Rodriguez, El Paso County Attorney, 500 East San Antonio, Room 203, El Paso, Texas 79901

Re: Whether, in a proceeding under the Juvenile Justice Code, title 3 of the Family Code, the state may recover from a child or other nonprevailing party the cost of serving summonses under section 53.06 of the Family Code (RQ-0583-JC)

S U M M A R Y

A court may order any nonprevailing party to pay the costs incurred in issuing summons to various parties under section 53.06 of the Family Code. See TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. § 53.06(a) (Vernon 2002); TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE § 31.007(a) (Vernon 1997); TEX. R. CIV. P. 131. A court may order a nonprevailing party, including a parent, guardian, custodian, guardian ad litem, or other necessary party to pay the service costs if the person is subject to an order under section 54.041 of the Family Code. See TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. § 54.041 (Vernon 2002).

Opinion No. GA-0018

The Honorable Allan Ritter, Chair, Pensions and Investments Committee, Texas House of Representatives, P.O. Box 2910, Austin, Texas 78768-2910

Re: Whether certain statutory provisions relating to revocation of retirement benefits and immunity from liability apply to a retired teacher employed on a temporary basis by a third party that provides contractual staff services to a school district (RQ-0584-JC)

S U M M A R Y

Former teachers who accept temporary employment with third-party contractors who provide educational services to school districts do not thereby forfeit retirement benefits as a matter of law. Such teachers are not "professional employee[s] of a school district" for the purposes of the Education Code's limited grant of immunity for personal liability. See TEX. EDUC. CODE ANN. § 22.051 (Vernon 1996). Third-party contractors who provide such employment and educational services are not staff leasing services regulated by chapter 91 of the Labor Code unless they are in fact providing long-term or continuing employees, and such employees constitute a majority of the work force. See TEX. LAB. CODE ANN. §§ 91.001- 91.063 (Vernon 1996 & Supp. 2003).

For further information, please access the website at www.oag.state.tx.us. or call the Opinion Committee at 512/ 463-2110.

TRD-200300901

Rick Gilpin

Assistant Attorney General

Office of the Attorney General

Filed: February 5, 2003


Request for Opinions

RQ-0012-GA

The Honorable Ed C. Jones, Angelina County Attorney, P.O. Box 1845, Lufkin, Texas 75902-1845

Re: Whether a member of the board of directors of a water control and improvement district may simultaneously serve as an employee of that district (Request No. 0012-GA)

Briefs requested by March 1, 2003

RQ-0013-GA

The Honorable Bruce Isaacks, Denton County Criminal District Attorney, P.O. Box 2850, Denton, Texas 76202

Re: Budget amendment process in Denton County (Request No. 0013-GA)

Briefs requested by March 2, 2003

For further information, please access the website at www.oag.state.tx.us. or call the Opinion Committee at (512) 463-2110.

TRD-200300862

Rick Gilpin

Assistant Attorney General

Office of the Attorney General

Filed: February 4, 2003