ATTORNEY GENERAL
Under provisions set out in the Texas Constitution, the Texas Government Code, 
Title 4,  402.042 and numerous statutes, the attorney general is authorized to 
write advisory opinions for state and local officials. These advisory opinions 
are requested by agencies or officials when they are confronted with unique or 
unusually difficult legal questions. The attorney general also determines, under 
authority of the Texas Open Records Act, whether information requested for 
release from governmental agencies may be held from public disclosure. Requests 
for opinions, opinions, and open record decisions are summarized for publication 
in the Texas Register. The Attorney General responds to many requests for 
opinions and open records decisions with letter opinions. A letter opinion has 
the same force and effect as a formal Attorney General Opinion, and represents 
the opinion of the Attorney General unless and until it is modified or overruled 
by a subsequent letter opinion, a formal Attorney General Opinion, or a decision 
of a court of record. To request copies of opinions, phone (512) 462-0011. To 
inquire about pending requests for opinions, phone (512) 463-2110.

Request for Opinions

RQ-906 Requested from Representative Keith
 Oakley, Chair, Committee on Public Safety, Texas House of Representatives,
 P.O. Box 2910, Austin, Texas 78768-2910, concerning whether Local Government
 Code, Chapter 143, requires the use of competitive civil service examinations
 for fire department trainees.


RQ-907 Requested from Mr. Tom Treadway, Executive
 Director, General Services Commission, P.O. Box 13047, Austin, Texas 78711-
3047,
 concerning Authority of the General Services Commission to acquire 
telecommunications
 services for state agencies, and related questions.


RQ-908 Requested from the Honorable Tim
 Curry, Criminal District Attorney, 401 West Belknap Street, Fort Worth, Texas
 76196-0201, concerning Authority of a district judge to require a person
 convicted of a sex offense against a child, as a condition of probation,
 to post a warning sign at his home.


RQ-909 Requested from the Honorable David
 Sibley, Chair, Economic Development, Texas State Senate, P.O. Box 12068,
 Austin, Texas 78711, concerning whether Government Code sec.417.0041 delegates
 rulemaking authority to fire protection advisory councils in contravention
 of the Texas Constitution, Article III, sec.1.


RQ-910 Requested from the Honorable Frank
 Madla, Chair, Nomination Committee, Texas State Senate, P.O. Box 12068, Austin,
 Texas 78711-2068, concerning Authority of a municipality to review, adopt
 or reject rules of a fire and police civil service commission, and related
 questions.


RQ-911 Requested from the Honorable Garry
 Mauro, Commissioner, General Land Office, 1700 North Congress, Austin, Texas
 78701-1495, concerning whether state acquisition of land subject to the special
 agricultural valuation constitutes a "change in use" that would trigger the
 "rollback" process.


RQ-912 Requested from the Honorable Fred
 Hill Chair, Committee on Urban Affairs, Texas House of Representatives, P.O.
 Box 2910, Austin, Texas 78768-2910, concerning Authority of a home rule city
 to adopt an ordinance restricting or prohibiting cigarette vending machines.

RQ-913 Requested from the Honorable Carl
 E. Lewis, Nueces County Attorney, 901 Leopard, Room 206, Corpus Christi,
 Texas 78401-3680, concerning Obligation of a county with an office of public
 defender to fund court-appointed attorneys for indigents.


RQ-914 Requested from the Honorable James
 Warren Smith, Jr., Frio County Attorney, P.O. Box V, Pearsall, Texas 78061-
1421,
 concerning whether a county may pay the attorneys fees of an official who
 prevails in an election contest.


RQ-916 Requested from Mr. Andrew Sansom,
 Executive Director, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School
 Road, Austin, Texas 78744, concerning whether hunting from a boat beached
 on submerged private property constitutes criminal trespass, and related
 questions.


TRD-9614916