Arturo Gutierrez, former director of the office of bilingual education at TEA, recalls his time working at the TEA during the passage of bilingual education legislation. Gutierrez states that the funding level for bilingual education was not recommended by TEA, rather the legislative board decided what funding was left over to apply to the program. Gutierrez also disputes that Dr. Severo Gomez's appointment to assistant commissioner at TEA was because of Senator Joe Bernal's influence, stating that his position is appointed by the commissioner and approved by the state board, not by the legislature. Dr. Gomez was the first Mexican American to hold such a position at TEA. Additionally, Gutierrez discusses how TEA did not have so much a role in creating bilingual education legislation as they did interpreting how to implement the legislation. Although there is not a written rule to prohibits TEA officials from actively lobbying for a piece of legislation, there is an unwritten rule that TEA officials only go to the legislature by request. Dr. Gomez particularly felt that it was his responsibility to carry out the mandate of the legislature and not to mandate any legislation.