| 1 | 1 | | By: Schwertner, et al. S.B. No. 668 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (Geren) |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the adoption of a training manual for certain state |
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| 8 | 8 | | officers. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 6, Government Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 11 | | by adding Chapter 673 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | CHAPTER 673. TRAINING MANUAL FOR CERTAIN STATE OFFICERS |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 673.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) "Executive head of a state agency" has the meaning |
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| 15 | 15 | | assigned by Section 669.001. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) "State agency" means a department, board, |
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| 17 | 17 | | commission, or other agency in the executive branch of state |
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| 18 | 18 | | government. The term does not include an institution of higher |
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| 19 | 19 | | education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code. |
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| 20 | 20 | | Sec. 673.002. TRAINING MANUAL. (a) The governing body of |
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| 21 | 21 | | a state agency or the single state officer who governs an agency |
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| 22 | 22 | | shall adopt a training manual as provided by this section. The |
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| 23 | 23 | | executive head of a state agency governed by a governing body shall |
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| 24 | 24 | | ensure that each member of the body receives a copy of the manual |
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| 25 | 25 | | each year. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) The training manual must include, at a minimum: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) the scope of and limitations on the rulemaking |
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| 28 | 28 | | authority of the governing body or officer; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) the distinction between the governing body's or |
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| 30 | 30 | | officer's rulemaking authority and the authority of the |
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| 31 | 31 | | legislature; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (3) the ethical considerations involved in |
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| 33 | 33 | | communications between the officer or members of the governing body |
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| 34 | 34 | | and persons required to register as lobbyists under Chapter 305; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (4) the procedures by which the officer or a member of |
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| 36 | 36 | | a governing body must disclose a conflict of interest; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | (5) rules and state laws applicable to the officer or |
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| 38 | 38 | | members of the governing body. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (c) A person who is a member of the governing body of a state |
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| 40 | 40 | | agency shall submit annually to the executive head of the state |
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| 41 | 41 | | agency a statement affirming receipt of the training manual. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 2. Not later than June 1, 2016, the governing body |
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| 43 | 43 | | of a state agency or the single state officer who governs the agency |
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| 44 | 44 | | shall adopt the training manual required by Section 673.002, |
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| 45 | 45 | | Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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