| 1 | 1 | | By: Middleton S.B. No. 2555 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to training requirements for certain municipal, county, |
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| 7 | 7 | | and school district elected officers. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 180, Local Government Code, is amended |
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| 10 | 10 | | by adding Section 180.010 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 180.010. ELECTED OFFICER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS. |
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| 12 | 12 | | Notwithstanding any other law, a member of the governing body of a |
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| 13 | 13 | | municipality or school board or an elected county officer is not |
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| 14 | 14 | | required to attend or complete any continuing education training. |
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| 15 | 15 | | SECTION 2. Section 551.005, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 16 | 16 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as |
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| 17 | 17 | | follows: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), each [Each] |
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| 19 | 19 | | elected or appointed public official who is a member of a |
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| 20 | 20 | | governmental body subject to this chapter shall complete a course |
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| 21 | 21 | | of training of not less than one and not more than two hours |
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| 22 | 22 | | regarding the responsibilities of the governmental body and its |
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| 23 | 23 | | members under this chapter not later than the 90th day after the |
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| 24 | 24 | | date the member: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) takes the oath of office, if the member is required |
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| 26 | 26 | | to take an oath of office to assume the person's duties as a member |
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| 27 | 27 | | of the governmental body; or |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) otherwise assumes responsibilities as a member of |
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| 29 | 29 | | the governmental body, if the member is not required to take an oath |
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| 30 | 30 | | of office to assume the person's duties as a member of the |
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| 31 | 31 | | governmental body. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (a-1) This section does not apply to an elected public |
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| 33 | 33 | | official who is a member of a governmental body described by Section |
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| 34 | 34 | | 551.001(3)(B), (C), (E), (F), or (G). |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 3. Section 552.012, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 36 | 36 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as |
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| 37 | 37 | | follows: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), this [This] |
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| 39 | 39 | | section applies to an elected or appointed public official who is: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (1) a member of a multimember governmental body; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (2) the governing officer of a governmental body that |
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| 42 | 42 | | is headed by a single officer rather than by a multimember governing |
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| 43 | 43 | | body; or |
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| 44 | 44 | | (3) the officer for public information of a |
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| 45 | 45 | | governmental body, without regard to whether the officer is elected |
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| 46 | 46 | | or appointed to a specific term. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (a-1) This section does not apply to an elected public |
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| 48 | 48 | | official who is a member of a governmental body described by Section |
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| 49 | 49 | | 552.003(1)(A)(ii), (iii), (v), (vi), or (vii). |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 4. Section 11.159(d), Texas Education Code, is |
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| 51 | 51 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 52 | 52 | | (d) A trustee or candidate for trustee may complete training |
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| 53 | 53 | | required under Subsection (c) at a regional education service |
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| 54 | 54 | | center that is provided by the Texas Education Agency [or through |
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| 55 | 55 | | another authorized provider. A provider must certify the completion |
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| 56 | 56 | | of the training by a trustee or candidate]. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 5. Section 418.005(d)-(e), Texas Government Code, |
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| 58 | 58 | | is amended to read as follows: |
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| 59 | 59 | | (d) The division may provide the training and may also |
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| 60 | 60 | | approve any acceptable course of training provided [offered] by a |
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| 61 | 61 | | governmental body [or other entity]. The division shall ensure |
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| 62 | 62 | | that at least one course of training approved or provided by the |
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| 63 | 63 | | division is available on videotape or a functionally similar and |
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| 64 | 64 | | widely available medium at no cost. |
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| 65 | 65 | | (e) The division [or other entity providing the training] |
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| 66 | 66 | | shall provide a certificate of course completion to a person who |
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| 67 | 67 | | completes the training required by this section. A person who |
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| 68 | 68 | | completes the training required by this section shall maintain and |
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| 69 | 69 | | make available for public inspection the record of the person's |
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| 70 | 70 | | completion of the training. |
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| 71 | 71 | | SECTION 6. Section 6.231(c), Tax Code, is amended read as |
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| 72 | 72 | | follows: |
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| 73 | 73 | | (c) Continuing education required by this section must be |
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| 74 | 74 | | approved and provided by the comptroller [a state agency] or an |
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| 75 | 75 | | accredited institution of higher education, including an |
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| 76 | 76 | | institution that is a part of or associated with an accredited |
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| 77 | 77 | | institution of higher education, such as the V. G. Young Institute |
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| 78 | 78 | | of County Government. |
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| 79 | 79 | | SECTION 7. The following provisions of the Local Government |
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| 80 | 80 | | Code are repealed: |
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| 81 | 81 | | (1) Section 81.0025; and |
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| 82 | 82 | | (2) Section 83.003. |
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| 83 | 83 | | SECTION 8. The following provisions of the Texas Education |
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| 84 | 84 | | Code are repealed: |
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| 85 | 85 | | (1) Section 11.159(c-1). |
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| 86 | 86 | | SECTION 9. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 87 | 87 | | of this Act, the State Board of Education shall repeal all rules |
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| 88 | 88 | | that are inconsistent with the changes in law made by this Act. |
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| 89 | 89 | | SECTION 10. This Act takes effect immediately if it |
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| 90 | 90 | | receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
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| 91 | 91 | | house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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| 92 | 92 | | If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
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| 93 | 93 | | effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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