89R794 LRM-F
By: McLaughlin H.B. No. 2660
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the requirement to obtain certification and continuing
education for certain public information officers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 418, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subchapter K to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER K. CERTIFICATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIRED FOR
CERTAIN PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS
Sec. 418.331. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "public
information officer" means an individual who is employed or
appointed by a state agency, local government entity, or
open-enrollment charter school and whose duties include
communicating with the public during a disaster regarding the
disaster.
Sec. 418.332. CERTIFICATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION
REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS. Each of the
following entities shall employ or appoint a public information
officer who must obtain certification in emergency communications
from the division and complete continuing education on emergency
communications as provided by this subchapter:
(1) a municipality, including the municipal police
department;
(2) a county;
(3) a sheriff's office;
(4) an independent school district;
(5) an open-enrollment charter school;
(6) the department; and
(7) the division.
Sec. 418.333. CERTIFICATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION. (a)
A public information officer described by Section 418.332 shall:
(1) obtain certification from the division in
emergency communications not later than the first anniversary of
the date the public information officer was hired or appointed; and
(2) complete a continuing education program on
emergency communications administered by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency and approved by the division twice during each
12-month period beginning on the date the public information
officer obtained certification.
(b) The division shall establish minimum education and
training requirements for initial certification and continuing
education under this subchapter by designating courses approved by
the Federal Emergency Management Agency. These minimum
requirements must include courses provided by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency on:
(1) the National Incident Management System;
(2) the Incident Command System; and
(3) the basic skills and principles necessary to
fulfill the role of a public information officer with respect to
emergency communications.
(c) The division shall assist the entities subject to
Section 418.332 in identifying approved training programs.
Sec. 418.334. COMPLIANCE RECORDS; INSPECTION. (a) Each
entity subject to Section 418.332 shall:
(1) maintain records that demonstrate the compliance
of each public information officer employed or appointed by that
entity with the certification and continuing education
requirements of this subchapter; and
(2) permit inspection and copying by the division,
during reasonable hours and in a reasonable manner, of the
compliance records required to be maintained under Subdivision (1).
(b) The division shall permit inspection and copying by the
department of the compliance records the division maintains under
Subsection (a)(1) during reasonable hours and in a reasonable
manner.
Sec. 418.335. RULES. The division may adopt rules to
administer this subchapter.
SECTION 2. A public information officer described by
Section 418.332, Government Code, as added by this Act, who was
employed or appointed before the effective date of this Act, shall
obtain the certification required by Section 418.333, Government
Code, as added by this Act, not later than September 1, 2026.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.