Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB411 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R4881 SCL-F
2	2	By: Middleton S.B. No. 411
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6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to training requirements for certain public officials and
10	10	candidates for public office.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Sections 11.159(c-1) and (d), Education Code,
13	13	are amended to read as follows:
14	14	(c-1) The agency shall, for the training required by
15	15	Subsection (c)(1):
16	16	(1) provide the training; and
17	17	(2) certify the completion of the training by a
18	18	trustee or candidate for trustee [must be research-based and
19	19	designed to support the oversight role of the board of trustees
20	20	under Section 11.1515].
21	21	(d) A trustee or candidate for trustee may complete training
22	22	required under Subsection (c) at a regional education service
23	23	center [or through another authorized provider. A provider must
24	24	certify the completion of the training by a trustee or candidate].
25	25	SECTION 2. Section 74.025, Government Code, is amended to
26	26	read as follows:
27	27	Sec. 74.025. EDUCATION PROGRAMS. The court of criminal
28	28	appeals shall, if adequate funding is available for education
29	29	programs for judges and court personnel, ensure that adequate
30	30	education programs are available through an institution of higher
31	31	education or the State Bar of Texas on an equitable basis for judges
32	32	and court personnel of courts created under the constitution and
33	33	laws of this state.
34	34	SECTION 3. Sections 418.005(d) and (e), Government Code,
35	35	are amended to read as follows:
36	36	(d) The division may provide the training and may also
37	37	approve any acceptable course of training provided [offered] by a
38	38	governmental body [or other entity]. The division shall ensure
39	39	that at least one course of training approved or provided by the
40	40	division is available on videotape or a functionally similar and
41	41	widely available medium at no cost.
42	42	(e) The division or governmental body [other entity]
43	43	providing the training shall provide a certificate of course
44	44	completion to a person who completes the training required by this
45	45	section. A person who completes the training required by this
46	46	section shall maintain and make available for public inspection the
47	47	record of the person's completion of the training.
48	48	SECTION 4. Sections 551.005(b) and (c), Government Code,
49	49	are amended to read as follows:
50	50	(b) The attorney general shall ensure that the training is
51	51	made available. The office of the attorney general may provide the
52	52	training and may also approve any acceptable course of training
53	53	offered by a governmental body [or other entity]. The attorney
54	54	general shall ensure that at least one course of training approved
55	55	or provided by the attorney general is available on videotape or a
56	56	functionally similar and widely available medium at no cost. The
57	57	training must include instruction in:
58	58	(1) the general background of the legal requirements
59	59	for open meetings;
60	60	(2) the applicability of this chapter to governmental
61	61	bodies;
62	62	(3) procedures and requirements regarding quorums,
63	63	notice, and recordkeeping under this chapter;
64	64	(4) procedures and requirements for holding an open
65	65	meeting and for holding a closed meeting under this chapter; and
66	66	(5) penalties and other consequences for failure to
67	67	comply with this chapter.
68	68	(c) The office of the attorney general or other governmental
69	69	body [entity] providing the training shall provide a certificate of
70	70	course completion to persons who complete the training required by
71	71	this section. A governmental body shall maintain and make
72	72	available for public inspection the record of its members'
73	73	completion of the training.
74	74	SECTION 5. Sections 552.012(d) and (e), Government Code,
75	75	are amended to read as follows:
76	76	(d) The attorney general shall ensure that the training is
77	77	made available. The office of the attorney general may provide the
78	78	training and may also approve any acceptable course of training
79	79	offered by a governmental body [or other entity]. The attorney
80	80	general shall ensure that at least one course of training approved
81	81	or provided by the attorney general is available on videotape or a
82	82	functionally similar and widely available medium at no cost. The
83	83	training must include instruction in:
84	84	(1) the general background of the legal requirements
85	85	for open records and public information;
86	86	(2) the applicability of this chapter to governmental
87	87	bodies;
88	88	(3) procedures and requirements regarding complying
89	89	with a request for information under this chapter;
90	90	(4) the role of the attorney general under this
91	91	chapter; and
92	92	(5) penalties and other consequences for failure to
93	93	comply with this chapter.
94	94	(e) The office of the attorney general or other governmental
95	95	body [entity] providing the training shall provide a certificate of
96	96	course completion to persons who complete the training required by
97	97	this section. A governmental body shall maintain and make
98	98	available for public inspection the record of its public officials'
99	99	or, if applicable, the public information coordinator's completion
100	100	of the training.
101	101	SECTION 6. Section 2054.519(b), Government Code, is amended
102	102	to read as follows:
103	103	(b) To be certified under Subsection (a), a cybersecurity
104	104	training program must:
105	105	(1) focus on forming information security habits and
106	106	procedures that protect information resources; [and]
107	107	(2) teach best practices for detecting, assessing,
108	108	reporting, and addressing information security threats; and
109	109	(3) be provided by a state agency or local government.
110	110	SECTION 7. Chapter 180, Local Government Code, is amended
111	111	by adding Section 180.011 to read as follows:
112	112	Sec. 180.011. OFFICER CONTINUING EDUCATION TRAINING
113	113	REQUIREMENTS. Notwithstanding any other law, a member of the
114	114	governing body of a municipality, a member of a school board, an
115	115	elected county officer, or an individual appointed to fill a
116	116	vacancy in an elective county office is not required to attend or
117	117	complete any continuing education training required for the office.
118	118	SECTION 8. Section 6.231(c), Tax Code, is amended to read as
119	119	follows:
120	120	(c) Continuing education required by this section must be:
121	121	(1) approved by the comptroller; and
122	122	(2) provided by the comptroller [a state agency] or an
123	123	accredited institution of higher education, including an
124	124	institution that is a part of or associated with an accredited
125	125	institution of higher education, such as the V. G. Young Institute
126	126	of County Government.
127	127	SECTION 9. The following provisions are repealed:
128	128	(1) Section 418.005(g), Government Code;
129	129	(2) Section 2054.519(c), Government Code;
130	130	(3) Section 81.0025, Local Government Code;
131	131	(4) Section 83.003, Local Government Code; and
132	132	(5) Section 84.0085, Local Government Code.
133	133	SECTION 10. As soon as practicable after the effective date
134	134	of this Act, the State Board of Education shall modify all rules
135	135	that are inconsistent with the changes in law made by this Act.
136	136	SECTION 11. Sections 11.159, Education Code, 418.005,
137	137	551.005, 552.012, and 2054.519, Government Code, and 6.231, Tax
138	138	Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to training conducted on or
139	139	after the effective date of this Act. Training conducted before the
140	140	effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect
141	141	immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is
142	142	continued in effect for that purpose.
143	143	SECTION 12. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.