|
Senate Bill 286 |
Senate Author: Wentworth |
|
Effective: 1-1-06 |
House Sponsor: Baxter |
Senate Bill 286 amends the Government Code to establish open meetings and open records training requirements for public officials. The training requirements apply to each elected or appointed official who is a member of a governmental body, and the open records training requirement applies also to the governing officer of a governmental body that is headed by a single officer and to the officer for public information of a governing body. A public official may designate a public coordinator to satisfy the open records training requirements if that coordinator is primarily responsible for administering open records responsibilities. However, designation does not relieve the official from the duty to comply with any other open records requirement. The bill requires the attorney general to ensure that training is made available, either by providing it directly or approving an acceptable course of training by another entity. It requires that at least one provided or approved course of training be available on videotape or a similar medium at no cost. The bill specifies compliance deadlines and training content. A certificate of training completion is admissible as evidence in a criminal prosecution under the open meetings or open records law, but it does not constitute prima facie evidence that a defendant knowingly violated such law.