By: Moncrief S.B. No. 156
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to the training requirements for members of governing
1-2 boards of state agencies.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Title 110A, Revised Statutes, is amended by
1-5 adding Article 6252-9g to read as follows:
1-6 Art. 6252-9g. TRAINING AND GUIDELINES FOR MEMBERS OF STATE
1-7 AGENCY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. (a) In this article:
1-8 (1) "Governing board" means the governing body of a
1-9 state agency.
1-10 (2) "State agency" means a department, commission,
1-11 board, office, or other agency in the executive branch of state
1-12 government, created under the constitution or a statute, whose
1-13 authority is statewide.
1-14 (b) The governor's office by rule shall establish for each
1-15 state agency:
1-16 (1) a training program for members of the governing
1-17 board, administered by the professional staff of the state agency,
1-18 including the state agency's legal counsel, and by representatives
1-19 from the office of the attorney general and the Texas Ethics
1-20 Commission; and
1-21 (2) an advisory committee to develop training
1-22 guidelines that includes representatives of those licensed by the
1-23 state agency if the state agency engages in licensing.
2-1 (c) Before a member of a governing board may assume office,
2-2 the member shall attend at least one training session administered
2-3 as provided by Subsection (b)(1) to receive information relating
2-4 to, as applicable:
2-5 (1) the enabling legislation that created the state
2-6 agency;
2-7 (2) the programs the state agency operates;
2-8 (3) the role and function of the state agency;
2-9 (4) the rules and regulations of the state agency with
2-10 an emphasis on those relating to disciplinary and investigative
2-11 authority;
2-12 (5) the current budget for the state agency;
2-13 (6) the results of the most recent formal audit of the
2-14 state agency;
2-15 (7) the requirements of the open meetings law, Chapter
2-16 271, Acts of the 60th Legislature, Regular Session, 1967 (Article
2-17 6252-17, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), and the open records law,
2-18 Chapter 424, Acts of the 63rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1973
2-19 (Article 6252-17a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes);
2-20 (8) the requirements of conflict of interest laws and
2-21 other laws relating to public officials; and
2-22 (9) any applicable ethics policies adopted by the
2-23 state agency or the Texas Ethics Commission.
2-24 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
2-25 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is here by
3-5 suspended.