SRC-TNM H.B. 1294 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 1294 By: Solomons (Haywood) Intergovernmental Relations 5-10-97 Engrossed DIGEST Currently, all county commissioners are required to complete a minimum of 16 classroom hours of continuing education, except for a county commissioner who serves in a county with a population of 1.5 million or more, has served continuously for 12 years or more, and attends at least 15 hours of staff briefing on continuing education subjects in each 12-month period. H.B. 1294 would allow an exception to the continuing education requirements for county commissioners. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 1294 outlines provisions regarding continuing education requirements for county commissioners. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 81.0025, Local Government Code, by adding Subsection (f), to provide that in addition to the exceptions under Subsection (e), this section does not apply to a county commissioner who serves in a county with a population of 250,000 or more and who has served continuously for 12 years or more and in the 12-month period, completes at least three semester credit hours of graduate-level course work in a field of study directly related to county government with a grade B or higher in each course completed during the period. SECTION 2. Effective date: January 1, 1998. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.