H.B. 686 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


H.B. 686
By: Lewis
County Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current requirements for continuing education for County Commissioners
mandate 16 classroom hours during each 12 month period. An amendment was
made to this provision several years ago, that grants an exemption from
this requirement to: 
 
Commissioners having 12 years of continuous service on the Commissioners
Court and, 
reside in large urban counties over 1.5 million population and, "attend at
least 15 hours of staff briefing on continuing education subjects in each
12 month period as approved by the County Judges and Commissioners
Association of Texas".   

Many issues affecting large urban counties are unique compared to those
affecting smaller counties, and these differences are demonstrated weekly
in the volume and complexity of information provided to the Commissioners
Court during their regular staff briefing sessions.  These briefings can
easily be equated with classroom hours of continuing education and should
be given credit for accordingly, thereby saving the time and expense
involved in seeking continuing education hours elsewhere. 

House Bill 686 amends Chapter 81, Local Government Code, Section 81.0025
(e)(1) by lowering the population bracket to apply to both Tarrant and
Bexar Counties respectively. 


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion of that this bill does not expressly grant
any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department,
agency, or institution. 


ANALYSIS

Section 1 amends Chapter 81, Local Government Code, Section 81.0025(e)(1)
to lower the population bracket from a county with a population of 1.5
million or more to a county with a population of 1.3 million or more. 


EFFECTIVE DATE

January 1, 2004.