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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to requiring certain persons to receive training relating |
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to emergency management. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 418, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 418.005 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 418.005. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TRAINING. (a) Each |
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elected public officer of the state or a political subdivision and |
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each appointed public officer of the state or a political |
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subdivision whose duties include emergency management |
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responsibilities or who plays a role in emergency preparedness, |
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response, or recovery shall complete a course of training provided |
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or approved by the division of not less than three hours regarding |
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the responsibilities of state and local governments under this |
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chapter that is appropriate to the public officer's position. |
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(b) The public officer shall complete the training course |
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required by Subsection (a) not later than the 180th day after the |
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date the person takes the oath of office. |
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(c) The division shall develop and provide a training course |
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related to the emergency management responsibilities of |
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state-level officers and a training course related to the emergency |
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management responsibilities of officers of political subdivisions. |
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The division shall ensure that the training courses satisfy the |
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requirements of Subsection (a). |
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(d) The division may provide the training and may also |
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approve any acceptable course of training offered by a governmental |
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body or other entity. The division shall ensure that at least one |
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course of training approved or provided by the division is |
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available on videotape or a functionally similar and widely |
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available medium at no cost. |
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(e) The division or other entity providing the training |
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shall provide a certificate of course completion to public officers |
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who complete the training required by this section. A public |
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officer who completes the training required by this section shall |
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maintain and make available for public inspection the record of the |
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public officer's completion of the training. |
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(f) The failure of one or more public officers of the state |
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or a political subdivision to complete the training required by |
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this section does not affect the validity of an action taken by the |
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state or the political subdivision. |
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(g) The hours spent in a training course required by |
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Subsection (a) may be applied toward the continuing education |
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requirements for county commissioners under Section 81.0025, Local |
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Government Code. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2009, each public |
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officer who has taken the oath of office for a state or local |
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government office before January 1, 2008, and who is required to |
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complete a course of training under Section 418.005, Government |
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Code, as added by this Act, must complete the training. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |