| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the adoption of a training manual for certain state |
|
|
officers. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 6, Government Code, is amended |
|
|
by adding Chapter 673 to read as follows: |
|
|
CHAPTER 673. TRAINING MANUAL FOR CERTAIN STATE OFFICERS |
|
|
Sec. 673.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
|
|
(1) "Executive head of a state agency" has the meaning |
|
|
assigned by Section 669.001. |
|
|
(2) "State agency" means a department, board, |
|
|
commission, or other agency in the executive branch of state |
|
|
government. The term does not include an institution of higher |
|
|
education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code. |
|
|
Sec. 673.002. TRAINING MANUAL. (a) The governing body of a |
|
|
state agency or the single state officer who governs an agency shall |
|
|
adopt a training manual as provided by this section. The executive |
|
|
head of a state agency governed by a governing body shall ensure |
|
|
that each member of the body receives a copy of the manual each |
|
|
year. |
|
|
(b) The training manual must include, at a minimum: |
|
|
(1) the scope of and limitations on the rulemaking |
|
|
authority of the governing body or officer; |
|
|
(2) the distinction between the governing body's or |
|
|
officer's rulemaking authority and the authority of the |
|
|
legislature; |
|
|
(3) the ethical considerations involved in |
|
|
communications between the officer or members of the governing body |
|
|
and persons required to register as lobbyists under Chapter 305; |
|
|
(4) the procedures by which the officer or a member of |
|
|
a governing body must disclose a conflict of interest; and |
|
|
(5) rules and state laws applicable to the officer or |
|
|
members of the governing body. |
|
|
(c) A person who is a member of the governing body of a state |
|
|
agency shall submit annually to the executive head of the state |
|
|
agency a statement affirming receipt of the training manual. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Not later than June 1, 2016, the governing body |
|
|
of a state agency or the single state officer who governs the agency |
|
|
shall adopt the training manual required by Section 673.002, |
|
|
Government Code, as added by this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |