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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to training and education for state agency administrators |
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and employees. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 656.043, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 656.043. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "state |
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agency" means a department, agency, or institution of the |
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executive, legislative, or judicial branch of [this] state |
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government, including an institution of higher education as defined |
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by Section 61.003, Education Code. |
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SECTION 2. Section 656.047, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 656.047. PAYMENT OF PROGRAM EXPENSES. (a) Except as |
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provided by this section or other law, a [A] state agency may spend |
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public funds as appropriate to pay the salary, tuition and other |
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fees, travel and living expenses, training stipend, expense of |
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training materials, and other necessary expenses of an instructor, |
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student, or other participant in a training or education program. |
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(b) For an administrator or employee of a state agency who |
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seeks reimbursement for a training or education program offered by |
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an institution of higher education or private or independent |
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institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, |
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Education Code, the agency may only pay the tuition expenses for a |
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program course successfully completed by the administrator or |
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employee at an accredited institution of higher education. |
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SECTION 3. Section 656.048, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b) to read as follows: |
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(b) A state agency shall adopt rules requiring that before |
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an administrator or employee of the agency may be reimbursed under |
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Section 656.047(b), the executive head of the agency must |
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authorize the tuition reimbursement payment. |
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SECTION 4. Section 656.101, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subdivision (1) and adding Subdivision (1-a) to read as |
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follows: |
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(1) "State agency" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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656.043. |
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(1-a) "State [and "state] employee" has the meaning |
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[have the meanings] assigned by Section 572.002 [except that the
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terms do not include a river authority or an employee of a river
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authority]. |
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SECTION 5. Section 656.102, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 656.102. AGENCY POLICY. (a) Before a state agency |
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spends any money on training for a state employee, the state agency |
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must adopt a policy governing the training of employees, in |
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addition to the rules required by Section 656.048, that requires |
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training to relate to an employee's duties following the training. |
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(b) The policy must: |
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(1) provide clear and objective guidelines to govern |
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tuition reimbursement for an administrator or employee of a state |
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agency who is enrolled in training for which the administrator or |
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employee seeks reimbursement from this state; and |
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(2) address tuition reimbursement for nontraditional |
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training, including online courses or courses not credited towards |
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a degree. |
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(c) The state agency shall post the policy adopted under |
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this section on the employment section of the agency's Internet |
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website. |
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SECTION 6. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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training and education expenses paid by a state agency on or after |
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the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |