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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the requirement to obtain certification and continuing |
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education for certain public information officers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 418, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter K to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER K. CERTIFICATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIRED FOR |
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CERTAIN PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS |
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Sec. 418.331. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "public |
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information officer" means an individual who is employed or |
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appointed by a state agency, local government entity, or |
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open-enrollment charter school and whose duties include |
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communicating with the public during a disaster regarding the |
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disaster. |
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Sec. 418.332. CERTIFICATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION |
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REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS. Each of the |
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following entities shall employ or appoint a public information |
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officer who must obtain certification in emergency communications |
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from the division and complete continuing education on emergency |
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communications as provided by this subchapter: |
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(1) a municipality, including the municipal police |
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department; |
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(2) a county; |
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(3) a sheriff's office; |
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(4) an independent school district; |
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(5) an open-enrollment charter school; |
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(6) the department; and |
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(7) the division. |
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Sec. 418.333. CERTIFICATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION. (a) |
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A public information officer described by Section 418.332 shall: |
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(1) obtain certification from the division in |
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emergency communications not later than the first anniversary of |
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the date the public information officer was hired or appointed; and |
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(2) complete a continuing education program on |
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emergency communications administered by the Federal Emergency |
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Management Agency and approved by the division twice during each |
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12-month period beginning on the date the public information |
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officer obtained certification. |
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(b) The division shall establish minimum education and |
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training requirements for initial certification and continuing |
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education under this subchapter by designating courses approved by |
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the Federal Emergency Management Agency. These minimum |
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requirements must include courses provided by the Federal Emergency |
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Management Agency on: |
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(1) the National Incident Management System; |
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(2) the Incident Command System; and |
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(3) the basic skills and principles necessary to |
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fulfill the role of a public information officer with respect to |
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emergency communications. |
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(c) The division shall assist the entities subject to |
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Section 418.332 in identifying approved training programs. |
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Sec. 418.334. COMPLIANCE RECORDS; INSPECTION. (a) Each |
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entity subject to Section 418.332 shall: |
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(1) maintain records that demonstrate the compliance |
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of each public information officer employed or appointed by that |
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entity with the certification and continuing education |
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requirements of this subchapter; and |
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(2) permit inspection and copying by the division, |
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during reasonable hours and in a reasonable manner, of the |
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compliance records required to be maintained under Subdivision (1). |
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(b) The division shall permit inspection and copying by the |
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department of the compliance records the division maintains under |
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Subsection (a)(1) during reasonable hours and in a reasonable |
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manner. |
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Sec. 418.335. RULES. The division may adopt rules to |
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administer this subchapter. |
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SECTION 2. A public information officer described by |
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Section 418.332, Government Code, as added by this Act, who was |
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employed or appointed before the effective date of this Act, shall |
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obtain the certification required by Section 418.333, Government |
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Code, as added by this Act, not later than September 1, 2026. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |