Board members must complete training before they can vote, deliberate, or count as present at board meetings, and the executive director must prepare and distribute a training manual.
Sec. 81.0201. TRAINING PROGRAM FOR BOARD MEMBERS. (a) A person who is elected or appointed to and qualifies for office as a member of the board of directors may not vote, deliberate, or be counted as a member in attendance at a meeting of the board until the person completes a training program that complies with this section. (b) The training program must provide the person with information regarding: (1) the law governing state bar operations; (2) the programs operated by the state bar; (3) the role and functions of the state bar; (4) the rules of the state bar, with an emphasis on the rules that relate to disciplinary and investigatory authority; (4-a) the scope of and limitations on the rulemaking authority of the state bar; (5) the current budget for the state bar; (6) the results of the most recent formal audit of the state bar; (7) the requirements of: (A) laws relating to open meetings, public information, administrative procedure, and the disclosure of conflicts of interest; and (B) other laws applicable to members of a state policymaking body in performing their duties; and (8) any applicable ethics policies adopted by the state bar or the Texas Ethics Commission. (c) The executive director shall create a training manual that includes the information required by Subsection (b). The executive director shall distribute a copy of the training manual annually to each member of the board of directors. On receipt of the training manual, each member of the board shall sign and submit to the executive director a statement acknowledging receipt of the training manual. Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 227, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 531 (S.B. 302), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2017.