New board members cannot vote, deliberate, or count toward attendance until they complete the required training.
Sec. 454.059. TRAINING. (a) A person who is appointed to and qualifies for office as a member of the board 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 board and executive council operations; (2) the programs, functions, rules, and budgets of the board and executive council; (3) the scope of and limitations on the rulemaking authority of the board and executive council; (4) the types of board and executive council rules, interpretations, and enforcement actions that may implicate federal antitrust law by limiting competition or impacting prices charged by persons engaged in a profession or business regulated by the board, including rules, interpretations, and enforcement actions that: (A) regulate the scope of practice of persons engaged in a profession or business regulated by the board; (B) restrict advertising by persons engaged in a profession or business regulated by the board; (C) affect the price of goods or services provided by persons engaged in a profession or business regulated by the board; or (D) restrict participation in a profession or business regulated by the board; (5) the results of the most recent formal audit of the board and executive council; (6) the requirements of: (A) laws relating to open meetings, public information, administrative procedure, and disclosure of conflicts of interest; and (B) other laws applicable to members of the board in performing their duties; and (7) any applicable ethics policies adopted by the board or the Texas Ethics Commission. (c) A person appointed to the board is entitled to reimbursement, as provided by the General Appropriations Act, for the travel expenses incurred in attending the training program regardless of whether the person's attendance at the program occurs before or after the person qualifies for office. (d) The director of the executive council shall create a training manual that includes the information required by Subsection (b). The director shall distribute a copy of the training manual annually to each board member. On receipt of the training manual, each board member shall sign and submit to the director a statement acknowledging receipt of the training manual. Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by: Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 535 (S.B. 317), Sec. 4.06, eff. September 1, 2017.