Sec. 511.004. MEMBERSHIP; TERMS; VACANCIES. (a) The commission consists of nine members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. One member must be a sheriff of a county with a population of more than 35,000, one must be a sheriff of a county with a population of 35,000 or less, one must be a county judge, one must be a county commissioner, one must be a practitioner of medicine licensed by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, and the other four must be representatives of the general public. At least one of the four citizen members must be from a county with a population of 35,000 or less.

(b) The sheriffs, county judge, and county commissioner appointed to the commission shall perform the duties of a member in addition to their other duties.

(c) Members serve for terms of six years with the terms of one-third of the members expiring on January 31 of each odd-numbered year.

(d) If a sheriff, county judge, or county commissioner member of the commission ceases to be sheriff, county judge, or county commissioner, the person's position on the commission becomes vacant.

(e) A person appointed to fill a vacancy must have the same qualifications for appointment as the member who vacated the position.

(f) Appointments to the commission shall be made without regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin of the appointees.

(g) A person is not eligible for appointment as a public member of the commission if the person or the person's spouse:

(1) is registered, certified, or licensed by a regulatory agency in the field of law enforcement;

(2) is employed by or participates in the management of a business entity, county jail, or other organization regulated by the commission or receiving funds from the commission;

(3) owns or controls, directly or indirectly, more than a 10 percent interest in a business entity or other organization regulated by the commission or receiving funds from the commission; or

(4) uses or receives a substantial amount of tangible goods, services, or funds from the commission, other than compensation or reimbursement authorized by law for commission membership, attendance, or expenses.

(h) A person who is appointed to and qualifies for office as a member of the commission may not vote, deliberate, or be counted as a member in attendance at a meeting of the commission until the person completes a training program that complies with Subsection (i).

(i) The training program required by Subsection (h) must provide information to the person regarding:

(1) this chapter;

(2) the programs, functions, rules, and budget of the commission;

(3) the results of the most recent formal audit of the commission;

(4) the requirements of laws relating to open meetings, public information, administrative procedure, and conflicts of interest; and

(5) any applicable ethics policies adopted by the commission or the Texas Ethics Commission.

(j) A person appointed to the commission is entitled to reimbursement, as provided by the General Appropriations Act, for the travel expenses incurred in attending the training program required by Subsection (h) regardless of whether attendance at the program occurs before or after the person qualifies for office.

Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 212, Sec. 2.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 740, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 259, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Amended by:

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1215 (S.B. 1009), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2009.