Sec. 452.059. TRAINING. (a) A person who is appointed to and qualifies for office as a member of the executive council may not vote, deliberate, or be counted as a member in attendance at a meeting of the executive council until the person completes a training program that complies with this section.

(b) The training program required under this section must provide the person with information regarding:

(1) the law governing the operations of the executive council, physical therapy board, and occupational therapy board;

(2) the programs, functions, rules, and budgets of the executive council, physical therapy board, and occupational therapy board;

(3) the scope of and limitations on the rulemaking authority of the executive council, physical therapy board, and occupational therapy board;

(4) the types of executive council, physical therapy board, and occupational therapy board 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 executive council, physical therapy board, or occupational therapy 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 executive council, physical therapy board, or occupational therapy board;

(B) restrict advertising by persons engaged in a profession or business regulated by the executive council, physical therapy board, or occupational therapy board;

(C) affect the price of goods or services provided by persons engaged in a profession or business regulated by the executive council, physical therapy board, or occupational therapy board; or

(D) restrict participation in a profession or business regulated by the executive council, physical therapy board, or occupational therapy board;

(5) the results of the most recent formal audit of the executive council, physical therapy board, and occupational therapy board;

(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 executive council, physical therapy board, and occupational therapy board in performing their duties; and

(7) any applicable ethics policies adopted by the executive council or the Texas Ethics Commission.

(c) A person appointed to the executive council 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 member of the executive council. On receipt of the training manual, each member of the executive council shall sign and submit to the director a statement acknowledging receipt of the training manual.

Added by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 535 (S.B. 317), Sec. 1.04, eff. September 1, 2017.