HB2660 - Relating to the requirement to obtain certification and continuing education for certain public information officers.

  89R794 LRM-F     By: McLaughlin H.B. No. 2660       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the requirement to obtain certification and continuing   education for certain public information officers.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Chapter 418, Government Code, is amended by   adding Subchapter K to read as follows:   SUBCHAPTER K. CERTIFICATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIRED FOR   CERTAIN PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS             Sec.   418.331.     DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "public   information officer" means an individual who is employed or   appointed by a state agency, local government entity, or   open-enrollment charter school and whose duties include   communicating with the public during a disaster regarding the   disaster.             Sec.   418.332.     CERTIFICATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION   REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS. Each of the   following entities shall employ or appoint a public information   officer who must obtain certification in emergency communications   from the division and complete continuing education on emergency   communications as provided by this subchapter:                   (1)     a municipality, including the municipal police   department;                   (2)  a county;                 (3)  a sheriff's office;                 (4)  an independent school district;                   (5)  an open-enrollment charter school;                 (6)  the department; and                   (7)  the division.           Sec.   418.333.     CERTIFICATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION. (a)   A public information officer described by Section 418.332 shall:                 (1)     obtain certification from the division in   emergency communications not later than the first anniversary of   the date the public information officer was hired or appointed; and                   (2)     complete a continuing education program on   emergency communications administered by the Federal Emergency   Management Agency and approved by the division twice during each   12-month period beginning on the date the public information   officer obtained certification.           (b)     The division shall establish minimum education and   training requirements for initial certification and continuing   education under this subchapter by designating courses approved by   the Federal Emergency Management Agency. These minimum   requirements must include courses provided by the Federal Emergency   Management Agency on:                 (1)  the National Incident Management System;                 (2)  the Incident Command System; and                   (3)     the basic skills and principles necessary to   fulfill the role of a public information officer with respect to   emergency communications.           (c)     The division shall assist the entities subject to   Section 418.332 in identifying approved training programs.           Sec.   418.334.     COMPLIANCE RECORDS; INSPECTION. (a) Each   entity subject to Section 418.332 shall:                 (1)     maintain records that demonstrate the compliance   of each public information officer employed or appointed by that   entity with the certification and continuing education   requirements of this subchapter; and                 (2)     permit inspection and copying by the division,   during reasonable hours and in a reasonable manner, of the   compliance records required to be maintained under Subdivision (1).             (b)     The division shall permit inspection and copying by the   department of the compliance records the division maintains under   Subsection (a)(1) during reasonable hours and in a reasonable   manner.             Sec.   418.335.     RULES. The division may adopt rules to   administer this subchapter.            SECTION 2.  A public information officer described by   Section 418.332, Government Code, as added by this Act, who was   employed or appointed before the effective date of this Act, shall   obtain the certification required by Section 418.333, Government   Code, as added by this Act, not later than September 1, 2026.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.