Every City And County Must Have A Public Information Officer

The text as introduced · 529 words

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.