TRAINING PROGRAM FOR BOARD MEMBERS

(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 board member with information regarding: (1) the law governing the office's operations; (2) the programs, functions, rules, and budget of the office; (3) the scope of and limitations on the rulemaking authority of the board; (4) the results of the most recent formal audit of the office; (5) the requirements of: (A) laws relating to open meetings, public information, administrative procedure, and disclosing conflicts of interest; and (B) other laws applicable to members of a state policymaking body in performing their duties; and (6) any applicable ethics policies adopted by the office 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 attendance at the program occurs before or after the person qualifies for office. (d) The director of the office 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 board. Each member of the board shall sign and submit to the director a statement acknowledging that the member received and has reviewed the training manual.