| (a) The agency may use state funds, when available,
to provide training or education for its administrators and full-
or part-time employees, including salary, tuition and other fees,
travel and living expenses, training stipend, expense of training
materials and other necessary expenses of an instructor, student or
other participant in a training or education program. The training
must be related to the duties or prospective duties of the administrator
or employee.
(b) "Training" as used in this rule means instruction,
teaching, or other education received by a state employee that is
not normally received by other state employees and that is designed
to enhance the ability of the employee to perform the employee's job.
The term includes a course of study at an institution of higher education
or a private or independent institution of higher education as defined
by Section 61.003, Education Code, if the agency spends money to assist
the state employee to meet the expense of the course of study or pays
salary to the employee to undertake the course of study as an assigned
duty. The term does not include training required either by state
or federal law or that is determined necessary by the agency and offered
to all employees of the agency performing similar jobs.
(c) All administrators and active employees are eligible
to participate in job-related training or education programs supported
by the agency, including training inside or outside the agency, seminars
and conferences, college and university coursework and online training.
(d) When an administrator or employee seeks reimbursement
for a training or education program offered by an institution of higher
education, the agency may only reimburse the tuition expenses for
a program course successfully completed by an employee at an accredited
institution of higher education. Reimbursement for such program courses
requires the approval of the executive administrator.
(e) After completing an education or training program
sponsored by the agency, an administrator or employee will be required,
if applicable, to:
(1) Discuss information obtained and share materials
with other agency employees, to the extent that sharing does not violate
copyright laws;
(2) Assume additional job duties for which the training
or education program prepared the employee; and/or
(3) Conduct training for other department employees
based on the information or skills taught at the training or education
program.
(f) The executive administrator will adopt policies
and procedures to obtain training and/or education for administrators
and employees that include eligibility requirements and procedures
for reimbursement that are in conformity with these rules and Texas
Government Code Chapter 656, Subchapters C and D.
|
